Lady Chablis, the transvestite from Savannah featured in John Berendt's book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", plays herself in the movie adaptation of the book.
The judge is played by Sonny Seiler, the attorney for Jim Williams during the trials.
The English bulldog Uga in the film is actually Uga 5 rather than Uga 4 (former mascot of the University of Georgia). Uga 4, who was the bulldog in the book, died shortly before filming, so his son, Uga 5, took his place. Uga is owned by Sonny Seiler who appears in the film and was the real life attorney for Jim Williams.
The Mercer House, the house Jim Williams lived in, was originally built for Hugh Weedon Mercer. Hugh Mercer was the great-grandfather of Johnny Mercer, who co-wrote most of the songs included in the movie's soundtrack. The movie's opening shot, by the way, is of Johnny Mercer's gravestone.
Cameo: [Emma Kelly] the Lady of 6000 Songs, as herself.
John Cusack's performance in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) had been the basis for Clint Eastwood's decision to cast him.
For the Christmas party scene at Mercer house, they actually invited a large number of people who had previously been at Jim William's parties, including several members of his family. These extras praised the movie party because, not only was the atmosphere correct, but Kevin Spacey perfectly played Jim and how he meandered through his parties.
Edward Norton was offered the role of John Kelso and turned it down.
[At the cemetery for a funeral]
John Kelso:
Why don't you come in?
Minerva:
I never enter the office on Sunday. Ba-a-d juju.
John Kelso:
Hey, Joe, what happened?
Joe Odom:
Oh, that Jim Williams went and shot somebody. Canapé?
John Kelso:
This place is fantastic; it's like "Gone With The Wind" on mescaline. They walk imaginary pets here, Garland - -on a fucking leash. And they're all heavily armed and drunk. New York is boring!
John Kelso:
I've only been here three days and there's a shooting. I know you're my agent, but this place is fantastic. It's like Gone With the Wind on Mescalin. Listen to me, they walk imaginary pets here, Garland. On a fucking leash. And they're all heavily armed and drunk. New York is boring!
Billy Carl Hanson:
[to Jim] Give me $20, I need to get fucked up!
Jim Williams:
I gave him what he needed, and he gave me what I needed.
The Lady Chablis:
It's like my mother always said: "Two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it."
John Kelso:
Hmm. I'll have to remember that one.
John Kelso:
Chablis, I'm... I'm straight.
The Lady Chablis:
So am I. Straight back to my house.
Jim Williams:
What a genteel way of asking if I come from old money.
John Kelso:
Well, are you?
Jim Williams:
No, what money I have is about eleven years old.
Jim Williams:
I'm what they call "nouveau riche," but then, it's only the "riche" that counts.
Jim Williams:
Livin' here pisses off all the right people.
Jim Williams:
So, which conversation shall we join?
John Kelso:
The one least likely to involve gunfire.
Minerva:
To understand the living, you got to commune with the dead.
Jim Williams:
Sport, truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder. You believe what you choose and I'll believe what I know.
Mandy Nichols:
If you're thirsty, a drink will cure it, if you're not, a drink will prevent it. Prevention is better than a cure.
Billy Carl Hanson:
You don't give me warnings, I give them to you, remember, 'cause I can back mine up.
The Lady Chablis:
Are you the flower man?
The Lady Chablis:
If your husband's a gyno, honey, he's all mine.
Jim Williams:
True story, and deliciously evil, don't you think?
Mandy Nichols:
It's so much better to be on the edge of a party, don't you think?
Woman at party:
And there was Lyman, bleedin', slumped in his favourite chair. Lucky I didn't pick up the gun or the police would'ave charged me with murder!
Continuity: John Kelso's drink at the women's bridge club.
Continuity: When John walks into Sonny's office for the first time, he does not have his sunglasses on. When the shot changes, he is wearing his sunglasses again and takes them off.
Anachronisms: Though set in 1981-1982, there are 1990s-model cars visible When Kelso and Mandy go to the morgue.
Continuity: When John cannot start his car, he's sitting in it with the door open. As he jumps out of his car to get in the carriage he leaves the door open. When the car is shown again the door is closed.
Crew or equipment visible: After Sonny has told John the story about the Judge's son being murdered, he drives away and the cameraman is reflected in the window of the car.
Continuity: When John drives Lady Chablis home, the rearview mirror in the car disappears and re-appears.
Continuity: Billy's grip on the liquor bottle at the Christmas party changes between shots.
Errors in geography: As Minerva looks up from her Forsyth Park bench to see the plane coming in for a landing, it is headed straight toward downtown Savannah and the harbor. The airport there is actually located north of the city.
Continuity: John and Jim are walking UGA (the dog) to Jim's home. They go into the workshop and UGA is not with them.
Continuity: When Chablis is at the cotillion she asks a woman at the table to watch her purse. After dancing, getting a drink, and leaving, she never retrieves her purse.
Continuity: In court, when the Detective takes the stand, the area in front of jury is empty/open. When Sonny starts to question the Detective about the crime scene, a large wooden table suddenly appears in front of the jury box. In fact, when talking about the cat in the crime scene photo, Sonny sits on this table facing the jury. In the very next scene, the table is gone again.
References
Gone with the Wind (1939)
"Lassie" (1954)
"Gunsmoke" (1955)
"Perry Mason" (1957)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
La Bamba (1987)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Referenced in
"The Directors: The Films of Clint Eastwood (#2.6)" (????)
Damn Good Dog (2004) (V)
- Uga V appears in "Midnight", playing Uga IV
Featured in
"The Directors: The Films of Clint Eastwood (#2.6)" (????)
Eastwood on Eastwood (1997) (TV)