Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.
Robert De Niro
Max Cady
Nick Nolte
Sam Bowden
Jessica Lange
Leigh Bowden
Juliette Lewis
Danielle Bowden
Joe Don Baker
Claude Kersek
Robert Mitchum
Lieutenant Elgart
Gregory Peck
Lee Heller
Martin Balsam
Judge
Illeana Douglas
Lori Davis
Fred Thompson
Tom Broadbent
Zully Montero
Graciella
Craig Henne
Prisoner
Forest Burton
Prisoner
Edgar Allan Poe IV
Prisoner
Rod Ball
Prisoner
W. Paul Bodie
Prisoner
Joel Kolker
Corrections Officer
Antoni Corone
Corrections Officer
Tamara Jones
Ice Cream Cashier
Roger Pretto
Racquetball Colleague
Parris Buckner
Racquetball Colleague
Margot Moreland
Secretary
Will Knickerbocker
Detective
Robert L. Gerlach
Arresting Officer
Bruce E. Holdstein
Arresting Officer
Richard Wasserman
Parade Watcher
Paul Nagle Jr.
Parade Watcher
Paul Froehler
Parade Watcher
Mary Ellen O'Brien
Parade Watcher
Jody Wilson
Parade Watcher
C.C. Costigan
Waitress
Domenica Cameron-Scorsese
Danny's Girlfriend
Gar Stephen
Big Man #1
Billy D. Lucas
Big Man #2
Ken Collins
Big Man #3
Linda Perri
Ticket Agent
Libby Moyer
Ticket Agent
Catherine Scorsese
Fruit Stand Customer
Charles Scorsese
Fruit Stand Customer
Jackie Davis
Jimmy the Dockmaster
George Grafas
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Ken Waters
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Esther Rolle
Woman Watching Cady Get Out from Under the Car (uncredited)
Director
Martin Scorsese
Novel
John D. MacDonald
Original Film Writer
James R. Webb
Screenplay
Wesley Strick
June 19, 2012
Meet Max Cady, the most terrific villain role De Niro ever played simply because he successfully portrayed a crook who possesses a very complex personality of being stone-cold, violent, absolutely merciless, also on the other hand quite witty and charismatic to ever lure Danielle Bowden (Juliette Lewis) into his trap when he pretended to be her drama teacher so convincingly. Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear tells the story of a brutal rapist who waited for so long just to be able to avenge his wrath towards Attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) for he believed that Bowden could have done much better in defending for his case. This film is well-told with so many suspense elements through some shocking events throughout the film.
Cape Fear is one of the examples of film whose remake, in some ways, considered outwits the original one produced in 1962 starred Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. This is quite understandable remembering the remake was filmed many years later, with sufficient advancements in technology and financial supports. In Cape Fear, De Niro managed to portray the chilling Max Cady successfully. He had a best-laid plan to avenge his disappointments/hatred towards Bowden by studying laws in prison just to be able to find the flaws that in the end shall leave him untouchable by the law.
Sometimes it’s amazing to understand how an actor/actress willing to go through for the sake of a role. Robert De Niro paid a dentist $5,000 to make his teeth look suitably bad for the role of Max Cady whereas right after filming, he paid $20,000 to have them fixed. De Niro migh have been spectacular in portraying Cady but we also have to consider how remarkable and superb were Peck and Mitchum.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$35,000,000.00
Revenue:
$182,300,000.00