Inherent Vice (film)

Inherent Vice
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Thomas Anderson
Screenplay byPaul Thomas Anderson
Based onInherent Vice
by Thomas Pynchon
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobert Elswit
Edited byLeslie Jones
Music byJonny Greenwood
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures[1]
Release dates
  • October 4, 2014 (2014-10-04) (NYFF)
  • December 12, 2014 (2014-12-12) (United States)
Running time
149 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[3]
Box office$14.7 million[4]

Inherent Vice is a 2014 American period neo-noir mystery comedy film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, based on the 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon. The ensemble cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Eric Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Martin Short and Joanna Newsom. The film follows Larry "Doc" Sportello, a well-intentioned but fumbling stoner, hippie, and private investigator embroiled in the criminal underworld of 1970 Los Angeles, investigating three cases linked by the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend and her wealthy new boyfriend.

Anderson's adaptation of Inherent Vice had been in development since 2010; it is the first and so far only Pynchon novel to be adapted for the screen. It is Anderson's second collaboration with Phoenix, following The Master (2012), and involves a number of his other recurring collaborators, including producers Daniel Lupi and JoAnne Sellar, cinematographer Robert Elswit, editor Leslie Jones, and composer Jonny Greenwood.

Inherent Vice premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 4, 2014, and began a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 12, 2014, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the performances, costumes, and screenplay, but some criticizing the complicated plot. It was nominated for several awards, including two at the 87th Academy Awards and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Phoenix at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. The National Board of Review named it one of the ten best films of the year. Some critics said that Inherent Vice has the makings of a cult film.[5] In 2016, it was voted the 75th best film since 2000 in an international critics' poll.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Inherent Vice (2014)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  2. ^ "INHERENT VICE (15)". British Board of Film Classification. December 9, 2014. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  3. ^ Kohn, Eric (December 8, 2014). "Paul Thomas Anderson on Trying Not to 'F*ck Up' Adapting 'Inherent Vice'". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  4. ^ "Inherent Vice (2014)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  5. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (October 5, 2014). "NYFF 2014: 'Inherent Vice' and the contemporary cult hit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "The 21st Century's 100 greatest films". BBC News. BBC. August 23, 2016. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2018.