Reindeer Games
Encyclopedia
Reindeer Games is a 2000 American film, directed by John Frankenheimer
and starring Ben Affleck
, Gary Sinise
, and Charlize Theron
. It was Frankenheimer's final theatrically released film and received poor reviews.
. Nick has been corresponding with a young woman named Ashley, who is waiting for him on the outside. When Nick is killed during a prison uprising, Rudy takes his place and lets the beautiful Ashley think he is the one who has been writing her the love letters. Before long, Rudy discovers that pretending to be Nick was not such a good idea after all, as some fellow criminals intend to use him for their own purposes—robbing the casino at which Nick used to work on Christmas Eve
. Gabriel, the leader of a gang who assaults Rudy and Ashley in their cabin, claims to be Ashley's brother, rather than an old enemy of Nick's as Rudy initially assumes. Ashley knew that Gabriel was going to kidnap and force Rudy to assist in the robbery, rather than being surprised at Gabriel's abduction of Rudy. Rudy eventually learns that Ashley is in cahoots with Gabriel, rather than being the reluctant, abused sister that Rudy thinks she is.
The group robs the casino, each dressed as Santa Claus. They are able to subdue the security guards and two police officers before grabbing millions in the cash cage. Gabriel asks Rudy where the "PowWow safe" is, where Rudy had earlier claimed contained embezzled money. When Rudy correctly guesses it is behind the manager's liquor cabinet, Gabriel has the manager open the safe. When he opens it, he grabs guns from inside and kills one of the robbers as the rest flee. Rudy kills another one of the robbers and is then grabbed by Gabriel and Ashley who tie him up in their truck. They plan to drive him off the edge of a cliff in a burning vehicle located in the truck, but Rudy is able to play Ashley off of Gabriel. Ashley shoots and kills Gabriel and before she is about to shoot Rudy, Nick appears, having staged his death at the prison. Rudy learns that the two had collaborated together to rob the casino using Rudy and other thieves. Nick also informs Rudy that the 6 months of stories were to set him up to take his place and Nick knew he would because Rudy's predictable.
After they tie Rudy to the steering wheel to drive off the cliff (so there are 5 dead Santas to match the 5 live ones that walked into the casino), he produces a hidden knife and begins to to cut his bindings. After he rewires the car, he reminds them that putting a car thief behind the wheel isn't a good idea. He then sets it to reverse and crushes Nick. After Ashley begins firing at him, he rams the car into her and dives out of the vehicle as the car with her on the hood falls down the cliff. When a still alive but seriously hurt Nick tries to convince Rudy that they can share the money, Rudy locks him in the truck and also sends it down the cliff, resulting in an explosion. Rudy picks up the stolen cash and begins distributing it in mailboxes he comes across on the way home, thinking of the things he wants to do once he arrives.
and Prince George, British Columbia
, Canada
.
reported that 25% of critics gave the film a positive review based on a sample of 87 reviews, with an average score of 4.2/10. Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 from reviews by mainstream critics, gave a film rating of 37/100 based on 33 reviews. Theron considered it her worst film, saying that "Reindeer Games was not a good movie, but I did it because I loved John Frankenheimer." A CNN review said: "Reindeer Games isn't at the bottom of his creative barrel, but it's close." On a $42 million budget, the film grossed $32,168,970 worldwide.
John Frankenheimer
John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films...
and starring Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
, Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
, and Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
. It was Frankenheimer's final theatrically released film and received poor reviews.
Plot
Several unidentified dead men dressed as Santa Claus are shown in various positions. Six days earlier, Nick and Rudy are cellmates in prison three days away from release; Rudy is incarcerated for grand theft autoMotor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
. Nick has been corresponding with a young woman named Ashley, who is waiting for him on the outside. When Nick is killed during a prison uprising, Rudy takes his place and lets the beautiful Ashley think he is the one who has been writing her the love letters. Before long, Rudy discovers that pretending to be Nick was not such a good idea after all, as some fellow criminals intend to use him for their own purposes—robbing the casino at which Nick used to work on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
. Gabriel, the leader of a gang who assaults Rudy and Ashley in their cabin, claims to be Ashley's brother, rather than an old enemy of Nick's as Rudy initially assumes. Ashley knew that Gabriel was going to kidnap and force Rudy to assist in the robbery, rather than being surprised at Gabriel's abduction of Rudy. Rudy eventually learns that Ashley is in cahoots with Gabriel, rather than being the reluctant, abused sister that Rudy thinks she is.
The group robs the casino, each dressed as Santa Claus. They are able to subdue the security guards and two police officers before grabbing millions in the cash cage. Gabriel asks Rudy where the "PowWow safe" is, where Rudy had earlier claimed contained embezzled money. When Rudy correctly guesses it is behind the manager's liquor cabinet, Gabriel has the manager open the safe. When he opens it, he grabs guns from inside and kills one of the robbers as the rest flee. Rudy kills another one of the robbers and is then grabbed by Gabriel and Ashley who tie him up in their truck. They plan to drive him off the edge of a cliff in a burning vehicle located in the truck, but Rudy is able to play Ashley off of Gabriel. Ashley shoots and kills Gabriel and before she is about to shoot Rudy, Nick appears, having staged his death at the prison. Rudy learns that the two had collaborated together to rob the casino using Rudy and other thieves. Nick also informs Rudy that the 6 months of stories were to set him up to take his place and Nick knew he would because Rudy's predictable.
After they tie Rudy to the steering wheel to drive off the cliff (so there are 5 dead Santas to match the 5 live ones that walked into the casino), he produces a hidden knife and begins to to cut his bindings. After he rewires the car, he reminds them that putting a car thief behind the wheel isn't a good idea. He then sets it to reverse and crushes Nick. After Ashley begins firing at him, he rams the car into her and dives out of the vehicle as the car with her on the hood falls down the cliff. When a still alive but seriously hurt Nick tries to convince Rudy that they can share the money, Rudy locks him in the truck and also sends it down the cliff, resulting in an explosion. Rudy picks up the stolen cash and begins distributing it in mailboxes he comes across on the way home, thinking of the things he wants to do once he arrives.
Cast
- Ben AffleckBen AffleckBenjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
as Rudy Duncan - Charlize TheronCharlize TheronCharlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
as Ashley Mercer - Gary SiniseGary SiniseGary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
as Gabriel Mercer - James FrainJames FrainJames Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. He is possibly best known for his role in the Showtime series The Tudors in which he appeared as Thomas Cromwell from 2007 to 2009, and for his role as vampire Franklin Mott in season three of the HBO drama True Blood, as well as his role...
as Nick Cassidy - Dana StubblefieldDana StubblefieldDana William Stubblefield is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. After graduating from Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio, Stubblefield attended the University of Kansas....
as The Alamo - Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
as Zook - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as Jumpy - Dennis FarinaDennis FarinaDennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
as Jack Bangs - Clarence Williams IIIClarence Williams IIIClarence Williams III is an American actor.-Early life:Williams was born in New York City. His grandfather was Clarence Williams, the jazz pianist and composer. He was raised by his grandmother.-Career:...
as Merlin - Ashton KutcherAshton KutcherChristopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
as College Kid - Ron JeremyRon JeremyRonald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
as Prisoner #1 (as Ron Hyatt) - Jimmy HermanJimmy HermanJimmy Herman is a Dene/Chipewyan First Nations actor who has appeared in several films such as Dances with Wolves among others.He was born on the Cold Lake Reserve in Alberta, Canada....
as Bartender - Donal LogueDonal LogueDonal Francis Logue is an Canadian actor perhaps most famous for his role as Sean Finnerty in Grounded for Life.-Personal life:...
as Pug
Production
The film was based in Michigan's upper peninsula but was shot in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Reception
Reindeer Games received generally poor reviews and lost expectations at achieving commercial success. The review aggregator website 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...
reported that 25% of critics gave the film a positive review based on a sample of 87 reviews, with an average score of 4.2/10. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 from reviews by mainstream critics, gave a film rating of 37/100 based on 33 reviews. Theron considered it her worst film, saying that "Reindeer Games was not a good movie, but I did it because I loved John Frankenheimer." A CNN review said: "Reindeer Games isn't at the bottom of his creative barrel, but it's close." On a $42 million budget, the film grossed $32,168,970 worldwide.