Striptease

Striptease

Year: 1996

Runtime: 115 min

Language: English

Director: Andrew Bergman

DramaThrillerComedyCrime

A determined single mother, Erin Grant, takes a job as an exotic dancer to earn enough money to regain custody of her daughter. Her new profession plunges her into a dangerous world of secrets, lies, and unexpected alliances. Erin finds herself caught between a supportive friend and a formidable opponent, all while struggling to reclaim her life and the future of her child. The journey tests her resolve and forces her to confront difficult choices.

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Striptease (1996) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

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Former FBI secretary Erin Grant faces a devastating loss when she loses custody of her young daughter, Angela, to her ex-husband Darrell, a criminal whose drug addiction cost Erin her job. Determined to reclaim her daughter, Erin turns to an unexpected profession — stripping at the Eager Beaver, a Miami strip club. After eight weeks of working there, she must raise a daunting $15,000 within six weeks to fund her appeal for custody.

Meanwhile, Darrell has relocated without notifying Erin and is exploiting Angela to pilfer medical supplies from a hospital, selling them on the black market. Erin, seeking information about Darrell’s whereabouts, turns to his brother Rita for answers. A bouncer at the club named Shad keeps a protective eye on Erin as she navigates this dangerous world.

The situation takes a twist when Congressman David Dilbeck](/actor/burt-reynolds) finds himself captivated by Erin during his visit to the club. A fellow patron named Jerry, aware of Dilbeck’s secret indulgences, devises a scheme to manipulate the congressman into assisting Erin with her custody battle. However, Dilbeck is entangled in a web of powerful connections, including Malcolm Moldowsky, and anyone who poses a potential threat to his re-election is swiftly silenced.

Alan Mordecai, Shad’s lawyer, possesses incriminating photographs of Dilbeck from a night of debauchery at the Eager Beaver and is eager to blackmail him. At the same time, police officer Al Garcia discovers Jerry’s body has been tampered with, leading him to Erin, who shares her desperate circumstances. Erin appeals to Al to have Darrell removed as an informant, but their plans are thwarted when the judge presiding over Erin’s case suffers a heart attack, delaying her appeal for six months.

Through determination, Erin manages to locate and retrieve Angela from Darrell’s negligent care, having learned his whereabouts from stolen mail. Alan confronts Dilbeck with the scandalous photo, while Erin’s connection to the congressman deepens as he invites her for private dances, expressing a desire for a romantic relationship despite his staff’s reservations. Malcolm threatens Erin, warning her of the potential consequences if she exposes Dilbeck’s secrets, especially regarding Angela’s custody.

With the stakes escalating and bodies dropping, Erin and Al begin to connect the dots, suspecting Dilbeck’s involvement in the growing list of murders. In a bold move, Erin hatches a plan to bring the congressman to justice. However, unaware that Malcolm is aware of her history, Erin agrees to another private show, sans Al or Shad. When Darrell intervenes in a drunken state, Erin takes advantage of the distraction to elicit a confession from Dilbeck regarding the murders, securing Darrell’s agreement to relinquish custody of Angela.

As tensions peak with Malcolm approaching, Al arrives just in time to prevent a disaster. In the end, Erin successfully regains full custody of Angela, leaves her life as a stripper behind, and is reinstated in the FBI, while Darrell faces the consequences of his criminal actions, returning to prison where he belongs.

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 21:59

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