9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
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A New York City art gallery employee becomes entangled in a brief yet intense affair with a mysterious Wall Street broker.
The story
Elizabeth McGraw, a young employee at a SoHo art gallery, meets John Gray, a Wall Street arbitrageur, at a Chinese grocer and a flea market. They begin a relationship that quickly becomes intense and unconventional. John's behavior escalates, and he begins to exert control over Elizabeth's daily life, including her schedule and personal habits. As the affair progresses, the boundaries of their relationship blur, and Elizabeth finds herself increasingly drawn into John's world of dominance and submission, leading to a complex dynamic of escalating intimacy and psychological tension.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Elizabeth McGraw, a SoHo art gallery employee, begins an intense affair with Wall Street broker John Gray. Their relationship quickly takes a turn toward the extreme; John demands Elizabeth's total submission, leading to scenes of forced obedience and BDSM-style dynamics. After a series of escalating dares—including shoplifting and public displays of dominance—Elizabeth becomes increasingly dependent on John. The tension peaks during a sequence involving a third party and a subsequent confrontation in a public space. Following a successful gallery opening, the two share a final night together. The film concludes on a somber note as Elizabeth chooses to walk away from John, who watches her leave, and the two are left in a state of mutual, albeit painful, realization of their situation.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adrian Lyne
- Writers
- Patricia Knop · screenplay; Zalman King · screenplay; Sarah Kernochan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Mickey Rourke · John Gray; Kim Basinger · Elizabeth McGraw
- Genres
- erotic; romantic drama
- Themes
- dominance; submission; dependency; identity loss
- Tone and mood
- erotic; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- BDSM; romance; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Nine and a Half Weeks by Ingeborg Day
- Franchise connections
- Love in Paris, The First 9½ Weeks
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews at the time of its release but gained a cult following and success in international markets and on home media.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 58% · review count: 24; Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Awards and nominations
- Worst Actress · Golden Raspberry Awards · 7th · nomination; Worst Original Song · Golden Raspberry Awards · 7th · nomination; Worst Screenplay · Golden Raspberry Awards · 7th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was heavily edited for its initial U.S. release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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