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Cocktail

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for Cocktail R 1988 1h 44m Romance Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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9% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) wants a high-paying marketing job, but needs a business degree first. Working as a bartender to pay for college, Flanagan is mentored by his veteran boss, Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown). Together, their showy tricks and charisma command large crowds and tip payments -- until Flanagan and the cynical Coughlin have a falling out. Flanagan moves to Jamaica to raise enough money to open his own bar, where he falls in love with artist Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue).
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Cocktail

Cocktail

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Critics Consensus

There are no surprises in Cocktail, a shallow, dramatically inert romance that squanders Tom Cruise's talents in what amounts to a naive barkeep's banal fantasy.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Travers People Magazine 02/26/2019
As if realizing that his star hasn't smiled for 15 minutes, Donaldson tacks on a goody-goody ending that would shame the Care Bears. How to sum up what went wrong? Cruise has a line in the movie: "Flat beer from rusty pipes." Go to Full Review
Richard Corliss TIME Magazine 05/21/2013
Cocktail is a bottle of rotgut in a Dom Perignon box. Go to Full Review
Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times 05/21/2013
The pairing of old-hand Brown and young-hand Cruise may have been meant to remind us of Cruise and Paul Newman; if so, think of this as The Color of Counterfeit Money. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 4
1.5/4
A Razzie Award winner for Worst Picture (over Burt Reynolds' non-nominated Rent-a-Cop? Please.) and Worst Screenplay (more deserving). Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 06/22/2022
Cruise was never been a bad actor, but this film about a flaming sex symbol has elevated him to definitive stardom. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 07/14/2020
2.5/4
Cocktail kicks off with an entertainingly lighthearted opening stretch revolving around Brian's initial entry into the world of bartending... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Wayne B Nov 29 The story is about an idealistic young man that is inspired by a wealthier bartender that wealth and success is everything. Following that advice doesn't make him happier, the girl in his life does. He realizes his older friend destroys himself on that path and Cruise's character decides family and love matter most. Good story. See more Lance L Oct 5 Tom Cruise was everywhere in the 1980s, and the biggest star of film (and more in years to come). Cocktail is one of my all time favorite films, with its rock and roll soundtrack combining current music (Kokomo) with remakes of early rock music ("All Shook Up", "Rave On"). Cruise is still the somewhat cocky lead trying to get the girl as Brian, but his connection with Bryan Brown's Doug is funny at times, yet heart-filled as a mentor to young Brian. Seeking fortune isn't all it's to be (everyone wanted to make money in the 80s), and how could people NOT love Elizabeth Shue in the film, with her coming off The Karate Kid and Adventures in Babysitting before getting into more serious roles? No it isn't an Oscar-worthy film, but it is a fun watch. And who didn't try and flip bottles like the bartenders in this at the time? See more Ed . Aug 29 This movie is every alcoholic's fantasy, where a life centered around drinking yields no real consequences if you're hot. One obnoxious mess of a movie. One star for the neon, the remaining half star for Kokomo. See more Jake M. @Magja Jul 9 Yes, it’s not the greatest movie of all time. But I find myself watching it every few months. Enjoyable watch with a compelling story See more Leaburn O Jun 24 There’s little other than Cruise’s smoothness to admire in this film and even he is reduced to that smile and far too many of his worst acting traits - the faux tantrums that have never convinced the camera. There was a very thin plot that seemed to thin out even further, the longer the film moved on. We’re also subjected to the most cliché ridden of all romances. No I’m afraid that other than the 80s feel and soundtrack, I can’t recommend much about the film. Watched on DVD. See more Tyler B. @TylerBuchar Jun 24 This movie is all over the place and really can’t stick to what it wants the audience to know and the development of Tom Cruises character is just awful in my opinion. Overall this movie just lacks in lots of areas. See more Read all reviews
Cocktail

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Movie Info

Synopsis Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) wants a high-paying marketing job, but needs a business degree first. Working as a bartender to pay for college, Flanagan is mentored by his veteran boss, Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown). Together, their showy tricks and charisma command large crowds and tip payments -- until Flanagan and the cynical Coughlin have a falling out. Flanagan moves to Jamaica to raise enough money to open his own bar, where he falls in love with artist Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue).
Director
Roger Donaldson
Producer
Robert W. Cort, Ted Field
Screenwriter
Heywood Gould
Distributor
Touchstone Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, Interscope Communications
Rating
R
Genre
Romance, Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 29, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$77.3M
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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