Showgirls (film)
"Showgirls" is a 1995 film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, following their previous collaboration on the successful "Basic Instinct." The story centers on Nomi Malone, played by Elizabeth Berkley, who arrives in Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a professional dancer. As she navigates the competitive world of showgirls, she experiences both the glamor and the grim realities of the entertainment industry, culminating in a tragic event that forces her to reevaluate her aspirations. The film was notable for its explicit sexual content, earning an NC-17 rating—uncommon for a production with a budget of $40 million.
Upon its release, "Showgirls" was met with significant criticism and underperformed at the box office, grossing just over $20 million domestically. Critics labeled it with terms like "sleazy" and "vulgar," leading to it receiving multiple Golden Raspberries for its perceived failures. Despite this, the film has undergone a critical reassessment since the late 1990s, with some viewing it as a camp classic and a commentary on consumer culture and American capitalism. Today, "Showgirls" remains a controversial yet influential work in cinema history, often discussed for its provocative themes and unique portrayal of ambition in the entertainment industry.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Showgirls (film)
Director Paul Verhoeven (1938- )
Date Released on September 22, 1995
As the first big-budget production to earn an NC-17 rating, this film was released amid massive publicity and high expectations for box-office success. However, the reviews were near-unanimous in condemning it as one of the worst films ever made.
Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas and director Paul Verhoeven had previously collaborated on Basic Instinct (1992), a highly successful erotic thriller that pushed the acceptable boundaries of sex and violence for an R-rated film. When they decided to make a new film about showgirls and strippers in Las Vegas, they agreed that they would expose sexuality and sexual power in ways so graphic that an NC-17 rating—rare in Hollywood, and unprecedented for a film costing $40 million to make—would be inevitable.
The film follows the rise of Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley), who hitchhikes to Las Vegas hoping to become a professional dancer in an elaborate stage show. Paralleling the plot of other backstage musicals, as well as All About Eve (1950), Nomi thrusts her way to the top. However, just when she finally achieves her dream and becomes the star of the show, her best friend is brutally raped. Realizing the price one must pay to reach the pinnacle of success in Las Vegas, Nomi forsakes her newly won fame and hitchhikes to Los Angeles.
Upon its release, Showgirls played on 1,388 U.S. screens—more than any other film rated NC-17, either before or since. Although Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists had whetted audience appetites with advertising and promotions that were both salacious and shrewd, the film bombed at the box office. Its gross ticket sales in the United States were just over $20 million domestically, well below expectations. Moreover, film critics were merciless, calling it sleazy, vulgar, tawdry, laughable, shallow, trite, dull, joyless, cynical, manipulative, and even unerotic. The film also set a record for the most Golden Raspberries, or Razzies, awarded annually to the most egregious films made each year in Hollywood, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay.
Impact
The box-office failure of Showgirls confirmed for the Hollywood studios that films rated NC-17 were financially risky at best. However, by the end of the 1990’s, the film was being reevaluated by both scholars and fans, who were admiring it in several ways: as a camp classic, as a postmodern comedy, and as an ironic critique of American capitalism and consumer culture.
Bibliography
Lippit, Akira Mizuta, et al. “Round Table: Showgirls.” Film Quarterly 56, no. 3 (Spring, 2003): 32-46.
Sandler, Kevin S. “The Naked Truth: Showgirls and the Fate of the X/NC-17 Rating.” Cinema Journal 40, no. 3 (Spring, 2001): 69-93.
Verhoeven, Paul. Showgirls: Portrait of a Film. New York: Newmarket Press, 1995.