Product Details

• Actors: Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Reese Witherspoon, Stockard Channing
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: October 7, 1998
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305127654
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,855 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Twilight" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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If it hadn't been released in 1998 with a veteran cast of Hollywood's finest, you could swear that Twilight was a movie from the 1940s--the kind of intelligent mystery that would've made Humphrey Bogart feel right at home. To be sure, that was exactly the intention of director and co-writer Robert Benton (in collaboration with Nobody's Fool writer Richard Russo), but the film's blessing is also its curse. Benton and Russo are so enamored of vintage mystery plots and characters that their movie nearly succumbs to the burden of old-fashioned familiarity. As the title suggests, the movie's aging characters, led by Newman as a private eye who's almost literally on his last legs, are all on the downhill of life, their Hollywood glory days behind them. Newman's character lives in the luxury home of two fading stars (Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon) who may or may not be connected to a murder plot that also involves one of Newman's old colleagues (James Garner). Whether they're literally in their final days (as in the case of Hackman's character) or just grasping for some comfort in their twilight years, these characters interact with the kind of worldly, intelligent dialogue that was common in the better movies of Hollywood's past. But while Twilight gives Newman yet another role to fit into like a favored old suit, the movie's so low-key that some viewers may find it hard to sit through. That's a shame, because the bombastic, frenetically paced films that dominated the 1990s may have diminished our collective capacity to appreciate the solid, character-driven movie tradition that Twilight attempts to revive. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

A RETIRED PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR AGREES TO HELP HIS STAR FRIENDSAND BECOME EMBROILED IN A DANGEROUS AND COMPLEX MURDER MYSTERY.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern Noir....With A Cast To Die For, March 2, 2005

By 

L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (Huntington Beach,CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Twilight [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This review refers to "Twilight" (VHS/Paramount)....

Paul Newman knows a thing or two about playing a private eye. Remember "Harper" and "The Drowning Pool"? In "Twilight", he's Harry Ross(funny it should be another "H" name, to add to his list), an on the wagon, ex-cop, turned ex-private eye. He's holed up at the home of an ailing Jack, and Catherine Ames, once bright and shining movie stars. The Ames', by the way, are Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon.

Harry has been doing odd jobs for the Ames', and he's about to handle the oddest. Jack asks Harry to deliver a package. Don't worry, he says, a simple task, no guns needed. Well, this simple task unleashes a web of 20 year old secrets and lies that could ruin lives and take a few in the process. And yes, a gun would come in real handy for Ross, who comes out of retirement to solve the case. And... who do you trust?... becomes the big question for him.

It's a real treat to see Newman in this quiet but deadly thriller, unraveling a murder mystery, that has dead bodies and danger at every turn. Sarandon and Hackman are in top form as they try to protect themselves from their own past. Director Robert Benton("Places In The Heart"/"Kramer Vs. Kramer"), seems to be paying homage to the noir of yesteryear, and does it with a wonderful flair for the genre.

Stockard Channing, Reese Witherspoon, James Garner, Giancarlo Esposito, Liev Schreiber, John Spencer and M. Emmet Walsh, add their wonderful talents to the story. The music, by Elmer Bernstein completes the feel of this Hollywood mystery.

This VHS edition presents a nice picture(full screen), and very good sound in Stereo. You may want to keep the remote handy as there are more than 10 minutes of previews at the beginning of the tape. The film is rated R for some violence, and nudity.

Catch these legends all together, in one time, in one place. "Twilight" in Tinsletown!

Get the popcorn ready and enjoy....Laurie

also recommended:
Empire Falls (Every Small Town Has a Big Story) Vol. 1
The Outrage

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shades of Gray, July 3, 2005

By 

Bobby Underwood "starlighthotel" (Manly NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Twilight (DVD)

Director Robert Benton has crafted a film reminiscent of the 1940's in this complex and character driven film with an ensemble cast of screen veterens and one future star in her first adult role. The mystery is engrossing and the performances are stellar as Benton shows how age and life experience sometimes shades the black and white of right and wrong to gray.

The story revolves around former P.I. Harry Ross (Paul Newman) attempting to do a favor for Jack Ames (Gene Hackman) that leads to blackmail and murder. The favor may involve Jack's beautiful wife Catherine Hayward (Susan Sarandon). A twenty year old murder comes into play as well as Harry slips back into a life he left behind when the Ames' spoiled little brat Mel (Reese Witherspoon) brought him some bad luck a few years prior on a case down in Mexico.

Newman is terrific as he reluctantly tries to fix things for everyone as the bodies pile up. It's a task that gets more difficult as he gets closer to the truth. The unspoken attraction between he and Catherine is cause for concern as well in this character driven mystery. Stockard Channing gives a nice performance as Harry's old flame Lt. Verna Hollander, and Reese Witherspoon acquits herself nicely in her first adult role.

Benton has added enough humor to the story to give it the feel of reality. This film was not designed for the teen driven box office of today but for the rest of us. It has some terrific performances from the entire cast and some true-to-life moments.

It is James Garner who truly shines as the old pal of Harry and Jack, Raymond Hope. Garner always makes it look so natural and easy his performance sometimes gets overlooked. He is really great here and the interplay between he and Newman as they discuss growing older and the events taking place are priceless. It may seem clear what happened twenty years ago but it is the relationships that drive this story and the ones that are shattered forever when Harry finally peels away the gray to reveal the black and white.

This is a fine film that subtly shows what can happen to people who become used to having everything work out for them. As Garner's character Raymond tells Harry: "There's them, and there's us, Harry." Benton has crafted an old style film that you won't want to miss if you're tired of the teen box office fare. It is a mature and thoughtful mystery and a meditation on friendship and growing older. This one is worth owning.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super movie, overlooked and underrated! Gene Hackman, August 18, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twilight [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I can't believe how much people focus on Paul Newman in this movie. Gene Hackman is great. 70 year old actors are more capable than younger actors. Susan Sarandon looks wonderful... Stockard Channing has a great chemistry with Paul Newman. This movie will take you away to a place where loyalty still means something and people care about each other. James Gardner plays his part well. I don't like to reveal too much with a mystery, the other supporting characters are good. This is a gritty, true to life mystery. Reese Witherspoon was very fortunate to have this as one of her first movies, anyone with any sense would have taken their clothes off to work with this cast! She plays the spoiled daughter well. It compares to LA Confidential in my experience...