Movie Profile: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)
| Attribute | Details |
| Title | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |
| Release Date | July 26, 2019 |
| Director & Writer | Quentin Tarantino |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama, History |
| Runtime | 161 minutes |
| Box Office | $377.6 million worldwide |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Academy Awards |
• Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt) • Best Production Design |
| Lead Cast |
• Leonardo DiCaprio (Rick Dalton) • Brad Pitt (Cliff Booth) • Margot Robbie (Sharon Tate) • Emile Hirsch (Jay Sebring) • Margaret Qualley (Pussycat) • Timothy Olyphant (James Stacy) • Julia Butters (Trudi Fraser) • Austin Butler (Tex Watson) • Dakota Fanning (Squeaky Fromme) • Bruce Dern (George Spahn) • Al Pacino (Marvin Schwarz) |
Trailer
Plot Overview
Set in 1969 Los Angeles during the final twilight of Hollywood’s Golden Age, the film follows Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fading television star who previously headlined the 1950s western series Bounty Law. Struggling to transition into modern 1960s cinema, Rick finds himself relegated to playing TV villains and relying on his longtime stunt double, best friend, and handyman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt).
Rick lives on Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, right next door to rising director Roman Polanski and his pregnant actress wife, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). While Rick despairs over his declining career and travels to Italy to star in Spaghetti Westerns, Cliff spends his days driving Rick around L.A. and crosses paths with members of the eerie Manson Family commune stationed at the Spahn Movie Ranch.
On August 8, 1969, Rick and Cliff return to Los Angeles after Rick’s stint in Italy. Late that night, as Sharon Tate and her friends host a gathering next door, three armed members of the Manson Family drive up to Cielo Drive with orders to murder everyone at the Polanski residence. However, an encounter with a drunk Rick Dalton diverts the intruders into Rick’s home instead—setting off a wildly violent, revisionist showdown where Cliff and his pit bull Brandy confront the intruders.
Key Themes & Highlights
-
A Love Letter to 1960s Cinema: Tarantino meticulously recreates the music, fashion, radio broadcasts, and neon-lit streetscapes of late-1960s Los Angeles.
-
Revisionist Fairy-Tale Narrative: Much like Inglourious Basterds, the film uses alternate history to rewrite real-world tragedy (the Manson Family murders), granting Sharon Tate a peaceful, preserved legacy within Tarantino’s cinematic universe.
-
Career-Best Chemistry: Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt deliver dynamic performances reflecting male friendship, aging, and vulnerability within the changing studio system.