Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Got 78 minutes to kill, and feel like watching a cute, quirky caper that won't tax your brain? Give Nadine a shot. Starring Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges, this 1987 movie is all about fun.

Basic Plot

It's 1954, in Austin, Texas. Nadine (Kim Basinger), a very pretty, soon-to-be divorced hair dresser, shows up at the studio of photographer Raymond Escobar (Jerry Stiller) in order to convince him to give her back the "art studies" (a.k.a. nudie pictures) that she allowed him to take of her in a desperate move that she now regrets. Escobar's a real creep, and gives her a hard time, but before she knows what's hit her, Escobar's murdered, she grabs an envelope marked "Nadine", and hightails it out of there, before the murderer sees her. As it turns out, the envelope doesn't contain her pictures. It contains something a lot more interesting (at least from a monetary point of view) - top secret plans to develop a major highway system. Just think - knowing exactly where that highway is going to be could allow someone to make a huge real estate killing. Of course, the local real estate king Buford Pope (Rip Torn) wants those plans, and it doesn't take long before he figures out that Nadine has them. The rest of the movie follows Nadine and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Vernon (Jeff Bridges) as they try to outrun the thugs.

Bad Stuff

This movie is not what one would call "deep". It doesn't make any statements about life, doesn't teach us anything, it's just pure brain-candy. Don't go looking for any answers - there are none.

For instance, "Why are Nadine and Vernon separated?" We have no idea. We're given no clues at all as to what happened to their marriage. In fact, they seem to get along pretty well. Sure, Vernon's seeing someone else now, but we're never told if that relationship started before their separation (which would be a good reason to separate) or after. And comparing Kim Basinger with the rather plain girlfriend, one can't really imagine Vernon leaving Nadine for her. Plus, Nadine is smart, funny, and sweet, whereas the girlfriend seems way beneath her. There is nothing that would explain Vernon leaving Nadine for this other girl.

Here's another question that's never answered - "Why did Nadine agree to pose for those pictures?" She's never shown as desperate for money, in fact, she works as a hairdresser. It's not like she doesn't earn her own money so when she and Vernon split she was left without a cent to her name. And she's gorgeous! (She's Kim Basinger, after all). She probably could have found a legitimate modeling job, if she really needed money. Or she could have easily picked up a second job. She's never shown to be lazy or allergic to hard work. It simply makes no sense that she would have agreed to have those pictures taken in the first place.

And, one more - "How did Escobar end up with those highway plans?" Something else that's never discussed. Presumably he stole them from Pope but we're never told how that happened, or what Escobar was planning to do with the pictures.

So, there are plenty of unanswered questions in this movie.

Good Stuff

If you take this movie for what it is - a simple, fun, caper story, it's quite enjoyable. Plenty of very funny scenes. One in particular has Nadine and Vernon trying to escape the villains by trying to crawl across a ladder that's precariously balanced between the roofs of two buildings. Nadine doesn't like heights, and this was not her idea of a good time. Too much the lady to call Vernon the names she really wants to say, the dialogue during this scene is very cute.

I think Kim Basinger does a wonderful job of giving Nadine the right amount of sweetness, innocence, (and of course beauty) so that we genuinely like her, and want the best outcome for her. And by the end of the movie, she also proves herself to be pretty smart. Jeff Bridges is the right actor for the role of Vernon, too. He gives Vernon that simple, goofy quality that makes him quite endearing. And the obvious chemistry between the two characters was a joy to watch. Finally, Rip Torn as the bad guy was a perfect choice. He does a very good slime ball, and makes it fun to hate him.



Overall, don't look for any deep meanings here. But enjoy this movie for its simple, comic joy. There are far worse ways to spend 78 minutes.


Recommended: Yes