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 television movie "Orphan Train" and "Too Far to Go". The latter film, included Blythe Danner and Michael Moriarty in the cast, Close played Moriarty's lover. In 1980, director George Roy Hill discovered Close on Broadway and asked her to audition with Robin Williams for a role in "The World According to Garp," which would become her first film role. The 1980s proved to be Close's most successful decade in Hollywood. She made her debut film performance in "The World According to Garp" which earned Close her first Oscar nomination. She played Robin Williams' mother, despite being just four years older.