Product Description

Lust turns to love for a 40-ish working-class woman and a 20-ish yuppie adman with little in common. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 03/01/2005 Starring: Susan Sarandon Jason Alexander Run time: 103 minutes Rating: R Director: Luis Mandoki

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8630 in DVD
• Brand: Universal Studios
• Released on: 2005-03-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Glenn Savan's depressing and self-loathing novel about a 27-year-old upper-class Jewish widower mired in self-pity after his beloved wife dies, and who finds love and sexual rebirth with a trailer-trash older woman, was brought to the big screen by the competent director Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman, Message in a Bottle). But the savage irony in Savan's book has been face-lifted by screenwriters Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) and Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People) into something else entirely: what passes for low-rent "slumming" in Hollywood means hiring sexy Susan Sarandon to play Nora Baker, the poor, uneducated 43-year-old waitress in a White Palace burger joint who strikes up an unlikely relationship with sad Max Baron (James Spader). Widower Max attends a bachelor party for best pal Neil (Jason Alexander) and discovers that the local White Palace has stiffed the boys a whopping six burgers. Max barges into the joint, bent on getting his money back, and meets a testy Nora, who is bemused at the young man's insolence. While driving home, Max stops abruptly at a bar for a drink. Inside, Nora is nursing a vodka and takes a shine to the tuxedo-clad, handsome, and morose younger man. He gives her a lift, she seduces him, and the rest of the movie examines how two such opposites in manners and morals can find happiness. The only common bond they have is great sex and a private tragedy. White Palace nudges at the dark journey and the smashing of illusion that was at the heart of the novel, but there is still a fairy-tale element to the film that negates the earthy essence that distinguished the book. In Mandoki's vision, White Palace is about overcoming class, family, and outside opinion to find true love. In Savan's book, Max wastes into decline while Nora ultimately thrives in the quest for truth, redemption, and self-forgiveness. She becomes his salvation only after he stops hating himself. But mainstream Hollywood shuns making "protagonists" so mad, bad, or sad, and as such, too much glitter is tossed on Spader, while Sarandon, as usual, is the only one who seems to embody and understand her character's angst. She deserved her Oscar for Nora, not the nun in Dead Man Walking. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews

Sarandon and Spader Sizzle....DVD Fizzles...
This review refers to the DVD edition(Goodtimes Video) of "White Palace".....

There couldn't be two people at more opposite ends of the poles than Nora Baker and Max Baron. He's a 27 year old upwardly mobile executive,obsessive and compulsive, he's neat as a pin, and Jewish. She's 43, is in the "food preparation business"(serves up greasy hamburgers) ,lives in the low rent district, in a house that doesn't get cleaned and has never even met anyone Jewish. They meet twice by happenstance and although it seems all they really have in common is that they are both from St.Louis, they discover they are really not all together different.

Max is grieving for his young and beautiful wife, and Nora her child. And although they handle their grief in very different ways, they take solace in each others arms. Their whirlwind affair, brings a renewed spirit to each of them, but when the relationship steps up to a new level, they wonder how they will fit into each other's world.

It's a believable, beautiful, and at times a funny love story.Susan Sarandon lights up the screen with her portrayal of the fiesty Nora. Spader shines in a role that seems to be made for him. Other notables in the cast include Jason Alexander,Eileen Brennan, and Kathy Bates.

The DVD could have a better transfer. Although there's nothing that will impair your viewing, it didn't seem as sharp and clear as it could be.The sound in Dolby Dig surround was very good, but the film has been "Formatted from it's original version to fit your screen"(pan and scan), and I didn't see a widescreen edition available, so we don't have a choice of how we would like to view it. There are however captions in English and subtitiles in Spanish and French and may be viewed in those languages as well.There are no other special features included.

The film is rated R and even that is pushing the envelope somewhat. The loves scenes are very steamy(this one is definately not for the kiddies), but you'll also find a beautiful story of fate stepping in and lending a hand. A romantic film that is worth the view in any format.

Thanks and enjoy.....Laurie

5 stars for the film, 1 star for the dvd
Having drooled over the Goodtimes dvd for years now, I did a flip and a half when I saw Universal was releasing a widescreen dvd of this superhot love story. I refrained from doing two flips when I remembered it was Universal and then saw no mention of special features. What? Look at the potential for bonuses! There was an alternate ending, there were deleted scenes, how about a featurette?! Argh! I just wept and wept. And then months later the release date comes, I tear the dvd open and the movie starts automatically - I hit menu and get the nagging old "operation prohibited by disc" usually reserved for fast forwarding through those tired old FBI warnings. There's not even a menu! No scene selection. Geez. Do these corporate monoliths now require movies to be no older than 5 days old to have simple menus? I'd like to sit down and analyze the brilliance of Sarandon and Spader, note how Spader's hair changes near the end because of reshoots, but I'm just too raving mad at Universal right now.

why the bare bones version
I had been searching for this dvd for about 3 years now and had no luck as it was out of print. Then finally I found it and at only 9.99 But then again this is Universal were talking bout here, so why have such a goregous movie and do a bare bones version. There was no menu what so ever and nothing extra at all. I would be willing to pay more for a special edition. The movie itself wal extra sharp looking and the audio was outstanding the big plus is that it was wide screen. Universal people dont care for cheap dvds when they are bare boned versions