‘True Lies’ 30th anniversary: Remembering James Cameron’s 1994 box office hit
The summer of 1994 saw the release of several blockbuster films, including “Speed,” “The Lion King” and “Forrest Gump,” all of which topped the box office upon their opening weekends. On July 15, 1994, yet another film made its nationwide debut at number one. With an all-star cast, action and adventure with a bit of comedy and an offbeat romance, “True Lies” is sheer entertainment. Read on for more about the “True Lies” 30th anniversary.
It had been 10 years since director James Cameron and action star Arnold Schwarzenegger struck box office gold with “The Terminator;” they later proved that the pairing wasn’t a fluke with the even more successful sequel “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” in 1991. “True Lies” was also a moneymaker, finishing the year 1994 third, behind “The Lion King” and “Forrest Gump.”
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Cameron’s previous hits had been blends of sci-fi and action, but he adapted “True Lies” from the comedy French film “La Totale!” (1991), and proved to be adept at writing comedy as well. Schwarzenegger stars as the seemingly bland salesman Harry Tasker, who is secretly a respected secret government agent. His wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) are clueless to his “real job,” and Helen has become bored by their dull life. In search of adventure, she is duped by used car salesman Simon (Bill Paxton) into believing he’s really a secret agent, and is nearly seduced into an affair. Harry catches on, and realizing Helen is looking for excitement, uses his partner Gib (Tom Arnold) and their covert connections to ignite a spark in his marriage and to teach Simon a lesson. But things don’t go as expected, and both Harry and Helen get caught up in his latest undercover assignment involving terrorists with plans to attack a U.S. city.
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There has been criticism in the ensuing years for the film’s portrayal of Harry’s treatment of Helen, with some claims that he “stalks” her and deceives her, and criticism of its portrayal of Muslims as terrorists. It is true that times have changed, and these criticisms as well as other events stalled a planned sequel.
A few years after the success of “True Lies,” a sequel was discussed. However, Cameron was tied up in another little production of his, “Titanic” (1997), and it was a few years before he began to work on a script with Jeff Eastin for “True Lies 2.” A screenplay was completed, and Schwarzenegger, Curtis and Arnold were on board — until the September 11 attacks halted the project. Although there was still talk about making the film, Schwarzenegger became governor of California, which temporarily stalled his movie career, and many involved felt that a film making light of a terrorist attack was no longer appropriate.
In 2023, “True Lies” was adapted as a TV series on CBS, starring Steve Howey as Harry Tasker. However, it failed to capture the spark of the film, and was cancelled after one season.
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“True Lies” is a film of its time, but with a cast that clicks and makes cinema magic, and is still a fun watch 30 years later. Curtis makes a fantastic transition from bored suburban wife to passionate partner in love and covert work, and won a Golden Globe, an American Comedy Award and a Saturn Award for Best Actress in a Comedy.
Schwarzenegger never disappoints with his action persona, and there is a series of nail-biting action sequences that were worthy of an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Arnold is perfect as the comic relief sidekick, and Tia Carrere portrays a 1990s dream femme fatale. We have since lost two wonderful actors who appeared in “True Lies.” Paxton was a chameleon who could seamlessly dissolve into any role, and Charlton Heston was a Golden Age gem who, with a jaunty eyepatch, is perfectly cast as Harry’s boss.
“True Lies” is a rare treat that blends action, adventure, a little screwball comedy and a touch of romance to make the perfect cinematic getaway. It’s worth grabbing a bucket of popcorn and taking this one for what it is — a fun movie escape.
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