3) Jackie Says Goodbye To Max –Â Jackie Brown (1997)
For anyone claiming that Tarantino can’t handle sentimentality, romance or relationships, point them towards Jackie Brown, which also happens to be the director’s most emotionally-binding work and his most underrated movie. There are dozens of great scenes to be cherished in this blaxploitation homage, but the highlight of the film can be glimpsed at the very end, when our two beaten heroes come together to say their farewells.
After all they’ve been through, air stewardess Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) and bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster) should be together, but deep down they both know that it won’t work and must resign to their separate lives. They do share a kiss, though (and there’s enough chemistry in that shot alone to fuel an 8th grade science class), but are interrupted by a phone call and at Jackie’s request, Max takes it. He signals for Jackie to wait, but she smiles and takes her leave, knowing it’s probably easier that way. But Max ends the phone conversation as she walks out and stares after her, unmistakable pain stuck on his face as Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street” eases in. Heartbreaking.
