Pulp Fiction

**Just Because You Are A Character Doesn't Mean You Have Character**

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 Film from the USA. It was nominated for Best Picture at the 1995 Academy Awards.

## Plot

Hitmen Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega arrive at an apartment to retrieve a briefcase for their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace, from a business partner, Brett. After Vincent checks the contents of the briefcase, Jules shoots one of Brett's associates, then declaims a passage from the Bible before he and Vincent kill Brett for trying to double-cross Marsellus. They take the briefcase to Marsellus, but have to wait while he bribes champion boxer Butch Coolidge to take a dive in his upcoming match.

The next day, Vincent purchases heroin from his drug dealer, Lance. He shoots up, then drives to meet Marsellus's wife Mia, whom he had agreed to escort while Marsellus was out of town. They eat at a 1950s-themed restaurant and participate in a twist contest, then return home with the trophy. While Vincent is in the bathroom, Mia finds his heroin, mistakes it for cocaine, snorts it, and overdoses. Vincent rushes her to Lance's house, where they revive her with an adrenalin shot to her heart.

Butch betrays Marsellus and wins the bout, accidentally killing his opponent. At the motel where he and his girlfriend Fabienne are lying low and preparing to flee, Butch discovers she has forgotten to pack his father's gold watch, a beloved heirloom, and flies into a rage. Returning to his apartment to retrieve the watch, he notices a suppressed MAC-10 on the kitchen counter and hears the toilet flush. Vincent exits the bathroom and Butch shoots him dead, leaving the gun inside.

As Butch waits at a traffic light in his car, Marsellus spots him by chance crossing the road and chases him into a pawnshop. The owner, Maynard, captures them at gunpoint and ties them up in the basement. Maynard is joined by Zed, a security guard; they take Marsellus to another room to rape him, leaving "the gimp", a silent figure in a bondage suit, to watch Butch. Butch breaks loose and knocks out the gimp. He is about to flee but decides to save Marsellus, returning with a katana from the pawnshop. He kills Maynard; Marsellus retrieves Maynard's shotgun and shoots Zed. Marsellus informs Butch that they are even, as long as he tells no-one about the rape and departs Los Angeles forever. Butch picks up Fabienne on Zed's chopper and they drive away.

Earlier, after Vincent and Jules have executed Brett in his apartment, another man bursts out of the bathroom and shoots at them wildly, missing every time; Jules and Vincent kill him. Jules professes their survival was a miracle, which Vincent disputes. As Jules drives, Vincent accidentally shoots Brett's associate Marvin in the head. They hide the car at the home of Jules' friend Jimmie, who demands they deal with the problem before his wife comes home. Marsellus sends his cleaner, Winston Wolfe, who directs Jules and Vincent to clean the car, hide the body in the trunk, dispose of their bloody clothes, and take the car to a junkyard.

At a diner, Jules tells Vincent that he plans to retire from his life of crime, convinced that their "miraculous" survival at the apartment was a sign of divine intervention. While Vincent is in the bathroom, a couple dubbed "Pumpkin" and "Honey Bunny" hold up the restaurant. Jules overpowers Pumpkin and holds him at gunpoint; Honey Bunny becomes hysterical and trains her gun on him. Vincent returns with his gun aimed at her. Jules recites the biblical passage, expresses ambivalence about his life of crime, and allows the robbers to take his cash and leave. Jules and Vincent leave the diner with the briefcase.

## Cast

* John Travolta as Vincent Vega: (Nominated for Best Actor)

Jules' partner-in-crime, working for Marsellus Wallace. Tarantino cast Travolta in *Pulp Fiction* because Michael Madsen, who had played Vic Vega in *Reservoir Dogs*, chose to appear in Kevin Costner's *Wyatt Earp* instead. Madsen has since expressed regret over his decision. Harvey Weinstein pushed for Daniel Day-Lewis in the part. Travolta accepted a reduced rate – sources claim either US$100,000 or US$140,000 – but the film's success and his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor revitalized his career. In 2004, Tarantino discussed an idea for a movie starring Travolta and Madsen as the "Vega Brothers"; the concept remains unrealized.
* Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield: (Nominated for Best Supporting Actor)

Vincent's partner-in-crime, working for Marsellus Wallace. Tarantino wrote the part of Jules with Jackson in mind, but his first audition was overshadowed by Paul Calderón; Jackson had assumed the audition was merely a reading. Weinstein convinced him to audition a second time, and his performance of the final diner scene won over Tarantino. Jules was originally scripted with a giant afro, but Tarantino and Jackson agreed on the Jheri-curled wig seen in the film; one reviewer took it as a "tacit comic statement about the ghettoization of blacks in movies". Jackson received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Calderón appears in the movie as Paul, a bartender at Marsellus' social club, as well as Marsellus' assistant.
* Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace: (Nominated for Best Supporting Actress)

Wallace's wife and an aspiring actress. Miramax favored Holly Hunter or Meg Ryan for the role of Mia. Alfre Woodard and Meg Tilly were also considered, but Tarantino wanted Thurman after their first meeting. She dominated the film's promotional material, appearing on a bed with cigarette in hand. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Despite being launched into the celebrity A-list, Thurman chose not to do any big-budget films for the following three years. She later starred in Tarantino's *Kill Bill: Volume 1* and *2* (2003, 2004).
* Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe:

A cleaner who aids Jules and Vincent. Tarantino wrote the part of Wolfe specifically for Keitel, who had starred in *Reservoir Dogs* and was instrumental in its production. In Tarantino's words, "Harvey had been my favorite actor since I was 16 years old." Keitel had played a similarly employed character in *Point of No Return* (1993).

* Tim Roth as Ringo/"Pumpkin":

A burglar and Yolanda's significant other. Roth had starred in *Reservoir Dogs* alongside Keitel. He had used an American accent in *Reservoir Dogs*, but uses his natural, London accent in *Pulp Fiction*. Though Tarantino had written the part with Roth in mind, TriStar head Mike Medavoy preferred Johnny Depp or Christian Slater. Early in development, Tarantino had contemplated casting Roth as Vincent and Gary Oldman as Jules, rewriting the characters as "two English guys".
* Amanda Plummer as Yolanda/"Honey Bunny":

Ringo's ladyfriend and partner in crime. Tarantino wrote the role of Yolanda for Plummer to partner her with Roth onscreen. Roth had introduced Tarantino to her, saying: "I want to work with Amanda in one of your films, but she has to have a really big gun."
* Maria de Medeiros as Fabienne:

Butch's ladyfriend. Tarantino met de Medeiros, a Portuguese actress, while traveling with *Reservoir Dogs* around the European film festival circuit. De Medeiros had also previously worked with fellow cast member Uma Thurman on the 1990 film *Henry & June*.
* Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace:

A crime boss and employer of Jules and Vincent. Before Rhames was cast, the part of Wallace was offered to Sid Haig, but Haig turned down the role. According to Bender, Rhames gave "one of the best auditions I've ever seen". His acclaimed performance led to him being cast in big-budget features such as *Mission Impossible* (1996), *Con Air* (1997), and *Out of Sight* (1998).
* Eric Stoltz as Lance:

Vincent's drug dealer. Gary Oldman was the preferred choice among TriStar executives, based on his portrayal of drug-dealing pimp Drexl Spivey in *True Romance* (1993).
* Rosanna Arquette as Jody:

Lance's wife. Pam Grier read for the role, but Tarantino did not believe audiences would find it plausible for Lance to yell at her. Tarantino later cast Grier as the lead role for *Jackie Brown*. Ellen DeGeneres also read for the part of Jody. Rosanna's brother Robert (later Alexis) also appears in the film, emerging from a bathroom to shoot at and miss Vincent and Jules who then kill him.
* Christopher Walken as Captain Koons:

A USAF veteran of the Vietnam War who delivers a young Butch his father's coveted gold watch. During Koons' monologue, which is interspersed with colourful descriptions of the Viet Cong, he mentions a soldier called "Winocki". Joe Winocki is a character in the 1943 film *Air Force* directed by Howard Hawks, one of Tarantino's favorite directors.
* Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge:

An aging boxer on the run from Marsellus having double-crossed him. Willis was a major star, but most of his recent films had been critical and box-office disappointments. As related by Peter Bart, participating in the modestly budgeted film "meant lowering his salary and risking his star status, but the strategy ... paid off royally: *Pulp Fiction* not only brought Willis new respect as an actor, but also earned him several million dollars." Willis' appearance and physical presence were crucial to Tarantino: "Bruce has the look of a 50s actor. I can't think of any other star that has that look." Chandler Lindauer plays a young Butch.
Additionally, Bronagh Gallagher plays Jody's friend Trudi who does little but smoke a bong during the scene where Vincent revives Mia. According to author Jason Bailey, "Quentin thought it would be funny to have this casual observer who just happened to be there. All of this was born out of the experience of, when you go to someone's house to buy drugs, there are always people who are just there." Phil LaMarr portrays Marvin, an associate of Jules and Vincent. LaMarr auditioned for Tarantino after both had done a show for an improv group a few months prior. He read for the roles of Jules Winnfield and Brett before being cast as Marvin. Tarantino himself appears as Jules' friend Jimmie, in whose house they clean up a murder. Tarantino was unsure whether to play Jimmie or Lance, choosing Jimmie as he wanted to be behind the camera during Mia's overdose scene.

Frank Whaley portrays Brett, an associate of Jules and Vincent who has a briefcase requested by Marcellus. Whaley met Tarantino while he was filming *Reservoir Dogs* at a lab in Sundance Institute. He recalls, "we ended up meeting and spending time together, and I liked him, so I was really happy when he asked me to be in this movie." Burr Steers appears as Roger, a friend of Brett's nicknamed "Flock of Seagulls" by Jules. The scene of the confrontation between Brett and Jules went through several takes due to Steers making mistakes. Steers recalled in an interview that he had found acting difficult due to the loudness of the gunshots.

Angela Jones portrays Esmarelda Villalobos, a cab driver who aids Butch's escape. Her casting and character were inspired by her performance in the 1991 short film *Curdled*, later remade as a 1996 feature film with finance from Tarantino and again starring Jones. Duane Whitaker, Peter Greene, and Stephen Hibbert play Maynard, Zed, and the gimp, respectively. According to *The Daily Beast*, these "three psycho hillbillies" that torture Butch in Maynard's shop's basement are a reference to the film *Deliverance*. Steve Buscemi makes a cameo appearance as a waiter at Jack Rabbit Slim's, dressed as Buddy Holly. Buscemi, who had appeared in *Reservoir Dogs*, was originally considered for the role of Jimmie, but was unable to commit.

## Critic Consensus

One of the most influential films of the 1990s, *Pulp Fiction* is a delirious post-modern mix of neo-noir thrills, pitch-black humor, and pop-culture touchstones.