Splendor

"Explore the possibilities..."

1999 1h 33m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 86

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Veronica is a white-bread beauty searching for a good man in Los Angeles. While slam dancing at a Halloween rave, she meets Abel, a sensitive poet. Then she meets Zed, a supersexy tattooed drummer with incredible biceps. Who will she choose? Does she go for true love or cheap sex? She can't decide so she chooses both. But after managing to nurture a picture-perfect threesome, along comes Ernest, a rich movie director with deep baby blues that sweep Veronica off her feet. What's a girl to do now?

“Explore the possibilities...”

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Cast

Kathleen Robertson
Veronica
Johnathon Schaech
Abel
Matt Keeslar
Zed
Kelly Macdonald
Mike
Eric Mabius
Ernest
Dan Gatto
Mutt
Linda Kim
Alison
Audrey Ruttan
The Gloved One

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gregg Araki
Writers: Gregg Araki
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, 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

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gregg Araki, shot by Jim Fealy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kathleen Robertson and Johnathon Schaech and Matt Keeslar carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Explore the possibilities...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0127296 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gregg Araki directs. Jim Fealy behind the camera. Daniel Licht scores. Gregg Araki cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

127 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Gregg Araki, shot by Jim Fealy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Daniel Licht. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Gregg Araki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kathleen Robertson and Johnathon Schaech and Matt Keeslar carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Explore the possibilities...".
8IMDB entry: tt0127296 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 86 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jim Fealy
Original score: Daniel Licht
Editing: Gregg Araki
Production design: Patti Podesta
Costume design: Susanna Puisto
Makeup / hair: Debra L. Ferullo
Sound: Mark A. Rozett
Stunt coordinator: David Barrett
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Box office: $45,703
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Splendor (1999)

Also by

Gregg Araki

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

tmdb766221952025-05-18
★ 6/10
Gregg Araki, he of the mostly unwatchable "The Doom Generation" and "Nowhere," comes up with an almost mainstream romantic comedy. Veronica (Kathleen Robertson) is a starving actress in L.A. who hangs out with her funky artist galpal Mike (Kelly Macdonald). One Halloween night, Veronica goes to a club and meets sensitive writer Abel (Johnathon Schaech) and the two connect. She then sees the band's drummer, Zed (Matt Keeslar), and those two really connect right on the floor of the restroom. Veronica soon begins dating both men. Abel and Zed (A and Z, get it?) find out about each other, and agree to the arrangement until Zed moves in after getting kicked out my his roommates. Abel decides to move in too, but the guys quickly show they are less than mature, especially in a relationship. By chance, Veronica gets a role in a television movie directed by the earnest Ernest (Eric Mabius). Veronica ends up pregnant, moves out of the trio's apartment, and breaks up with Abel and Zed. Then Ernest proposes marriage... While championed as an homage to the screwball comedies of the Golden Age of Hollywood, I don't remember Fred Astaire wooing Ginger Rogers to the music of Fatboy Slim or New Order. Araki takes the screwball set-up and completely claims it as his own. Modern touches abound, such as the raunchy sex and drug use, and Araki's script handles them better than his other efforts. My biggest complaint is with Araki's direction. For the love of David Lean, get out of the actors' faces! Every shot seems to be a closeup, I got seasick and a little creeped out being this close to the characters. Plus, I have thirty two inch television which gives Kathleen Robertson a BIG GIANT HEAD. The cast is really likable, there are no villains here. You really wish everyone the best, even Ernest, who comes off as the nicest rebound boyfriend ever. Robertson is very good, even though underneath all her scenes, you quickly realize Veronica is a big flake. Keeslar is funny as Zed without going overboard on the dumb guy act. Schaech is also good at Abel, without going overboard on the brooding artist act. Macdonald does a nice turn as Mike, without going overboard on the best friend role. Everyone plays their parts well, never going overboard, so Araki takes up the slack, guaranteeing this is not the film to show Grandma when she reminisces about William Powell or Myrna Loy. "Splendor" is funny in some spots, but slow in others. The laughs are hit and miss, and Araki's direction is a constant nuisance throughout. While I did not hate it, I found it to be really average. It is always interesting to watch an Araki film. While they can be arresting, I had yet to find a really good one until "Mysterious Skin" came along and changed my life.

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