Hardcore
Directed by Paul Schrader. Performances by George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, Season Hubley, Dick Sargent, Leonard Gaines Focus Features, 1979. 105 min. Rated R. Crime / Drama.
Screen legend George C. Scott gives a strong, sensitive portrayal of a deeply religious Midwestern businessman whose daughter, while on a church-sponsored outing, runs away from home. He hires an oddball detective (Peter Boyle) who learns that the daughter has been making cheap sex films. When the father realizes that he can no longer trust the detective, he decides to hunt for his daughter himself. Posing as a porno film producer casting a new movie, he gathers clues with ferocious determination. Finally, with the help of a prostitute (Season Hubley) he locates his daughter. But is it too late? Paul Schrader, writer (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) and director (Blue Collar, American Gigolo), presents a powerful, unflinching glimpse into the dark, bizarre world of the pornography industry.