White Palace (film) White Palace (film) White Palace is a 1990 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander, Kathy Bates, Steven Hill, Jeremy Piven, and Renee Taylor. It was written by Ted Tally and Alvin Sargent, based on the novel of the same name by Glenn Savan (who appears in the film as an extra with a small speaking part). It centers on the unlikely relationship between a young upper middle class widower (Spader) who falls in love with a middle-aged working class waitress (Sarandon) in St. Louis, Missouri. The original music score was
Glenn Close first Shakespeare role that Close had ever attempted on screen (she appeared in 1975 in a stage production of "King Lear" in Milwaukee). Close would later go on to join the cast of "The House of the Spirits", reuniting her with Jeremy Irons. She also had a cameo appearance in Steven Spielberg's "Hook" (1991) as a pirate. In 1992, Close starred in "Meeting Venus" for which she received critical acclaim and won Best Actress (Golden Ciak) at the Venice Film Festival. In the same year, Close became a trustee emeritus of The Sundance Institute. Close appeared in the newsroom comedy-drama