Cocktail (1988)

Overview
"Cocktail" is a 1988 American romantic drama movie directed by Roger Donaldson and produced by Robert W. Cort and Ted Field. The motion picture stars Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, and Elisabeth Shue. It is a story anchored on aspiration, friendship, love, and betrayal, and set in bars and clubs.

Plot Summary
Tom Cruise represents Brian Flanagan, a young, ambitious army veteran who relocates to New York City to make his dreams come to life. After facing various job rejections, he lastly lands a job as a bartender at a bar called 'TGI Friday's', where he meets Doug Coughlin, played by Bryan Brown. The duo quickly end up being friends, with Coughlin taking Flanagan under his wing and mentor him the art of bartending. The 2 create an incredible bartending routine that turns their job into a performance, drawing in large crowds and turning them into rather of a spectacle.

Increase to Stardom and Betrayal
Coughlin and Flanagan's style for providing beverages with style and grace quickly leads them to rise in the city's nightlife scene. Nevertheless, their relationship takes a hit when Coughlin techniques Flanagan into a bet which causes him to lose a significant quantity of money. This triggers Flanagan to leave New York and go to Jamaica to work as a bartender. Here, Flanagan satisfies Elisabeth Shue's character, Jordan Mooney, a having a hard time artist and falls for her.

Love and Redemption
Flanagan's romance with Jordan ends up being complex when Coughlin arrives in Jamaica. Flanagan discovers himself torn in between a rich older lady to whom Coughlin presents him, and his feelings for Jordan. Through a series of romantic weaves, Flanagan learns about the tortures and rewards of selecting love over cash. When Jordan becomes pregnant, Flanagan's loyalty is put on hold when Coughlin's manipulative nature results in a fallout between the good friends. Flanagan, nevertheless, takes obligation for his actions, fixing up with Jordan and retreating from Coughlin.

Conclusion
Coughlin, broken by his financial failures, dedicates suicide, leaving a sorry Flanagan to assess the complex interplay of friendship, love, and aspiration. The movie ends with Flanagan returning to New York, weding Jordan and opening up his own bar "Flanagan's Cocktails & Dreams". The movie mixes the energy of the bar scene with a storyline that plays off the styles of ambition and the look for joy in product success, eventually preferring love, duty, and genuine accomplishment.

Reception
"Cocktail" is mostly known for its energetic performances, especially by Tom Cruise, and dizzying bartending series. Its romantic plot was deemed rather conventional, and the film got blended evaluations. It was a business success though, earning over $170 million worldwide. Despite its limitations in storytelling, the motion picture continues to be popular for its showcase of the energetic 1980s nightlife and as a significant feature in the filmography of Tom Cruise.

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