Keys to Tulsa
Encyclopedia
Keys to Tulsa is a 1997
film
directed by Leslie Greif, and starring Eric Stoltz
and James Spader
. It is based on the novel of the same name by Bryan Fair Berkey.
). Richter is from a privileged background in Tulsa, Oklahoma
and works as a movie reviewer at a local newspaper only because his sour mother Cynthia (Mary Tyler Moore
) pulled strings for him to land the job. He is dissatisfied with the direction that his life has taken; he is about to be fired from his job because he can't meet deadlines, lives in a dilapidated farmhouse, does drugs behind the scenes, and is so behind on his bills that his electricity has been cut off.
Richter also owes money to Ronnie Stover (James Spader
), an abusive drug dealer. Ronnie is married to Vicky (Deborah Kara Unger
), a beautiful woman who was disowned by her socially prominent family for her involvement with Ronnie. Richter is still in love with Vicky despite having ended their relationship years before. Vicky is the sister of Keith (Michael Rooker
), a misogynistic alcoholic whose large inheritance fails to soothe his anger, loneliness, and depression
. Cherry (Joanna Going
) is an exotic dancer
from Chicago
who buys drugs from Ronnie and gets romantically involved with Richter.
Ronnie plans to blackmail
Bedford Shaw (Marco Perella
), the son of a socially prominent businessman named Harmon Shaw (James Coburn
), after Cherry tells him that Shaw murdered her friend, a stripper
/prostitute, in a motel room and that she took photographs. Ronnie attempts to involve Richter by having him hold onto a mysterious black pouch and by exploiting Richter's newspaper connections. Richter wants no part of the blackmail scheme. But he gets in over his head when Keith discovers that Richter has been sleeping with Vicky.
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Leslie Greif, and starring Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz
Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
and James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
. It is based on the novel of the same name by Bryan Fair Berkey.
Plot
The story revolves around a perpetual loser named Richter Boudreau (Eric StoltzEric Stoltz
Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
). Richter is from a privileged background in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
and works as a movie reviewer at a local newspaper only because his sour mother Cynthia (Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
) pulled strings for him to land the job. He is dissatisfied with the direction that his life has taken; he is about to be fired from his job because he can't meet deadlines, lives in a dilapidated farmhouse, does drugs behind the scenes, and is so behind on his bills that his electricity has been cut off.
Richter also owes money to Ronnie Stover (James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
), an abusive drug dealer. Ronnie is married to Vicky (Deborah Kara Unger
Deborah Kara Unger
Deborah Kara Unger is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles in the films Crash , The Game , The Hurricane , White Noise , Silent Hill and 88 Minutes...
), a beautiful woman who was disowned by her socially prominent family for her involvement with Ronnie. Richter is still in love with Vicky despite having ended their relationship years before. Vicky is the sister of Keith (Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker is an American actor.-Early life:Rooker, who has eight brothers and sisters, was born in Jasper, Alabama and studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, where he moved with his mother and siblings at the age of thirteen, after his parents divorced.-Movie career:He made his...
), a misogynistic alcoholic whose large inheritance fails to soothe his anger, loneliness, and depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. Cherry (Joanna Going
Joanna Going
Joanna C. Going is an American actress.-Early life and education:Born in Washington, D.C., she is the oldest of six children of Lorraine M...
) is an exotic dancer
Exotic dancer
The terms exotic dancer and exotic dance can have different meanings in different parts of the world and depending on context. In the erotic sense, "exotic dance" is a often used to refer to practitioners of striptease...
from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
who buys drugs from Ronnie and gets romantically involved with Richter.
Ronnie plans to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
Bedford Shaw (Marco Perella
Marco Perella
Marco Perella is a Texan character actor and author, who has played a variety of bit part characters in films shot in Texas over the last twenty years, as well as a recurring role in Walker, Texas Ranger, playing Cobalt.-Career:...
), the son of a socially prominent businessman named Harmon Shaw (James Coburn
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
), after Cherry tells him that Shaw murdered her friend, a stripper
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
/prostitute, in a motel room and that she took photographs. Ronnie attempts to involve Richter by having him hold onto a mysterious black pouch and by exploiting Richter's newspaper connections. Richter wants no part of the blackmail scheme. But he gets in over his head when Keith discovers that Richter has been sleeping with Vicky.
Principal Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Eric Stoltz Eric Stoltz Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture... |
Richter Boudreau |
| James Spader James Spader James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary... |
Ronnie Stover |
| Deborah Kara Unger Deborah Kara Unger Deborah Kara Unger is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles in the films Crash , The Game , The Hurricane , White Noise , Silent Hill and 88 Minutes... |
Vicky Michaels Stover |
| Joanna Going Joanna Going Joanna C. Going is an American actress.-Early life and education:Born in Washington, D.C., she is the oldest of six children of Lorraine M... |
Cherry |
| Michael Rooker Michael Rooker Michael Rooker is an American actor.-Early life:Rooker, who has eight brothers and sisters, was born in Jasper, Alabama and studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, where he moved with his mother and siblings at the age of thirteen, after his parents divorced.-Movie career:He made his... |
Keith Michaels |
| Randy Graff Randy Graff Randy Graff is an American actress. Graff has been in feature films such as Keys to Tulsa and Rent as well as being in television shows such as NBC's Law & Order a number of times. In addition to film and television, Graff has been in several Broadway shows... |
Louise Brinkman |
| Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as... |
Cynthia Boudreau |
| James Coburn James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,... |
Harmon Shaw |
| Peter Strauss Peter Strauss Peter Strauss is an American television and movie actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s.-Personal life:... |
Chip Carlson |
| Cameron Diaz Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona... |
Trudy |
| Marco Perella Marco Perella Marco Perella is a Texan character actor and author, who has played a variety of bit part characters in films shot in Texas over the last twenty years, as well as a recurring role in Walker, Texas Ranger, playing Cobalt.-Career:... |
Bedford Shaw |
| Dennis Letts Dennis Letts Dennis Letts was an American college professor and actor. Letts made his Broadway theater debut in December 2007 in the production of August: Osage County, which was written by his son, playwright Tracy Letts.... |
Preston Liddy |
| Josh Ridgway | Billy Boudreau |