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The Watcher (film)
Encyclopedia
The Watcher is a 2000
American
thriller directed by Joe Charbanic and starring James Spader
, Keanu Reeves
and Marisa Tomei
. Set in Chicago
, the film is about a retired FBI agent who is stalked and taunted by a serial killer
.
Joel Campbell (James Spader
) lives in Chicago
, where he is struggling to come to terms with his failure to capture a serial killer back when he was working in Los Angeles
. Campbell attends therapy
sessions with Dr. Polly Beilman (Marisa Tomei
), but otherwise has no other friends or social life.
Campbell learns that a girl who lived in his apartment building has been killed. He does not pay it much attention until he opens his mail and finds that a picture of the girl had been sent to his apartment three days before the murder. He brings this information to the attention of the detective on the case, Det. Mackie (Chris Ellis
), and comes to the conclusion that the same serial killer has arrived in Chicago. FBI Special Agent in Charge Ibby (Ernie Hudson
) tries to persuade Campbell to return to the case, but he refuses.
One night Campbell receives a phone call from the killer, David Griffin (Keanu Reeves
), who reveals that he followed Campbell to Chicago and wants to rebuild the "rapport" they once had. Griffin tells Campbell that he will send a photo of a girl in the morning, and Campbell has until 9:00 pm that night to find her. Campbell tells Ibby that he wants back in on the case, and his request is granted.
Campbell works together with Mackie and the rest of the team in getting the word out on finding the girl before the deadline. However, by the time Campbell gets her house number and calls, Griffin is already there, and has strangled her to death. Griffin suggests they continue with a different girl. The next day similar events follow as Campbell and his team try to find the next girl before the 9:00 pm deadline. They corner and almost catch Griffin, but he manages not only to kill the second girl but also escape. Campbell is injured during the car chase.
The next day, another photo arrives, but it turns out to be the image of Lisa Anton (Yvonne Niami), Campbell's former lover who was killed indirectly because of Griffin back in Los Angeles
. Campbell goes to Lisa's grave, where Griffin is waiting for him. Griffin explains that he has Beilman hostage somewhere, and only wants to talk with him. Campbell negotiates for Beilman's safety, and Griffin eventually agrees to bring Campbell to see her. During the drive, Griffin explains that he cares a great deal for Campbell, and considers him a "good friend". Campbell secretly uses his cell phone to call Mackie, cluing him in on the situation. Campbell is taken to the abandoned warehouse where Griffin knocks him out. Campbell is tied up in a chair while Griffin takes a wire and starts to strangle Beilman. Campbell distracts Griffin from his task by saying 'thank you'. When Griffin asks Campbell to repeat himself, Campbell stabs him with a pen before shooting him with a double-barrelled shotgun. Campbell rescues Beilman and gets them both to safety as the warehouse explodes, killing Griffin.
holding it with a 10% rating. Keanu Reeves earned a Razzie Award nomination as Worst Supporting Actor for his performance.
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
thriller directed by Joe Charbanic and starring James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
, Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
and Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
. Set in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the film is about a retired FBI agent who is stalked and taunted by a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
.
Plot
Retired FBI Special AgentSpecial agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
Joel Campbell (James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) lives in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he is struggling to come to terms with his failure to capture a serial killer back when he was working in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Campbell attends therapy
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
sessions with Dr. Polly Beilman (Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
), but otherwise has no other friends or social life.
Campbell learns that a girl who lived in his apartment building has been killed. He does not pay it much attention until he opens his mail and finds that a picture of the girl had been sent to his apartment three days before the murder. He brings this information to the attention of the detective on the case, Det. Mackie (Chris Ellis
Chris Ellis (actor)
Chris Ellis is an American film and television actor who was born April 14, 1956 in Dallas, Texas.Ellis always wanted to be an actor because of television...
), and comes to the conclusion that the same serial killer has arrived in Chicago. FBI Special Agent in Charge Ibby (Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
) tries to persuade Campbell to return to the case, but he refuses.
One night Campbell receives a phone call from the killer, David Griffin (Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
), who reveals that he followed Campbell to Chicago and wants to rebuild the "rapport" they once had. Griffin tells Campbell that he will send a photo of a girl in the morning, and Campbell has until 9:00 pm that night to find her. Campbell tells Ibby that he wants back in on the case, and his request is granted.
Campbell works together with Mackie and the rest of the team in getting the word out on finding the girl before the deadline. However, by the time Campbell gets her house number and calls, Griffin is already there, and has strangled her to death. Griffin suggests they continue with a different girl. The next day similar events follow as Campbell and his team try to find the next girl before the 9:00 pm deadline. They corner and almost catch Griffin, but he manages not only to kill the second girl but also escape. Campbell is injured during the car chase.
The next day, another photo arrives, but it turns out to be the image of Lisa Anton (Yvonne Niami), Campbell's former lover who was killed indirectly because of Griffin back in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Campbell goes to Lisa's grave, where Griffin is waiting for him. Griffin explains that he has Beilman hostage somewhere, and only wants to talk with him. Campbell negotiates for Beilman's safety, and Griffin eventually agrees to bring Campbell to see her. During the drive, Griffin explains that he cares a great deal for Campbell, and considers him a "good friend". Campbell secretly uses his cell phone to call Mackie, cluing him in on the situation. Campbell is taken to the abandoned warehouse where Griffin knocks him out. Campbell is tied up in a chair while Griffin takes a wire and starts to strangle Beilman. Campbell distracts Griffin from his task by saying 'thank you'. When Griffin asks Campbell to repeat himself, Campbell stabs him with a pen before shooting him with a double-barrelled shotgun. Campbell rescues Beilman and gets them both to safety as the warehouse explodes, killing Griffin.
Cast
- James SpaderJames SpaderJames Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
— FBI Special AgentSpecial agentSpecial agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
Joel Campbell - Keanu ReevesKeanu ReevesKeanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
— David Allen Griffin - Marisa TomeiMarisa TomeiMarisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
— Dr. Polly Beilman - Ernie HudsonErnie HudsonErnest Lee "Ernie" Hudson is an American actor known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow, and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz.-Early life:...
— FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby - Chris EllisChris Ellis (actor)Chris Ellis is an American film and television actor who was born April 14, 1956 in Dallas, Texas.Ellis always wanted to be an actor because of television...
— Detective Hollis Mackie - Robert CicchiniRobert CicchiniRobert Cicchini is an American film and television actor.Among Cicchini's film appearances are his roles as Lou Pennino in The Godfather: Part III, Jimmy Ozio in Primary Colors and Mitch Casper in The Watcher....
— FBI Special Agent Mitch Casper - Yvonne Niami — FBI Special Agent Lisa Anton
Reception
The film received extremely negative reviews from critics, with 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...
holding it with a 10% rating. Keanu Reeves earned a Razzie Award nomination as Worst Supporting Actor for his performance.
Box office
The film opened at the top spot of the North American box office making $9,062,295 USD in its opening weekend. It had a 36% decline in gross earnings the following week but was enough to keep the film at the top spot. Its total domestic gross was $28,946,615.Production
- The Watcher was filmed between October and December 1999 on location in Chicago, Illinois and Oak Park, IllinoisOak Park, IllinoisOak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
. - This movie featured the 1996 hit "6 Underground6 Underground"6 Underground" is a song by the British band Sneaker Pimps, from their 1996 album Becoming X. First released as a single in the UK in October 1996, the song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and had moderate radio airplay in the United States...
" performed by Sneaker PimpsSneaker PimpsSneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...
.