Plot
Gene Watson is a public accountant who arrives on a train at Union Station in Los Angeles, accompanied by his 6-year-old daughter Lynn...

Release Year: 1995

Rating: 6.3/10 (19,014 voted)

Director: John Badham

Stars: Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Courtney Chase

Storyline
Gene Watson is a public accountant who arrives on a train at Union Station in Los Angeles, accompanied by his 6-year-old daughter Lynn. Because of his ordinary looks, he is approached by a pair of sinister people named Smith and Jones. Pretending to be cops, Smith and Jones kidnap Lynn and confront Gene with a simple choice -- kill California governor Eleanor Grant in 90 minutes or less, or Lynn will die. Watson is given a gun, six bullets, and a name tag, and he is told to go to the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and kill Eleanor, who is giving an afternoon speech. While Jones is watching Lynn in a van, Smith watches Watson in order to prevent Watson from alerting the authorities. Watson must quickly find some way to get himself and Lynn out of this seemingly impossible situation.

Cast:
Johnny Depp - Gene Watson
Courtney Chase - Lynn Watson
Charles S. Dutton - Huey
Christopher Walken - Mr. Smith
Roma Maffia - Ms. Jones
Marsha Mason - Gov. Eleanor Grant
Peter Strauss - Brendan Grant
Gloria Reuben - Krista Brooks
Bill Smitrovich - Officer Trust
G.D. Spradlin - Mystery Man
Yul Vazquez - Gustino (Guest Services)
Edith Diaz - Irene (Domestic Maintenance)
Armando Ortega - Hector (Guest Services)
C.J. Bau - Mixologist
Cynthena Sanders - Beverage Server

Taglines: Ninety minutes. Six bullets. No choice.

Release Date: 22 November 1995

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

Opening Weekend: $2,781,601 (USA) (26 November 1995) (1 Screen)

Gross: $8,169,363 (USA)

Runtime: 90 min

Trivia:
The plot unfolds in real time.

Goofs:
Continuity: When fighting with Watson on the stairway, Mr. Smith's hair is in his face on the closeup shot but is otherwise greased back.

Quotes:
Gene Watson: Don't run off now, sweetpea. Stay close to daddy.

Clever little thriller

Rating:

A clever idea - an thriller played along real time to involve the viewer directly in the tension and pressure of the deadlines. Depp is forced to kill a senator or his daughter will be killed by Walken and Maffia. He is given a gun and a time limit to carry it out.

As the basis for a thriller it doesn't quite work - the real time concept falls apart a few times, but with this much talent on board it still holds it own. A throwback to the Hitchcock everyman thrillers of years ago, Depp plays his character well and you always believe he is just an ordinary man in an unbelievable situation rather than an action hero in the making while Walken does what he does best and plays the villain well.

The plot holds together well and you really find stuff out at the same time as Depp does. Some of the conspiracy stuff towards the end of the film is obvious and doesn't add anything to the film, but the main story revolving around Depp and Walken is tense enough to carry the film.

It doesn't contain any explosions or martial arts but the tension is good throughout. It's not a classic thriller but it's quite an original idea and plot and almost manages to keep the tension for the whole movie.

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