The Rum Diary

"One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well."

2011 2h 0m EN

😐

5.9

MID

🥫

52%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 1,374🥫52%Rotten Tomatoes●56Metacritic★6.1IMDB · 109,428

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Tired of the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America, itinerant journalist Paul Kemp travels to the pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local San Juan newspaper run by the downtrodden editor Lotterman. Adopting the rum-soaked lifestyle of the late ‘50s version of Hemingway’s 'The Lost Generation', Paul soon becomes entangled with a very attractive American woman and her fiancée, a businessman involved in shady property development deals. It is within this world that Kemp ultimately discovers his true voice as a writer and integrity as a man.

“One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well.”

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Cast

Johnny Depp
Paul Kemp
Amber Heard
Chenault
Aaron Eckhart
Sanderson
Michael Rispoli
Sala
Giovanni Ribisi
Moberg
Richard Jenkins
Lotterman
Amaury Nolasco
Segurra
Marshall Bell
Donavon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bruce Robinson
Writers: Bruce Robinson
Languages: English, German, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 53% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, German, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bruce Robinson, shot by Dariusz Wolski. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Carol Littleton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and Aaron Eckhart carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bruce Robinson directs. Dariusz Wolski behind the camera. Christopher Young scores. Carol Littleton cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, German, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 53% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, German, Spanish.
4Directed by Bruce Robinson, shot by Dariusz Wolski. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Christopher Young. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Carol Littleton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and Aaron Eckhart carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well.".
9IMDB entry: tt0376136 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "newspaper", "journalist", "based on novel or book", "alcohol".