The American Friend (1977): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The American Friend is a 1977 drama thriller starring Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz and Gérard Blain. It is based on Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. It runs 2 hours 5 minutes and earned $3,978 worldwide. Critics gave it 79 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 5m (125 min)
- Original language
-
German - Studio
- Madman Entertainment
- Based on
- Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The American Friend About?
The premise of The American Friend without spoilers, adapted from Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In Hamburg, American expatriate Tom Hopper is involved in art forgeries when he's drawn into a murder plot. He’s tasked with finding a suitable hitman, and his search leads him to Jonathan Ganz, a man with cancer who wants to secure his family’s future. As they plan the job, their partnership becomes increasingly complex, blurring the lines between right and wrong and testing their loyalties in this suspenseful thriller.
The American Friend Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- neo noir
- reference to aristotle onassis
- reference to jean gabin
- leukemia
- assassination
- male bonding
- cult film
- terminal illness
- hitman
- based on novel
- world trade center manhattan new york city
- painting
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- tape recorder
- safe
- harbor
- doctor's visit
- subway ride
- telephone call
- telegram
- child answering the telephone
- female rear nudity
- swiss man
- elevator
- hotel room
- germany
- existential loneliness
- exploding car
- tom ripley character
- death of protagonist
- male friendship
- con man
- existential crisis
- man believed dead is alive
- mafia war
- art fraud
- art restorer
- fake confidential report
- false accusation of infidelity
- murder
- gold leaf
- one hundred franc bill
- whispering
- artist
- new german cinema
- new york city
- garrotte
- train journey
- mafia
- frame maker
- metro
The American Friend Cast
Dennis Hopper leads the cast, with Bruno Ganz and Gérard Blain.
The American Friend Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The American Friend 79 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 79 Metascore
User score 7.7
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 72% User score
See on TMDB
The American Friend Plot Summary
What happens in The American Friend from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Tom Ripley is a wealthy American residing in Hamburg, Germany. He finds himself entangled in a forgery scheme, where he artificially inflates auction prices of supposedly newly-discovered artworks by an artist who has staged his own death. During an auction, he meets Jonathan Zimmermann, a picture framer suffering from leukemia. Upon introduction, Zimmermann coldly comments, >“I’ve heard of you,” which leads to an awkward departure.
Full summary
The whole story of The American Friend, scene by scene
The American Friend Box Office
The American Friend grossed $3,978 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$4K
- International
- $4K
The American Friend Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 featurette.
- Trailer The American Friend (1977) Original Trailer [HD]
- Featurette Wim Wenders on Dennis Hopper and THE AMERICAN FRIEND
How Well Do You Know The American Friend?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who plays the role of Tom Ripley?
Cars in The American Friend
54 cars on screen, including the 1957 Ford Thunderbird and the 1953 Volkswagen Sonnendach-Limousine Typ 1.
-
1957 Ford Thunderbird Main role -
1953 Volkswagen Sonnendach-Limousine Typ 1 Main role -
1969 Mercedes-Benz 230 Ambulance W114 Important role -
1968 Checker Taxicab Minor role
The American Friend Also Known As
24 alternative titles, including “El amigo americano” and “L'ami américain”.
- Also known as
-
- El amigo americano
- L'ami américain
- Wim Wenders: Amerika's Vriend in LA
- 미국인 친구
- 미국 친구
- Den amerikanske vennen
- SCAN: Draugas iš Amerikos
- Med døden som innsats
- Amerikkalainen ystävä
- L'amico americano
- Американский друг
- O Amigo Americano
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- Ένας Αμερικάνος Φίλος
- 美国朋友
- Az amerikai barát
- Den amerikanske ven
- Американският приятел
- Den amerikanske vännen
- Amerikalı Arkadaşım
- Amerykański przyjaciel
- アメリカの友人, ამერიკელი მეგობარი
- Draugas iš Amerikos
- ידיד אמריקאי
- Американський друг
Seen The American Friend?
Movies Like The American Friend
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The American, American Night and American Heist.
The American Friend FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it, post-credit scenes and language of The American Friend, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The American Friend?
The American Friend runs 2 hours 5 minutes (125 minutes).
When was The American Friend released?
The American Friend was released on September 24, 1977.
Who is in the cast of The American Friend?
The American Friend stars Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz and Gérard Blain, among 4 credited actors.
How much did The American Friend make at the box office?
The American Friend grossed $3,978 worldwide.
How is The American Friend rated?
The American Friend has 79 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.
Is The American Friend based on a book?
Yes. The American Friend is adapted from Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith.
Does The American Friend have a post-credit scene?
No. The American Friend has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The American Friend in?
The original language of The American Friend is German.
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