Plot Summary for
Paradise (2003/I)

The film covers the life of young Patricia (Jolie Jackunas) who longs for a career as a singer and songwriter. She struggles as a barmaid with occasional singing acts in a dubious bar in Chicago. But there, the rude crowd laughs about her serious self-composed songs. Without family and all on her own, she only can confide her troubles to Simon (Ray Walston). This grandfather-like spirit is an imaginary figure who only exists for the ones who've got faith. His surrounding is a peaceful dreamplace called "Shangri-La". Through Simon, Patricia strengthens her self-confidence to finally quit Chicago. Her goal is the entertainment mekka Hollywood. With no money, Patricia adventurously travels cross-country, fights hunger and rape-attemps. Patricia mistakes a truck drivers destination and strands in Las Vegas. There, she isn't getting any luck in auditioning as a singer. She has to work in an other run down bar, with no chance to perform her songs. She befriends with one of the regulars, the well known Las Vegas-playboy Jack Hiller (Eddie Albert Sr.). His appetite after the gorgeous girl wetted, he helps her out in introducing Patricia to his stepdaughter Katherine Hiller (Carolyne Ambrose), an artist-agent. Reluctantly, busy Katherine allows Patricia to audition and, at once, recognizes her incredible talent. She manages to test Patricia in one of the biggest hotel-casinos, the Caesars Palace. From then on, Patricia rises immediately to stardom. Katherine releases all her other clients in order to manage exclusively only her most promising talent. One of Patricia's early followers is Francis Hiller (Edward Albert Jr.), Jack's son and Katherine's stepbrother, a successful local businessman. He is smitten by Patricia's charm and beauty. His courtship shows sucess. On a concert tour in India, they marry at a secret and romantic ceremony without any press attention. Instead of being the happy father-in-law, shocked Jack attempts to kill himself back in Las Vegas as he realizes Patricia's rejection . Francis takes advantage of his wife success and reputation to bring his ambitious casino project of its feet. Investors from around the world are intrigued to bring money to the project heavily backed by Patricia. And for her honor, it will be named 'Paradise-Casino'. Patricia gets increasingly unhappy within the materialistic Las Vegas scene. She longs for children. But Katherine holds her back, not to let interfere anything with her successful career. And Francis promises, that after the casino is built, he will have time for children. Patricia seeks Simon's advice. He tells her to keep fighting for her goals but still to compromise. Years later, at the inauguration of the 'Paradise-Casino', Patricia announces to a stunned crowd and a flabbergasted Katherine that she immediately retires from showbusiness. Eventually, she aims to get children with Francis and raise them far away from Las Vegas, at a place, apparently suggested by Simon, called "Shangri-La".

Summary written by {roger@paradise-film.com}

Singer Patricia Paradise (Dee Wallace Stone) has everything: beauty, fame, success, money... Though her 40th birthday inevitably approaches, she more and more feels desperate to get the only thing missing in her life: a child. Leaving her successful career and Las Vegas forever in order to build her family in a healthy environment was since long prevented by Katherine Hiller (Barbara Carrera), her discoverer and business manager. This spider-woman, secretly connected to the mob, has jealously controlled Patricia's life as well as the one of her husband, casino owner Francis Hiller (Timothy Bottoms). His half-sister's threats to pay back the enormous debts with the mafia has put a lot of pressure at his marriage. One day, Francis mysteriously disappears. The word in Las Vegas is that he is dead. Patricia confides to her good-hearted maid Maria (Theresa Saldana), that she is convinced that her husband already waits for her in 'Shangri-La', the fabulous get-away-paradise where she will fulfill her infinite happiness of a family. Patricia is able to escape Las Vegas, not before having had to overcome the heavily threatening Katherine and a brutal nurse (Lilyan Chauvin) who aimed to to keep her constantly drugged. After hours of searching for her hidden dream place in the Nevada deserts, the taxi driver (Martin Kove) abruptly quits the search and demands that she's paying up immediately. Not having enough money, he angrily attempts to rape her. At this moment of desperation, Patricia's imaginary guardian angel Simon (Mickey Rooney) conveys strength to her and she is able to get away and to hide in a deserted shack. Mysteriously, she can see her wise, grandfather-like angel. He explains that her dream place can be everywhere, even within this rotten shack. But her husband always has prevented her realization of this fact. Still, it might come true, if she would handle her life more genuinely. All of a sudden, Simon vanishes and Francis appears, charmingly succeeds to reverse all her plans. He lures her back to Las Vegas to continue her career. On their way back, they drive through Death Valley. Suddenly, Patricia becomes suspicious that this arrogant man can't be her beloved husband. He indeed is Douglas (Timothy Bottoms), a perfect look-a-like. Completely shocked, she can't take life anymore as all her dreams fall apart. But again, her guardian angel reactivates her will to live. And suddenly, she spots her beloved, wandering over sand dunes and brings the exhausted Patricia to his oasis called 'Shangri-La'... But despite his looks of Francis, he indeed is Henry (Timothy Bottoms), a man with a much better character than Patricia ever could have dreamt of. As a park ranger, he contently lives with his father, Henry Sr. (Mickey Rooney) who's just the earthly version of Simon. Patricia bears a baby-boy. Her hard fought for goal of a harmonic family life seems achieved. Eighteen years of unique happiness passes by. But slowly, their teenage-son Alan (Kristian Horn) got suspicious that Henry isn't his father. Even worse, his influence of a bad Las Vegas obsessed him of Henry having killed his real father Douglas. Henry can't stand these incrimination and passes away. Ashamed, Alan escapes to Las Vegas. Simon calms his protégé that genuine happiness only comes from the inside. Slowly, Patricia regains her joy of life although living in complete isolation. As the years pass by, the aged Patricia gets a visit by...Francis. But does she realize, that this version of Francis, Douglas and Henry is in reality her grown up son Alan (Timothy Bottoms)...?

Summary written by roger@roger-steinmann.com

Errors and omissions on this page may be reported to the IMDb database managers by pressing the button below where they will be examined and, if accepted, included in a future update.

Browse titles in the plot summary section by letter:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other