Basic (film)
Encyclopedia
Basic is a 2003 American/German thriller film directed by John McTiernan
and starring John Travolta
, Connie Nielsen and Samuel L. Jackson
.
nian jungle. On board is a team of Army Ranger
trainees and their instructor, Master Sergeant Nathan West (Samuel L. Jackson
). Their objective is to move through the jungle while a hurricane rages above, using live fire to hit pop-up metal targets, then rendezvous at a small bunker.
Seventeen hours later, a Ranger (eventually identified as Ray Dunbar), emerges from the jungle carrying one of his wounded comrades, Second Lieutenant Levi Kendall, on his back. Another soldier then walks out of the jungle and starts shooting at Dunbar. This soldier, later identified as Mueller, is killed in self-defense by Dunbar. Apparently, the mission has gone horribly wrong. The rest of the team, and West, are presumed dead.
In an interrogation room back on base, Captain Julia Osborne (Connie Nielsen) makes little headway with Dunbar, who refuses to talk. Dunbar is given a pad of paper and pen and he writes that he will only speak to a fellow Ranger, someone from outside the base, and draws an "8" inside a circle on the piece of paper. Noticeably spooked upon seeing the "8", base commander, Colonel Bill Styles (Timothy Daly
), calls in an experienced interrogator and friend, Tom Hardy (John Travolta
). Hardy, an ex-Ranger is now a DEA
agent who is presently under investigation for suspicion of bribery. Hardy and Osborne, initially wary of each other, are forced to work together during the 6 hours they are given before the CID
transportation from Washington will arrive to take Dunbar and Kendall away to initiate an investigation. Styles wants the investigation kept quiet.
general. At the hospital, Hardy runs into Dr. Peter Vilmer (Harry Connick Jr.), an old friend, and also Osborne's on-again, off-again lover.
Kendall reveals to Hardy and Osborne that he is a homosexual, and claims that West hated him because of it. Kendall also claims that West silently threatened his life in the helicopter, shortly before the mission began. Kendall was partnered with Castro for the mission and he says he feared that West may have bribed Castro to give him a "training accident".
Kendall claims that West was killed by being hit in the back with a white phosphorus grenade
, and that Pike confessed to the crime, thinking that his comrades would go along with it. However, the team decided to turn Pike in when they would be picked up the next morning. In the middle of the night, Pike tried to rouse Kendall's sympathies by playing to their mutual hatred of West. Pike proposed they kill Mueller and Nunez and convince Dunbar and Castro to back them up. Kendall dismissed Pike's suggestion then went back to his sleeping area, but later spotted Pike whispering to Dunbar. According to Kendall, Dunbar then went back to his bag, extracted his pistol and aimed it at the sleeping Mueller. Kendall intervened, and caused Mueller to shoot Castro. After Castro was hit, he fired frantically striking Nunez, Kendall and Pike. Nunez and Pike were killed and Kendall was wounded. Dunbar then carried the wounded Kendall on his back through the jungle, exchanged fire with Mueller, and was picked up, as seen in the beginning of the movie. When asked why Dunbar would go through all the trouble of carrying him out of the firefight, Kendall suggested that perhaps Dunbar expected him to cover for him in gratitude.
Dunbar also claims that Mueller and Kendall were selling prescription drug injection kits called "combat cocktails" which help dull physical pain and sharpen the mind, and that Mueller shot West because he was aware of their drug dealing. Dunbar claims that Mueller then used Pike's grenade, which he had stolen from his pack earlier. Back at the bunker, Mueller tried to pin the blame on Pike, but when Pike began pointing out evidence that threw suspicion on Mueller, a fierce argument began and Mueller shot Pike in the head. A firefight broke out in the bunker and Castro and Nunez were killed. Dunbar rescued Kendall, hiked through the jungle, killed Mueller and was picked up by the helicopter.
At Hardy's request, Dunbar provides proof of the alleged drug-dealing operation. He also says that it was Vilmer who supplied the drugs to Mueller and Kendall.
Hardy and Osborne then go to confront Kendall, who is acting very strangely and refuses to give them any useful information. However he still claimed that Dunbar was the guilty party. After a few minutes, Hardy notices that Kendall is bleeding out of his ears. Suddenly, Kendall starts vomiting blood and then abruptly dies. However, right before Kendall dies he uses his blood soaked finger to draw what Osborne initially interprets as the symbol for infinity
, but shortly after, she realizes it is an 8. She shows this to Hardy, who first denies knowing what the 8 may symbolize. After a brief physical fight, he takes her aside and explains the conversation he had earlier with Styles. There is rumored to be a group of ex-Rangers in Panama, trained under West, who turned rogue and became drug-dealers. They call themselves Section 8
.
Styles is furious that Osborne and Hardy talked to Kendall a second time after he explicitly ordered them not to. He relieves Osborne of duty and asks Hardy to leave. He informs them that Dunbar and Vilmer will be taken away shortly on the transport plane that has arrived from the U.S. and he considers the investigation closed.
At the stockade
, Vilmer remarks to Hardy and Osborne in an offhand manner that he will be on the same plane with Pike. Hardy corrects him, saying that he'll be on the same plane as Dunbar, but Vilmer says that's not right. He says Ray Dunbar is black. This means that the white "Dunbar" Hardy and Osborne have been questioning is in fact Pike, the man whom West antagonized during training (according to his own story). Pike had switched his tags with Dunbar's in order to throw off the local authorities, then disappear after being transported for trial. Hardy and Osborne rush back to the base just as Pike is being taken onto a transport plane. Hardy grabs Pike and holds his face dangerously close to the plane's whirling propeller. The two engage in a brief screaming match, although what they say is inaudible. Pike then drops to his knees, out of breath. After-wards, Hardy and Osborne lead Pike away to interrogate him again now that they know the truth.
ensues and West escapes the bunker. Nuñez chases after him, and gets shot by West. Shortly after Castro and Mueller go looking for West, Pike finds Dunbar dead, West shoots Kendall, wounding him, and tries to convince Pike to give himself up. Mueller manages to kill West. Pike shoots at Mueller, and then, knowing that he would be blamed if West died, took Dunbar's dog tags. It is still thoroughly established that he managed to escape, carried Kendall through the jungle, killed Mueller and was picked up by the helicopter.
To prove his story, he gives Hardy, Osborne and Styles, the number of a crate where Vilmer had stowed cocaine.
Hardy then talks to Styles alone; he says that he is curious why West wouldn't tell Styles about the drugs as soon as he suspected something. Hardy then accuses Styles of lying and he believes West did in fact go to him, and he was behind the drug dealing operation the whole time. Rather than side with West, he ordered Mueller and Kendall to kill him and then poisoned Kendall afterward to keep him quiet. Styles laughs off the accusations, but as Hardy starts to leave Styles offers him a percentage of the operation, once he's back in business to keep his mouth shut. Hardy says he will consider and turns to leave. Styles draws his weapon and was about to shoot Hardy, but instead was shot and killed by Osborne who had been secretly watching outside his office.
wrap up the investigation into Styles' shooting, Osborne is about to leave the base for the night and Hardy tells her that all she has to do concerning the shooting is "Tell the story right." Osborne recalls hearing that phrase during both Kendall and Pike's stories, particularly in describing how members of the conspiracy planned to cover up West's death.
This makes Osborne suspect Hardy may be somehow involved, especially since he hated West and because Section 8 contains West's former trainees. She tails him out of the base and watches as Pike runs out from some bushes and into Hardy's jeep. She follows them by car and then by foot through the streets of Panama City
and watches as the two of them enter a doorway with a big eight ball
hanging above it. Osborne sneaks up behind Hardy and Pike, with her weapon drawn, believing that they are behind both Section 8 and West's murder. She becomes confused when West, very much alive, walks up behind her. Castro, Dunbar and Nuñez are also there.
They reveal to Osborne that Section 8 is actually a black-ops
anti-drug unit led by Tom Hardy (who is addressed as "Colonel"). The mercenary story is a cover to spook the cartels. Dunbar, Castro, Nuñez and Pike (their names are revealed to be fake) infiltrated the base to investigate the cocaine trafficking that was going on, and discovered Mueller, Kendall and Vilmer were responsible. West, not realizing that Styles was also involved, informed him of their findings. Styles responded by ordering Mueller and Kendall to kill West. The training mission was in fact a set-up to get rid of Mueller and Kendall, and fake West's death (in order for him to join Section 8), and Hardy went to the base to confirm Styles' and Vilmer's involvement. West and Hardy then offer Osborne a job.
. Most reviews criticize the film. Roger Ebert
gave it one star out of four and wrote that it was "not a film that could be understood", and that "If I were to see it again and again, I might be able to extract an underlying logic from it, but the problem is, when a movie's not worth seeing twice, it had better get the job done the first time through". Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
gave it two stars out of four and wrote that the film "keeps adding layers of confusion so that it becomes less interesting as it goes along! The final "twist" seems to negate the entire story, like a bad shaggy-dog joke."
John McTiernan
John Campbell McTiernan, Jr. is an American film director and producer, best known for his action films and most identifiable with the three films he directed back-to-back: Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt for Red October, along with later movies such as Last Action Hero, Die Hard with a...
and starring John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Connie Nielsen and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
.
Plot
A helicopter circles over the PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian jungle. On board is a team of Army Ranger
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
trainees and their instructor, Master Sergeant Nathan West (Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
). Their objective is to move through the jungle while a hurricane rages above, using live fire to hit pop-up metal targets, then rendezvous at a small bunker.
Seventeen hours later, a Ranger (eventually identified as Ray Dunbar), emerges from the jungle carrying one of his wounded comrades, Second Lieutenant Levi Kendall, on his back. Another soldier then walks out of the jungle and starts shooting at Dunbar. This soldier, later identified as Mueller, is killed in self-defense by Dunbar. Apparently, the mission has gone horribly wrong. The rest of the team, and West, are presumed dead.
In an interrogation room back on base, Captain Julia Osborne (Connie Nielsen) makes little headway with Dunbar, who refuses to talk. Dunbar is given a pad of paper and pen and he writes that he will only speak to a fellow Ranger, someone from outside the base, and draws an "8" inside a circle on the piece of paper. Noticeably spooked upon seeing the "8", base commander, Colonel Bill Styles (Timothy Daly
Timothy Daly
James Timothy "Tim" Daly is an American stage, screen and voice actor, director and producer. He is best known for his television role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom Wings and for his voice role as Superman/Clark Kent in Superman: The Animated Series, as well as his recurring role of the...
), calls in an experienced interrogator and friend, Tom Hardy (John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
). Hardy, an ex-Ranger is now a DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
agent who is presently under investigation for suspicion of bribery. Hardy and Osborne, initially wary of each other, are forced to work together during the 6 hours they are given before the CID
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
United States Army Criminal Investigation Command investigates felony crimes and serious violations of military law within the United States Army...
transportation from Washington will arrive to take Dunbar and Kendall away to initiate an investigation. Styles wants the investigation kept quiet.
Dunbar's Story
During the interrogation, Hardy revealed to Dunbar that he served under West when he was a Ranger. Dunbar mentioned that West is infamous for being a ruthless, tough-as-nails sergeant. One trainee in Dunbar's unit, a soldier named Pike, earned West's wrath more than any other. Pike was selected for the Panama training mission along with Dunbar, Kendall, Mueller and two other soldiers, Nuñez and Castro. Since he seemed to have plenty of reason to hate West, it is suggested that Pike had enough motive to murder him. At this point, Dunbar refuses to say anything more.Kendall's Story
Hardy and Osborne then go see the other surviving team member, Second Lieutenant Levi Kendall, who is recovering from gunshot wounds sustained during the mission. It is revealed that Kendall is the son of a Joint Chiefs of StaffJoint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
general. At the hospital, Hardy runs into Dr. Peter Vilmer (Harry Connick Jr.), an old friend, and also Osborne's on-again, off-again lover.
Kendall reveals to Hardy and Osborne that he is a homosexual, and claims that West hated him because of it. Kendall also claims that West silently threatened his life in the helicopter, shortly before the mission began. Kendall was partnered with Castro for the mission and he says he feared that West may have bribed Castro to give him a "training accident".
Kendall claims that West was killed by being hit in the back with a white phosphorus grenade
Smoke grenade
Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or as screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non-lethal, although incorrect use may cause death...
, and that Pike confessed to the crime, thinking that his comrades would go along with it. However, the team decided to turn Pike in when they would be picked up the next morning. In the middle of the night, Pike tried to rouse Kendall's sympathies by playing to their mutual hatred of West. Pike proposed they kill Mueller and Nunez and convince Dunbar and Castro to back them up. Kendall dismissed Pike's suggestion then went back to his sleeping area, but later spotted Pike whispering to Dunbar. According to Kendall, Dunbar then went back to his bag, extracted his pistol and aimed it at the sleeping Mueller. Kendall intervened, and caused Mueller to shoot Castro. After Castro was hit, he fired frantically striking Nunez, Kendall and Pike. Nunez and Pike were killed and Kendall was wounded. Dunbar then carried the wounded Kendall on his back through the jungle, exchanged fire with Mueller, and was picked up, as seen in the beginning of the movie. When asked why Dunbar would go through all the trouble of carrying him out of the firefight, Kendall suggested that perhaps Dunbar expected him to cover for him in gratitude.
Dunbar's Second Story
Dunbar, upon further questioning, says that Kendall is lying and proclaims that he didn't shoot West. However, Kendall said earlier that West was killed with a phosphorus grenade, Kendall never said anything about West being shot.Dunbar also claims that Mueller and Kendall were selling prescription drug injection kits called "combat cocktails" which help dull physical pain and sharpen the mind, and that Mueller shot West because he was aware of their drug dealing. Dunbar claims that Mueller then used Pike's grenade, which he had stolen from his pack earlier. Back at the bunker, Mueller tried to pin the blame on Pike, but when Pike began pointing out evidence that threw suspicion on Mueller, a fierce argument began and Mueller shot Pike in the head. A firefight broke out in the bunker and Castro and Nunez were killed. Dunbar rescued Kendall, hiked through the jungle, killed Mueller and was picked up by the helicopter.
At Hardy's request, Dunbar provides proof of the alleged drug-dealing operation. He also says that it was Vilmer who supplied the drugs to Mueller and Kendall.
Kendall's Second Story
When Osborne and Hardy return to the hospital, they speak briefly with Dr. Vilmer. After a short interrogation, during which Osborne breaks his nose with a phone book, Vilmer admits that he distributed drugs to Mueller and Kendall and that he falsified drug tests so that the soldiers would come up clean. Vilmer is subsequently placed under arrest.Hardy and Osborne then go to confront Kendall, who is acting very strangely and refuses to give them any useful information. However he still claimed that Dunbar was the guilty party. After a few minutes, Hardy notices that Kendall is bleeding out of his ears. Suddenly, Kendall starts vomiting blood and then abruptly dies. However, right before Kendall dies he uses his blood soaked finger to draw what Osborne initially interprets as the symbol for infinity
Infinity
Infinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity...
, but shortly after, she realizes it is an 8. She shows this to Hardy, who first denies knowing what the 8 may symbolize. After a brief physical fight, he takes her aside and explains the conversation he had earlier with Styles. There is rumored to be a group of ex-Rangers in Panama, trained under West, who turned rogue and became drug-dealers. They call themselves Section 8
Section 8 (military)
The term Section 8 refers to a category of discharge from the United States military for reason of being mentally unfit for service. It also came to mean any serviceperson given such a discharge or behaving as if deserving such a discharge...
.
Styles is furious that Osborne and Hardy talked to Kendall a second time after he explicitly ordered them not to. He relieves Osborne of duty and asks Hardy to leave. He informs them that Dunbar and Vilmer will be taken away shortly on the transport plane that has arrived from the U.S. and he considers the investigation closed.
At the stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
, Vilmer remarks to Hardy and Osborne in an offhand manner that he will be on the same plane with Pike. Hardy corrects him, saying that he'll be on the same plane as Dunbar, but Vilmer says that's not right. He says Ray Dunbar is black. This means that the white "Dunbar" Hardy and Osborne have been questioning is in fact Pike, the man whom West antagonized during training (according to his own story). Pike had switched his tags with Dunbar's in order to throw off the local authorities, then disappear after being transported for trial. Hardy and Osborne rush back to the base just as Pike is being taken onto a transport plane. Hardy grabs Pike and holds his face dangerously close to the plane's whirling propeller. The two engage in a brief screaming match, although what they say is inaudible. Pike then drops to his knees, out of breath. After-wards, Hardy and Osborne lead Pike away to interrogate him again now that they know the truth.
Pike's Final Explanation
In Pike's new story, West was not shot. Pike claimed West knew about the main operation going on at the base, cocaine smuggling. He claims West confronted the Rangers in the bunker and told them that he would turn them in to authorities in the morning and tell Styles everything. A brief Mexican standoffMexican standoff
A Mexican standoff is a slang term defined as a stalemate or impasse; a confrontation that neither side can foreseeably win. The term is most often used in lieu of "stalemate" when the confrontational situation is exceptionally dangerous for all parties involved.In popular culture, the Mexican...
ensues and West escapes the bunker. Nuñez chases after him, and gets shot by West. Shortly after Castro and Mueller go looking for West, Pike finds Dunbar dead, West shoots Kendall, wounding him, and tries to convince Pike to give himself up. Mueller manages to kill West. Pike shoots at Mueller, and then, knowing that he would be blamed if West died, took Dunbar's dog tags. It is still thoroughly established that he managed to escape, carried Kendall through the jungle, killed Mueller and was picked up by the helicopter.
To prove his story, he gives Hardy, Osborne and Styles, the number of a crate where Vilmer had stowed cocaine.
Hardy then talks to Styles alone; he says that he is curious why West wouldn't tell Styles about the drugs as soon as he suspected something. Hardy then accuses Styles of lying and he believes West did in fact go to him, and he was behind the drug dealing operation the whole time. Rather than side with West, he ordered Mueller and Kendall to kill him and then poisoned Kendall afterward to keep him quiet. Styles laughs off the accusations, but as Hardy starts to leave Styles offers him a percentage of the operation, once he's back in business to keep his mouth shut. Hardy says he will consider and turns to leave. Styles draws his weapon and was about to shoot Hardy, but instead was shot and killed by Osborne who had been secretly watching outside his office.
Final twist and explanation
After the Military PoliceMilitary police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
wrap up the investigation into Styles' shooting, Osborne is about to leave the base for the night and Hardy tells her that all she has to do concerning the shooting is "Tell the story right." Osborne recalls hearing that phrase during both Kendall and Pike's stories, particularly in describing how members of the conspiracy planned to cover up West's death.
This makes Osborne suspect Hardy may be somehow involved, especially since he hated West and because Section 8 contains West's former trainees. She tails him out of the base and watches as Pike runs out from some bushes and into Hardy's jeep. She follows them by car and then by foot through the streets of Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
and watches as the two of them enter a doorway with a big eight ball
Eight ball
Eight-ball is a pool game popular in much of the world, and the subject of international professional and amateur competition...
hanging above it. Osborne sneaks up behind Hardy and Pike, with her weapon drawn, believing that they are behind both Section 8 and West's murder. She becomes confused when West, very much alive, walks up behind her. Castro, Dunbar and Nuñez are also there.
They reveal to Osborne that Section 8 is actually a black-ops
Black operation
A black operation or black op is a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and often outside of standard military protocol or even against the law.-Origins:...
anti-drug unit led by Tom Hardy (who is addressed as "Colonel"). The mercenary story is a cover to spook the cartels. Dunbar, Castro, Nuñez and Pike (their names are revealed to be fake) infiltrated the base to investigate the cocaine trafficking that was going on, and discovered Mueller, Kendall and Vilmer were responsible. West, not realizing that Styles was also involved, informed him of their findings. Styles responded by ordering Mueller and Kendall to kill West. The training mission was in fact a set-up to get rid of Mueller and Kendall, and fake West's death (in order for him to join Section 8), and Hardy went to the base to confirm Styles' and Vilmer's involvement. West and Hardy then offer Osborne a job.
Cast
- John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
as Tom Hardy - Connie Nielsen as Captain Julia Osborne
- Samuel L. JacksonSamuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
as Master Sergeant Nathan West - Tim Daly as Colonel Bill Styles
- Giovanni RibisiGiovanni RibisiGiovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
as Second Lieutenant Levi Kendall - Brian Van HoltBrian Van Holt-Early life:Van Holt was born in Waukegan, Illinois and raised in California. Despite his Dutch surname, he is of mainly Scotch-Irish ancestry. Van Holt has a degree in Sociology from UCLA. At 18 years of age, he struck the perfect image of a Huntington Beach, California surfer...
as Ray Dunbar - Taye DiggsTaye DiggsScott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
as Jay Pike - Dash MihokDash MihokDashiell "Dash" Mihok is an American actor.-Life and career:Mihok was born in New York City, New York, the son of actors Andrea and Raymond Thorne . He attended the Bronx High School of Science and was raised in Greenwich Village. While at the Bronx High School of Science, Dash played baseball as...
as Mueller - Cristián de la FuenteCristián de la FuenteCristián de la Fuente Sabarots is a Chilean-American actor.-Early life:De la Fuente was born in Santiago, Chile, as the only child of chemist Hugo de la Fuente and Adriana Sabarots, a homemaker of French descent...
as Castro - Roselyn SánchezRoselyn SanchezRoselyn Sánchez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer of film and television.-Early life:...
as Nuñez - Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
as Dr. Peter Vilmer
Reception
The movie grossed $26,793,311 in the US. Reviews were mostly negative. The film received a rating of 21% "fresh" (positive) reviews from the US's top critics on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Most reviews criticize the film. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave it one star out of four and wrote that it was "not a film that could be understood", and that "If I were to see it again and again, I might be able to extract an underlying logic from it, but the problem is, when a movie's not worth seeing twice, it had better get the job done the first time through". Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide is a book-format collection of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969 and has been updated yearly since 1978. It was originally called TV Movies, which became Leonard Maltin's TV Movies and Video Guide, which then became Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide...
gave it two stars out of four and wrote that the film "keeps adding layers of confusion so that it becomes less interesting as it goes along! The final "twist" seems to negate the entire story, like a bad shaggy-dog joke."