Jackie Brown

A 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel "Rum Punch". The protagonist, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), is a flight attendant who smuggles money from Mexico to the U.S. for arms dealer Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). When Jackie is arrested by ATF agents Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) and Mark Dargus (Michael Bowen), she faces a choice: cooperate with authorities or remain loyal to Ordell. With the help of bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster), Jackie devises a plan to deceive both the police and Ordell to secure a large sum of money for herself. Tarantino salutes 1970s blaxploitation throughout, above all "Coffy" and "Foxy Brown" — Pam Grier starred in those too. The cast also includes Robert De Niro (Louis Gara), Bridget Fonda (Melanie Ralston), and Chris Tucker (Beaumont Livingston). The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $74.7 million against a $12 million budget. Robert Forster was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.