# Maverick

> 1994 film by Richard Donner

**Wikidata**: [Q675520](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q675520)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(film))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/maverick

## Summary
Maverick is a 1994 American Western comedy film directed by Richard Donner, based on the 1950s television series of the same name. The film stars Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick, a card-playing con artist who needs to raise money for a high-stakes poker tournament.

## Key Facts
- Release date: June 30, 1994 (United States)
- Director: Richard Donner
- Lead actor: Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick
- Genre: Western comedy
- Based on: 1950s television series "Maverick"
- Production company: Icon Productions
- Country of origin: United States
- IMDb ID: tt0110478
- Rotten Tomatoes rating: 68%
- Metacritic score: 62/100
- Box office gross: $6,668,940 (opening weekend)
- Runtime: 121 minutes
- Language: English
- Color: Color
- Sound mix: Dolby
- Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

## FAQs
**What is the plot of Maverick?**
The film follows Bret Maverick, a smooth-talking gambler who needs $25,000 to enter a high-stakes poker tournament. Along the way, he encounters a charming female con artist named Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) and a lawman named Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner), while facing various challenges and double-crosses on his journey to the tournament.

**Who are the main cast members?**
The main cast includes Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick, Jodie Foster as Annabelle Bransford, James Garner as Marshal Zane Cooper, Graham Greene as Joseph, and Alfred Molina as Angel. James Garner previously played Bret Maverick in the original 1950s television series.

**How was the film received by critics and audiences?**
Maverick received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its humor and performances but some criticism for its pacing. It holds a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 62/100. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $183 million worldwide against a $75 million budget.

**What is the connection to the original television series?**
The film is a continuation of the original 1957-1962 television series "Maverick," which starred James Garner as Bret Maverick. James Garner appears in the 1994 film as Marshal Zane Cooper, creating a meta-narrative connection between the original series and the film adaptation.

## Why It Matters
Maverick represents a successful revival of a classic television Western for the 1990s audience, blending traditional Western elements with contemporary comedy sensibilities. The film demonstrates the enduring appeal of the Western genre when combined with humor and star power, as evidenced by its strong box office performance. It also serves as a notable example of Hollywood's tendency to adapt and reimagine classic television properties for modern audiences, particularly during the 1990s when such adaptations became increasingly common.

## Notable For
- Successful adaptation of a classic 1950s television Western into a 1990s comedy film
- Reunion of Mel Gibson and Richard Donner, who previously collaborated on the Lethal Weapon series
- James Garner's meta-casting, playing a character connected to his original role as Bret Maverick
- Strong box office performance, grossing over $183 million worldwide
- Blending of Western and comedy genres, appealing to both traditional Western fans and broader audiences
- Jodie Foster's performance as a female con artist, adding a romantic and competitive dynamic to the story
- Richard Donner's direction, bringing his action-comedy expertise to the Western genre

## Body
### Production and Development
Maverick was produced by Icon Productions, the independent production company founded by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey in August 1989. The film was directed by Richard Donner, marking their third collaboration following the successful Lethal Weapon franchise. The screenplay was written by William Goldman, an Academy Award-winning screenwriter known for works like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men.

### Cast and Characters
The film features Mel Gibson in the lead role of Bret Maverick, a charismatic gambler and con artist. Jodie Foster plays Annabelle Bransford, a fellow con artist who becomes both a rival and romantic interest to Maverick. James Garner, who originated the role of Bret Maverick in the 1950s television series, appears as Marshal Zane Cooper, creating a deliberate connection to the source material. The supporting cast includes Graham Greene as Joseph, a Native American poker player, and Alfred Molina as Angel, Maverick's antagonist.

### Genre and Style
Maverick is classified as a Western comedy, combining traditional Western tropes and settings with contemporary humor and action-comedy elements. The film maintains the lighthearted, humorous tone of the original television series while updating it for 1990s audiences. It features classic Western elements such as card games, frontier towns, Native American characters, and lawmen, but presents them through a comedic lens with modern sensibilities.

### Release and Reception
The film was released in the United States on June 30, 1994, during the summer blockbuster season. It performed well at the box office, grossing over $183 million worldwide against a production budget of $75 million. Critical reception was mixed, with many reviewers praising the performances, particularly those of Gibson, Foster, and Garner, while some found the pacing uneven. The film holds a 68% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10.

### Technical Specifications
Maverick was filmed in color with a runtime of 121 minutes. The film features a Dolby sound mix and was presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, typical for widescreen theatrical releases. The cinematography captures the expansive Western landscapes while maintaining the intimate character interactions necessary for the comedy elements.

### Cultural Impact and Legacy
As a successful adaptation of a classic television property, Maverick demonstrated the commercial viability of reimagining older media for contemporary audiences. The film's success contributed to the trend of 1990s Hollywood revisiting and updating classic television shows. It also reinforced Mel Gibson's status as a bankable leading man capable of carrying both action and comedy films, while showcasing Jodie Foster's versatility in taking on lighter, more comedic roles than some of her previous dramatic work.

## References

1. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110478/)
2. [Source](http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/maverick-1970-1)
3. [Source](http://stopklatka.pl/film/maverick)
4. [Source](http://www.adorocinema.com/filmes/filme-10491/)
5. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110478/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm)
6. Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze
7. IMDb
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9. Maverick. Rotten Tomatoes
10. [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110478/releaseinfo)
11. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
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13. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/maverick/)
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15. [Source](http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=10491.html)
16. List of film licenses issued from 1945 to 2020
17. [Source](https://www.cnc.fr/professionnels/visas-et-classification/86002)
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21. [Source](https://ui.eidr.org/view/content?id=10.5240/F4A9-29FC-F9A0-9B1E-E750-2)
22. Danish Film Database
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