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| '''''Crash''''' is a 2004 film co-written, produced, and directed by ]. The film is about racial and social tensions in ]. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, ''Crash'' was inspired by a real life incident in which his |
'''''Crash''''' is a 2004 film co-written, produced, and directed by ]. The film is about racial and social tensions in ]. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, ''Crash'' was inspired by a real life incident in which his ] was ] outside a video store on ] in 1991.<ref>''Crash'' DVD Commentary Track. 2005.</ref> It won three ] for ], ] and ] of 2005 at the ]. | ||
| == Plot == | == Plot == | ||
| Moments after being in an auto accident, a black detective, Graham Waters (]), speaks dazedly about the nature of ] and how he believes people need to crash into each other to compensate for how separated they are by daily life. The driver of the car Waters is in, Ria (]), gets out of the car and starts to argue with the Asian woman driving the other car, exchanging racial insults. | |||
| Waters gets out of the car and investigates the crime scene which had indirectly caused the accident after identifying himself as a detective to the officer in charge. The officer tells Waters of the body that was found, Waters sees the victim's shoe lying on the ground and then stares at something off screen which horrifies him. The story then goes back to 36 hours before this scene. | |||
| At a gun shop, Iranian Farhad (]) and his |
At a gun shop, an Iranian man, Farhad (]), and his daughter Dorri (]) are buying a gun. The shop's owner, angered by the two speaking in their native language begins insulting Farhad, by calling him Osama and making other references to 9/11. Ultimately, an infuriated Farhad is escorted outside. Dorri continues to purchase the gun and bullets after the shop owner harasses her with sexually charged comments. | ||
| Two young black men, Anthony (]) and Peter (]), leave a restaurant. Anthony is lecturing Peter on racism when they walk past Rick Cabot (]), the local D.A. |
Two young black men, Anthony (]) and Peter (]), leave a restaurant. Anthony is lecturing Peter on racism when they walk past Rick Cabot (]), the local D.A., and his wife, Jean (]). Anthony and Peter then carjack the couple. Inside Rick's Navigator, Peter puts a St. Christopher statue on the dashboard. | ||
| At the Cabot house, Jean is upset. A locksmith (]) is changing the locks, and overhears her telling Rick to hire another locksmith in the morning, |
At the Cabot house, Jean is upset. A locksmith (]) is changing the locks, and overhears her telling Rick to hire another locksmith in the morning, believing the current one to be a gang member. The locksmith, Daniel Ruiz, hears this and leaves insulted but without commenting. Meanwhile, Rick makes plans to use the carjacking to help him win re-election. | ||
| In a diner, two Asian men talk about a pickup of items. Nearby, LAPD Officer John Ryan (]) speaks with |
In a diner, two Asian men talk about a pickup of items. Nearby, LAPD Officer John Ryan (]) speaks with Shaniqua Johnson (]), an ] administrator, about his father's medical ailment. Shaniqua hangs up on Ryan after he makes a racist comment because she refuses to help him. | ||
| As Ryan leaves, |
As Ryan leaves, a white van containing the Asians passes by. Ryan and his partner, Tom Hansen (]) begin their evening patrol and notice a black Navigator that looks like the one reported carjacked by Peter and Anthony. Ignoring Hansen's protests that the plates don't match, Ryan pulls the car over because the passenger appears to be giving the driver fellatio. The cops order the couple, director Cameron Thayer (]) and his wife Christine (]) to exit. Cameron is polite, but Christine is a little drunk and argues with the cops. An angry Ryan sexually molests Christine under the pretense of administering a pat-down. Intimidated, Cameron says nothing. When Ryan finishes, the couple is released without a ticket. | ||
| ⚫ | At the Thayers' house, Christine is enraged that Cameron did nothing. Cameron insists what he did was correct, and the argument ends with Cameron storming out. | ||
| At Farhad's shop, his or her wife Shereen (]) notes that the door doesn't close properly. Dorri loads the gun with the bullets. | |||
| ⚫ | At his home, Daniel talks to his daughter, Lara, who is hiding under her bed after hearing a gun shot. To comfort her, Daniel gives her an "invisible impenetrable cloak". He then puts her to bed and then gets a page for another locksmith job. | ||
| ⚫ | At the Thayers' house, Christine is enraged that Cameron did nothing. Cameron insists what he did was correct, and the argument ends with |
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| ⚫ | In the SUV, Anthony and Peter continue talking about racism. As they talk, they pass the white van and hit something. Getting out, they see that they hit one of the Asian men from the diner. Unsure as to what to do, they eventually pull him out from under the car and dump him in front of a hospital. | ||
| ⚫ | At his |
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| ⚫ | At the police station, Hansen talks to his superior, Lt. Dixon (]) about switching partners. Dixon, a black man, claims that Hansen's charge of Ryan as a racist could cost both Hansen and Dixon their jobs. Dixon suggests a transfer to a one-man car and tells Hansen that he should justify it by claiming to have uncontrollable flatulence. | ||
| ⚫ | In the SUV, Anthony and Peter continue talking about racism |
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| ⚫ | At Farhad's shop, Daniel replaces a lock on the shop's back door that Farhad's wife earlier discovered wouldn't close properly but tells Farhad he needs a new door. Farhad doesn't listen, accuses Daniel of cheating him, and refuses to pay. Daniel crumples up his work order and throws it away, leaving irritated. | ||
| ⚫ | At the police station, Hansen talks to his |
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| ⚫ | Anthony and Peter bring the Lincoln Navigator to a chop shop where the owner, Lucien (Dato Bakhtadze), refuses to take it due to the bloodstains. | ||
| ⚫ | Daniel replaces |
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| ⚫ | Waters and Ria are making love when the phone rings. Waters answers the call from his mother, says he can't talk because he's in bed with a white woman, and eventually hangs up on her. Upset at this disrespect to his mother and other comments he makes, Ria angrily leaves. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | The next morning, Farhad discovers that his store has been wrecked and tagged with racist graffiti. His wife tries to clean the mess and wonders when Iranians became Arabs. | ||
| ⚫ | Waters and Ria are making love when the phone rings. |
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| ⚫ | Ryan visits Shaniqua in person. Apologising, Ryan says his father, who was diagnosed with a bladder infection but fears it may be prostate cancer, has an incompetent HMO. Ryan wants a transfer, but is told that their health plan won't cover it. Furious, Ryan tells of his father's acts as an employer on behalf of blacks and how he lost everything due to ]. He begs Shaniqua to help and she says that if his father had come, she would have. | ||
| ⚫ | The next morning, Farhad discovers that his |
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| ⚫ | Waters goes to visit his mother who lives in a small apartment and is high on cocaine and worried about Waters's younger brother who is missing. Waters promises to find him, and notices the lack of food in the apartment before leaving. Outside, he lies to Ria and tells her his mother wasn't home. | ||
| Jean angrily berates her Mexican maid, Maria, for the lack of clean dishes. | |||
| ⚫ | In the studio where Cameron works, a white producer says a black actor isn't acting "black" enough. Cameron thinks he's kidding, but is made to re-shoot the scene. Christine then arrives and wants to talk about the previous evening, saying that she resented the loss of his dignity the night before. Cameron is livid and leaves her in tears. | ||
| Anthony refuses to take the bus and claims that he'd never rob a black person. | |||
| ⚫ | An insurance man tells Farhad that his insurance won't cover the damage, calling it a case of negligence on Farhad’s behalf as he had been advised to replace the door. Farhad vows revenge, but the locksmith company won't tell him Daniel’s name. Farhad later discovers Daniel’s address through the tossed away work order. | ||
| ⚫ | Ryan visits Shaniqua in person. Apologising, Ryan says his |
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| ⚫ | Going out on shift, Ryan says goodbye to Hansen, claiming that Hansen doesn't know himself as well as he thinks. Meanwhile, a dispatcher makes a joke about Hansen's flatulence problem. | ||
| Shereen tries to clean the mess, wondering when Persians became Arabs. | |||
| ⚫ | At the scene of an accident, Ryan runs to an overturned car to find Christine Thayer trapped inside. Upon recognizing Ryan, Christine screams for him to leave. He points out to her that gas is pouring from her car and flowing towards a nearby flaming wreck. With the assistance of his partner and spectators, Ryan manages to pull Christine out just as the car explodes. A grateful but confused Christine looks back at Ryan as she is taken away. | ||
| ⚫ | Waters goes to visit his |
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| ⚫ | Jake Flanagan (]), Rick's campaign manager, offers Waters a position in the D.A.'s Office. Waters refuses but as an incentive, Flanagan offers to expunge Waters's missing brother’s criminal record. Waters eventually agrees. | ||
| ⚫ | In the studio |
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| ⚫ | Driving alone in his Navigator, Cameron comes to a stop sign. Anthony and Peter try to carjack him, realizing too late that he is black. (Anthony had previously stated that he would never rob a black person.) A fight ensues when Cameron fights back, which is seen by some nearby cops. Peter leaves as Cameron and Anthony take off in the car. After a chase, the car is cornered. Cameron gets out and threatens the cops, while Anthony hides in the passenger seat. Hansen, who responded to the call, recognizes Cameron and talks him down. When they are released, Cameron calls Anthony an embarrassment and sends him away. | ||
| ⚫ | An insurance man tells |
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| ⚫ | Farhad confronts Daniel when he returns home and points his gun at him, demanding money. Seeing this, Lara runs out to protect him with her "cloak", just as the shot is fired. Miraculously, the little girl is okay. Daniel carries his daughter away, crying along with his wife as Farhad leaves, confused. | ||
| ⚫ | Going out on shift, Ryan says goodbye to Hansen, claiming that Hansen doesn't know himself as well as he thinks. Meanwhile, a dispatcher makes a joke |
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| ⚫ | As his mother sleeps, Waters returns with fresh groceries and places them in her fridge. | ||
| Farhad discovers Daniel’s address through his or her tossed away work order. | |||
| ⚫ | After telling a friend over the phone that she wakes up angry everyday, Jean slips and falls down some stairs. | ||
| ⚫ | At the scene of an accident, Ryan runs to an overturned car |
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| ⚫ | Later that evening, while hitch-hiking, Peter is picked up by Hansen, who is off-duty. They chat, but then start to argue. Peter laughs at the statue of Saint Christopher on Hansen's dashboard and tries to get his own out of his pocket. Thinking the worst, Hansen shoots and kills him. Horrified when he sees Peter's statue, Hansen dumps the body. | ||
| ⚫ | Jake Flanagan (]), Rick's campaign manager, offers Waters a position in Office. Waters refuses |
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| The narrative then returns to the movie's opening scene with Waters at the accident scene and Peter is revealed to be Waters' missing brother. | |||
| ⚫ | Driving alone in his |
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| ⚫ | Farhad confronts Daniel when he returns home and points his |
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| ⚫ | As his |
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| ⚫ | After telling a friend that she wakes up angry everyday, Jean slips and falls down some stairs. | ||
| ⚫ | Later that evening, while hitch-hiking, Peter is picked up by Hansen, who is off-duty. They chat, but |
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| Back to the opening scene, Peter is revealed to be Waters' missing brother, which explains his or her look of horror. | |||
| Anthony rides a bus and, while observing the other passengers, notices the white van from earlier, still parked and with its keys dangling from the lock. He gets off the bus and drives the van away. | Anthony rides a bus and, while observing the other passengers, notices the white van from earlier, still parked and with its keys dangling from the lock. He gets off the bus and drives the van away. | ||
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| The Asian woman from the crash at the film's opening arrives at a hospital for her husband, the man Anthony and Peter hit. Still coherent, he tells her to cash a check that he has. | The Asian woman from the crash at the film's opening arrives at a hospital for her husband, the man Anthony and Peter hit. Still coherent, he tells her to cash a check that he has. | ||
| Anthony takes the van to the chop shop, where a bunch of illegal immigrants are found locked up in the back. |
Anthony takes the white van to the chop shop, where a bunch of illegal immigrants are found locked up in the back. The shop owner offers $500 for each. | ||
| When Mrs. Waters sees Peter's dead body at a morgue, she breaks down in tears. Waters promises |
When Mrs. Waters sees Peter's dead body at a morgue, she breaks down in tears. Waters promises to find who is responsible for Peter's death, but his mother tells him she already knows Waters is responsible. She tells Waters he is to blame because she asked him to find his missing brother and he didn't because he was "too busy with other things." She claims she and Peter are not a priority to Waters anymore. She also tells Waters that Peter must have come home when she was sleeping, because he filled her refrigerator with groceries. Waters stares at his mother with resignation and sadness and lets her believe the best about Peter. Ria looks on, unaware of the significance of the exchange. | ||
| Dorri comes to see Farhad, who explains what happened. He thinks that the little girl was his |
Dorri comes to see Farhad, who explains what happened. He thinks that the little girl was his angel and tells Dorri it's going to be okay. As Dorri removes the gun and box of bullets, we see that the bullets were actually blanks. | ||
| Rick and Jean talk on the phone. |
Rick and Jean talk on the phone. None of Jean's friends would come to help her and she had been taken to the emergency room by Maria. Tearfully, she hugs her housekeeper and says that Maria is her closest friend. | ||
| Hansen abandons his |
Hansen abandons his car and sets it on fire. Cameron later finds it when a few locals are treating it as a bonfire and throws a block of wood into the blaze. Christine calls him and they forgive each other. | ||
| Anthony, having refused the money, drops the immigrants off in Chinatown and gives one of them money to share with the others. He then leaves, feeling redeemed. | Anthony, having refused the money, drops the immigrants off in Chinatown and gives one of them money to share with the others. He then leaves, feeling redeemed. | ||
| Nearby, another minor fender-bender occurs |
Nearby, another minor fender-bender occurs involving Shaniqua Johnson and another foreign-born driver. They start yelling at each other as the snow falls. Shaniqua tells the other driver not to talk to her unless he can "speak American". | ||
| == Cast == | == Cast == | ||
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| === Main Cast === | === Main Cast === | ||
| * ] as Rick Cabot, the elected ] ] of Los Angeles who manipulates voter opinion through the medium of ] in order to further his career. |
* ] as Rick Cabot, the elected ] ] of Los Angeles who manipulates voter opinion through the medium of ] in order to further his career. | ||
| * ] as Jean Cabot, Rick's wife. | |||
| ⚫ | * ] as Anthony, an ] who ] for a ] owner. | ||
| * ] as Jean Cabot, Rick's wife, whose racial prejudices escalate after she and her husband experience the carjacking. Jean's journey through the events of the film result in her finally realizing that she has no true friends except for her Hispanic maid Maria. | |||
| ⚫ | * ] as Peter Waters, Anthony's friend and car-jacking partner. He is also Detective Waters's younger brother. | ||
| ⚫ | * ] as Anthony, an ] |
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| * ] as Detective Graham Waters, an African-American detective in the ]. | |||
| ⚫ | * ] as Peter Waters, Anthony's friend and partner |
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| * ] as Detective Graham Waters, an African-American detective in the ]. He is disconnected from his poor family, which consists of his mother, who suffers from a heroin addiction, and criminal younger brother. Graham's detachment from his mother culminates when his or her mother, having learned of Peter's death, accuses Graham of not caring enough about them to find him when he was missing, leading to his brother's murder. It is shown that she has always favored the younger brother. | |||
| * ] as Ria, a ] detective, as well as Graham's partner and girlfriend. | * ] as Ria, a ] detective, as well as Graham's partner and girlfriend. | ||
| * ] as Officer Tommy Hansen, a Los Angeles police officer who |
* ] as Officer Tommy Hansen, a Los Angeles police officer who and Officer John Ryan's partner. | ||
| * ] as Officer John Ryan, a ]ed ] police officer. | |||
| * ] as Officer John Ryan, a ]ed ] police officer who molests Cameron's wife, Christine, under the pretense of searching for a weapon. Ryan is trying to get help for his father, who has been misdiagnosed with a bladder infection. His anger manifests in prejudice, which stems from the destructive impact that local ] policies had on his father's business. He later saves Christine from a burning car when he had the perfect opportunity to ensure that he left the burning car alive, which leaves Christine stunned. | |||
| * ] as Cameron Thayer, a black television director. | |||
| * ] as Cameron Thayer, a black television director. He witnesses Officer Ryan molesting his wife and later realizes that the producers of his television show propagate racist stereotypes about black people. At the scene of Hansen's burning car (to eliminate evidence of a murder), he is able to find contentment and reconnnects with his wife. | |||
| * ] as Christine Thayer, Cameron's wife. | |||
| * ] as Christine Thayer, Cameron's wife. She is molested by Ryan and becomes furious with her husband because he didn't defend her. The two insult each other over their upbringings–as both Cameron and Christine have grown up in more privileged environments than many other African Americans. The next day she is trapped in an overturned car due to a car accident and, by a twist of fate, Officer Ryan is the man who willingly endangers himself to save her life. | |||
| * ] as Daniel Ruiz, a ] ] who faces discrimination from Jean and others |
* ] as Daniel Ruiz, a ] ] who faces discrimination from Jean and others. | ||
| * ] as Farhad, a ] store owner who is afraid for his safety |
* ] as Farhad, a ] store owner who is afraid for his safety. | ||
| === Supporting Cast === | === Supporting Cast === | ||
| * ] as Lieutenant Dixon, Officers Ryan and Hansen's shift Lieutenant. |
* ] as Lieutenant Dixon, Officers Ryan and Hansen's shift Lieutenant. | ||
| * ] as Jake Flanagan, an aide to the D.A. | |||
| * ] as Jake Flanagan, an aide to Rick who tries to talk Graham into accepting a corrupt deal. He holds a complex viewpoint that is not blatantly racist, yet he makes bigoted remarks in a conversation with Detective Waters. He argues that the black community needs to see a deceased black cop as a hero, even if he was corrupt. | |||
| * ] as Dorri, Farhad's daughter, and is more ] than her father to ] |
* ] as Dorri, Farhad's daughter, and is more ] than her father to ]. | ||
| * ] as Shaniqua Johnson, the HMO |
* ] as Shaniqua Johnson, the HMO representative for the insurance company used by Officer Ryan's father. | ||
| * Greg Juong Paik as Choi Jin Gui, a Korean man who gets run over by Anthony and Peter |
* Greg Juong Paik as Choi Jin Gui, a Korean man who gets run over by Anthony and Peter. | ||
| * Alexis Rhee as Kim Lee, the wife of Choi Jin Gui. | |||
| * Alexis Rhee as Kim Lee, the wife of Choi Jin Gui, who goes to the hospital to see him and gets told to cash the cheque he had right away. Kim Lee, at the start of the film, is involved in a car-crash with Graham's car and has an argument with Ria, who was in the car with Graham. | |||
| * Dato Bakhtadze as Lucien, a ] owner in which Anthony and Peter try to sell cars |
* Dato Bakhtadze as Lucien, a ] owner in which Anthony and Peter try to sell cars. | ||
| == Critical reception == | == Critical reception == | ||
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| === Box office === | === Box office === | ||
| ''Crash'' opened in wide release on May 6, 2005, and was a box-office success in the late spring of 2005. The film had a budget of $6.5 million (plus $1 million in financing). Because of the financial constraints, director Haggis filmed in his |
''Crash'' opened in wide release on May 6, 2005, and was a box-office success in the late spring of 2005. The film had a budget of $6.5 million (plus $1 million in financing). Because of the financial constraints, director Haggis filmed in his own house, borrowed a set from the TV show '']'', used his car in parts of the film, and even used cars from other staff members. It grossed $53.4 million domestically, making back more than seven times its budget. Despite its success in relation to its cost, ''Crash'' was the least grossing film, at the domestic box office, to win ] since '']'' in 1987. | ||
| == Awards == | == Awards == | ||
| === Best Picture Oscar === | === Best Picture Oscar === | ||
| In 2006, ''Crash'' controversially won the Best Picture Oscar over the critically-favored '']'', making it the fifth film in |
In 2006, ''Crash'' controversially won the Best Picture Oscar over the critically-favored '']'', making it the fifth film in history to win the Academy Award for Best Picture without even being nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (which went to '']'' for Motion Picture – Drama and '']'' for Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy). Critic ] suggested that ''Crash'' benefited from anti-homosexual discomfort among Academy members.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-turan5mar05,0,5359042.story |last=Turan |first=Kenneth |title=Breaking no ground: Why 'Crash' won, why 'Brokeback' lost and how the academy chose to play it safe |work=The Los Angeles Times|date=March 5, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/04/maybe-crashs-upset-at-the-oscars-shouldnt-have-been-such-a-surprise.html |title=Maybe ''Crash's'' upset at the Oscars shouldn't have been such a surprise? |date=April 16, 2009 |work=The Los Angeles Times}}</ref> | ||
| ''Crash'' was nominated for six awards in the ] (2006), and won three of them, including a win for ]. It was nominated for two ]s: one for ] (]) and the other for ] (] and ]). | ''Crash'' was nominated for six awards in the ] (2006), and won three of them, including a win for ]. It was nominated for two ]s: one for ] (]) and the other for ] (] and ]). | ||
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| == Home release == | == Home release == | ||
| ''Crash'' was released on DVD on September 6, 2005 as widescreen and fullscreen one-disc versions, with a number of bonus features, including a music video by ] (now known as The Rocturnals) for the song "If I..." off of the "Inspired by Soundtrack to Crash". The director's cut of the film was released in a 2-disc special edition DVD on April 4, 2006, with more bonus content than the one-disc set. The director's cut is |
''Crash'' was released on DVD on September 6, 2005 as widescreen and fullscreen one-disc versions, with a number of bonus features, including a music video by ] (now known as The Rocturnals) for the song "If I..." off of the "Inspired by Soundtrack to Crash". The director's cut of the film was released in a 2-disc special edition DVD on April 4, 2006, with more bonus content than the one-disc set. The director's cut is three minutes longer than the theatrical cut. The scene where Daniel is talking with his daughter under her bed is extended and a new scene is added with Officer Hanson in the police station locker room. | ||
| The film also was released in a limited-edition VHS version. It was the last Academy Award (Best Picture) winning film to be released in the VHS-tape format.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} It was also the first Best Picture winner to be released on ] in the U.S., on June 27, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/ |
The film also was released in a limited-edition VHS version. It was the last Academy Award (Best Picture) winning film to be released in the VHS-tape format.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} It was also the first Best Picture winner to be released on ] in the U.S., on June 27, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/releasedates_historical.html |title=historical Blu-ray Release Dates |publisher=Bluray.highdefdigest.com |date= |accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> | ||
| ''Crash'' is also currently number one in the list of ] Top 100, a list compiled of movies most frequently rented on Netflix.com.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netflix.com/Top100?lnkctr=mhT100&lnkce=sntTpLk |title=Netflix Top 100 |publisher=Netflix |accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> | ''Crash'' is also currently number one in the list of ] Top 100, a list compiled of movies most frequently rented on Netflix.com.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netflix.com/Top100?lnkctr=mhT100&lnkce=sntTpLk |title=Netflix Top 100 |publisher=Netflix |accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> | ||
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| {{Main|Crash (2008 TV series)}} | {{Main|Crash (2008 TV series)}} | ||
| A 13-episode series premiered on the ] network on October 17, 2008. The series features ] as a ] in ], ], and how his |
A 13-episode series premiered on the ] network on October 17, 2008. The series features ] as a ] in ], ], and how his life is connected to other characters in the city, including a police officer (]) and his partner, actress-turned-police officer, Arlene Tur. The cast consists of a Brentwood mother (]), her real-estate developer husband (]), former ] member-turned-EMT (]), a street-smart driver (]), an undocumented ] ] (Luis Chavez), and a detective (Nick Tarabay).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starz.com/originals/crash |title=Crash: A Starz Original Series |publisher=Starz.com |date= |accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> | ||
| == References == | == References == | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 15:51, 21 May 2010
2004 United States film| Crash | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Haggis |
| Written by | Screenplay: Paul Haggis Bobby Moresco Story: Paul Haggis |
| Produced by | Paul Haggis Don Cheadle Bob Yari Cathy Schulman |
| Starring | Brendan Fraser Don Cheadle Sandra Bullock Chris "Ludacris" Bridges Larenz Tate Jennifer Esposito Ryan Philippe Matt Dillon Terrence Howard Thandie Newton Michael Peña Shaun Toub William Fichtner Keith David |
| Cinematography | J. Michael Muro |
| Edited by | Hughes Winborne |
| Music by | Mark Isham |
| Production company | Yari Film Group |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Entertainment in co-operation with Yari Film Group and DEJ Productions |
| Release dates | September 10, 2004 (Toronto International Film Festival) May 6, 2005 (US) |
| Running time | Theatrical cut 112 minutes Director's cut 115 minutes |
| Countries | United States Germany |
| Languages | English Spanish Persian Mandarin Chinese Korean |
| Budget | $6,500,000 |
| Box office | $98,410,016 |
Crash is a 2004 film co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. The film is about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, Crash was inspired by a real life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video store on Wilshire Boulevard in 1991. It won three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing of 2005 at the 78th Academy Awards.
Plot
Moments after being in an auto accident, a black detective, Graham Waters (Don Cheadle), speaks dazedly about the nature of Los Angeles and how he believes people need to crash into each other to compensate for how separated they are by daily life. The driver of the car Waters is in, Ria (Jennifer Esposito), gets out of the car and starts to argue with the Asian woman driving the other car, exchanging racial insults.
Waters gets out of the car and investigates the crime scene which had indirectly caused the accident after identifying himself as a detective to the officer in charge. The officer tells Waters of the body that was found, Waters sees the victim's shoe lying on the ground and then stares at something off screen which horrifies him. The story then goes back to 36 hours before this scene.
At a gun shop, an Iranian man, Farhad (Shaun Toub), and his daughter Dorri (Bahar Soomekh) are buying a gun. The shop's owner, angered by the two speaking in their native language begins insulting Farhad, by calling him Osama and making other references to 9/11. Ultimately, an infuriated Farhad is escorted outside. Dorri continues to purchase the gun and bullets after the shop owner harasses her with sexually charged comments.
Two young black men, Anthony (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) and Peter (Larenz Tate), leave a restaurant. Anthony is lecturing Peter on racism when they walk past Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser), the local D.A., and his wife, Jean (Sandra Bullock). Anthony and Peter then carjack the couple. Inside Rick's Navigator, Peter puts a St. Christopher statue on the dashboard.
At the Cabot house, Jean is upset. A locksmith (Michael Pena) is changing the locks, and overhears her telling Rick to hire another locksmith in the morning, believing the current one to be a gang member. The locksmith, Daniel Ruiz, hears this and leaves insulted but without commenting. Meanwhile, Rick makes plans to use the carjacking to help him win re-election.
In a diner, two Asian men talk about a pickup of items. Nearby, LAPD Officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon) speaks with Shaniqua Johnson (Loretta Devine), an HMO administrator, about his father's medical ailment. Shaniqua hangs up on Ryan after he makes a racist comment because she refuses to help him.
As Ryan leaves, a white van containing the Asians passes by. Ryan and his partner, Tom Hansen (Ryan Phillipe) begin their evening patrol and notice a black Navigator that looks like the one reported carjacked by Peter and Anthony. Ignoring Hansen's protests that the plates don't match, Ryan pulls the car over because the passenger appears to be giving the driver fellatio. The cops order the couple, director Cameron Thayer (Terrence Howard) and his wife Christine (Thandie Newton) to exit. Cameron is polite, but Christine is a little drunk and argues with the cops. An angry Ryan sexually molests Christine under the pretense of administering a pat-down. Intimidated, Cameron says nothing. When Ryan finishes, the couple is released without a ticket.
At the Thayers' house, Christine is enraged that Cameron did nothing. Cameron insists what he did was correct, and the argument ends with Cameron storming out.
At his home, Daniel talks to his daughter, Lara, who is hiding under her bed after hearing a gun shot. To comfort her, Daniel gives her an "invisible impenetrable cloak". He then puts her to bed and then gets a page for another locksmith job.
In the SUV, Anthony and Peter continue talking about racism. As they talk, they pass the white van and hit something. Getting out, they see that they hit one of the Asian men from the diner. Unsure as to what to do, they eventually pull him out from under the car and dump him in front of a hospital.
At the police station, Hansen talks to his superior, Lt. Dixon (Keith David) about switching partners. Dixon, a black man, claims that Hansen's charge of Ryan as a racist could cost both Hansen and Dixon their jobs. Dixon suggests a transfer to a one-man car and tells Hansen that he should justify it by claiming to have uncontrollable flatulence.
At Farhad's shop, Daniel replaces a lock on the shop's back door that Farhad's wife earlier discovered wouldn't close properly but tells Farhad he needs a new door. Farhad doesn't listen, accuses Daniel of cheating him, and refuses to pay. Daniel crumples up his work order and throws it away, leaving irritated.
Anthony and Peter bring the Lincoln Navigator to a chop shop where the owner, Lucien (Dato Bakhtadze), refuses to take it due to the bloodstains.
Waters and Ria are making love when the phone rings. Waters answers the call from his mother, says he can't talk because he's in bed with a white woman, and eventually hangs up on her. Upset at this disrespect to his mother and other comments he makes, Ria angrily leaves.
The next morning, Farhad discovers that his store has been wrecked and tagged with racist graffiti. His wife tries to clean the mess and wonders when Iranians became Arabs.
Ryan visits Shaniqua in person. Apologising, Ryan says his father, who was diagnosed with a bladder infection but fears it may be prostate cancer, has an incompetent HMO. Ryan wants a transfer, but is told that their health plan won't cover it. Furious, Ryan tells of his father's acts as an employer on behalf of blacks and how he lost everything due to affirmative action. He begs Shaniqua to help and she says that if his father had come, she would have.
Waters goes to visit his mother who lives in a small apartment and is high on cocaine and worried about Waters's younger brother who is missing. Waters promises to find him, and notices the lack of food in the apartment before leaving. Outside, he lies to Ria and tells her his mother wasn't home.
In the studio where Cameron works, a white producer says a black actor isn't acting "black" enough. Cameron thinks he's kidding, but is made to re-shoot the scene. Christine then arrives and wants to talk about the previous evening, saying that she resented the loss of his dignity the night before. Cameron is livid and leaves her in tears.
An insurance man tells Farhad that his insurance won't cover the damage, calling it a case of negligence on Farhad’s behalf as he had been advised to replace the door. Farhad vows revenge, but the locksmith company won't tell him Daniel’s name. Farhad later discovers Daniel’s address through the tossed away work order.
Going out on shift, Ryan says goodbye to Hansen, claiming that Hansen doesn't know himself as well as he thinks. Meanwhile, a dispatcher makes a joke about Hansen's flatulence problem.
At the scene of an accident, Ryan runs to an overturned car to find Christine Thayer trapped inside. Upon recognizing Ryan, Christine screams for him to leave. He points out to her that gas is pouring from her car and flowing towards a nearby flaming wreck. With the assistance of his partner and spectators, Ryan manages to pull Christine out just as the car explodes. A grateful but confused Christine looks back at Ryan as she is taken away.
Jake Flanagan (William Fichtner), Rick's campaign manager, offers Waters a position in the D.A.'s Office. Waters refuses but as an incentive, Flanagan offers to expunge Waters's missing brother’s criminal record. Waters eventually agrees.
Driving alone in his Navigator, Cameron comes to a stop sign. Anthony and Peter try to carjack him, realizing too late that he is black. (Anthony had previously stated that he would never rob a black person.) A fight ensues when Cameron fights back, which is seen by some nearby cops. Peter leaves as Cameron and Anthony take off in the car. After a chase, the car is cornered. Cameron gets out and threatens the cops, while Anthony hides in the passenger seat. Hansen, who responded to the call, recognizes Cameron and talks him down. When they are released, Cameron calls Anthony an embarrassment and sends him away.
Farhad confronts Daniel when he returns home and points his gun at him, demanding money. Seeing this, Lara runs out to protect him with her "cloak", just as the shot is fired. Miraculously, the little girl is okay. Daniel carries his daughter away, crying along with his wife as Farhad leaves, confused.
As his mother sleeps, Waters returns with fresh groceries and places them in her fridge.
After telling a friend over the phone that she wakes up angry everyday, Jean slips and falls down some stairs.
Later that evening, while hitch-hiking, Peter is picked up by Hansen, who is off-duty. They chat, but then start to argue. Peter laughs at the statue of Saint Christopher on Hansen's dashboard and tries to get his own out of his pocket. Thinking the worst, Hansen shoots and kills him. Horrified when he sees Peter's statue, Hansen dumps the body.
The narrative then returns to the movie's opening scene with Waters at the accident scene and Peter is revealed to be Waters' missing brother.
Anthony rides a bus and, while observing the other passengers, notices the white van from earlier, still parked and with its keys dangling from the lock. He gets off the bus and drives the van away.
The Asian woman from the crash at the film's opening arrives at a hospital for her husband, the man Anthony and Peter hit. Still coherent, he tells her to cash a check that he has.
Anthony takes the white van to the chop shop, where a bunch of illegal immigrants are found locked up in the back. The shop owner offers $500 for each.
When Mrs. Waters sees Peter's dead body at a morgue, she breaks down in tears. Waters promises to find who is responsible for Peter's death, but his mother tells him she already knows Waters is responsible. She tells Waters he is to blame because she asked him to find his missing brother and he didn't because he was "too busy with other things." She claims she and Peter are not a priority to Waters anymore. She also tells Waters that Peter must have come home when she was sleeping, because he filled her refrigerator with groceries. Waters stares at his mother with resignation and sadness and lets her believe the best about Peter. Ria looks on, unaware of the significance of the exchange.
Dorri comes to see Farhad, who explains what happened. He thinks that the little girl was his angel and tells Dorri it's going to be okay. As Dorri removes the gun and box of bullets, we see that the bullets were actually blanks.
Rick and Jean talk on the phone. None of Jean's friends would come to help her and she had been taken to the emergency room by Maria. Tearfully, she hugs her housekeeper and says that Maria is her closest friend.
Hansen abandons his car and sets it on fire. Cameron later finds it when a few locals are treating it as a bonfire and throws a block of wood into the blaze. Christine calls him and they forgive each other.
Anthony, having refused the money, drops the immigrants off in Chinatown and gives one of them money to share with the others. He then leaves, feeling redeemed.
Nearby, another minor fender-bender occurs involving Shaniqua Johnson and another foreign-born driver. They start yelling at each other as the snow falls. Shaniqua tells the other driver not to talk to her unless he can "speak American".
Cast
Main Cast
- Brendan Fraser as Rick Cabot, the elected white District Attorney of Los Angeles who manipulates voter opinion through the medium of racial politics in order to further his career.
- Sandra Bullock as Jean Cabot, Rick's wife.
- Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Anthony, an African American who steals vehicles for a chop shop owner.
- Larenz Tate as Peter Waters, Anthony's friend and car-jacking partner. He is also Detective Waters's younger brother.
- Don Cheadle as Detective Graham Waters, an African-American detective in the Los Angeles Police Department.
- Jennifer Esposito as Ria, a Latina detective, as well as Graham's partner and girlfriend.
- Ryan Philippe as Officer Tommy Hansen, a Los Angeles police officer who and Officer John Ryan's partner.
- Matt Dillon as Officer John Ryan, a bigoted white police officer.
- Terrence Howard as Cameron Thayer, a black television director.
- Thandie Newton as Christine Thayer, Cameron's wife.
- Michael Peña as Daniel Ruiz, a Mexican-American locksmith who faces discrimination from Jean and others.
- Shaun Toub as Farhad, a Persian store owner who is afraid for his safety.
Supporting Cast
- Keith David as Lieutenant Dixon, Officers Ryan and Hansen's shift Lieutenant.
- William Fichtner as Jake Flanagan, an aide to the D.A.
- Bahar Soomekh as Dorri, Farhad's daughter, and is more acclimated than her father to American culture.
- Loretta Devine as Shaniqua Johnson, the HMO representative for the insurance company used by Officer Ryan's father.
- Greg Juong Paik as Choi Jin Gui, a Korean man who gets run over by Anthony and Peter.
- Alexis Rhee as Kim Lee, the wife of Choi Jin Gui.
- Dato Bakhtadze as Lucien, a chop shop owner in which Anthony and Peter try to sell cars.
Critical reception
The film received generally positive reviews with the review tallying website rottentomatoes.com reporting that 148 out of the 196 reviews they tallied were positive for a score of 76% and a certification of "fresh", while metacritic tallied an average score of 69 out of 100 for Crash's critical consensus. Roger Ebert gave the film 4/4 stars and described it as, "a movie of intense fascination" listing it as the best film of 2005. The film also ranks at number 460 in Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.
Some critics assert that Asians are portrayed in an overwhelmingly negative light with few, if any, redeeming qualities. The film has been criticized for reinforcing Asian stereotypes and lacking any manner of significant development of its Asian characters. From an alternative perspective, the film has been critiqued for "laying bare the racialised fantasy of the American dream and Hollywood narrative aesthetics" and for depicting the Persian shopkeeper as a "deranged, paranoid individual who is only redeemed by what he believes is a mystical act of God". The film has also been critiqued for using multicultural and sentimental imagery to cover over material and "historically sedimented inequalities" that continue to affect different racial groups in Los Angeles.
Box office
Crash opened in wide release on May 6, 2005, and was a box-office success in the late spring of 2005. The film had a budget of $6.5 million (plus $1 million in financing). Because of the financial constraints, director Haggis filmed in his own house, borrowed a set from the TV show Monk, used his car in parts of the film, and even used cars from other staff members. It grossed $53.4 million domestically, making back more than seven times its budget. Despite its success in relation to its cost, Crash was the least grossing film, at the domestic box office, to win Best Picture since The Last Emperor in 1987.
Awards
Best Picture Oscar
In 2006, Crash controversially won the Best Picture Oscar over the critically-favored Brokeback Mountain, making it the fifth film in history to win the Academy Award for Best Picture without even being nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (which went to Brokeback Mountain for Motion Picture – Drama and Walk the Line for Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy). Critic Kenneth Turan suggested that Crash benefited from anti-homosexual discomfort among Academy members.
Crash was nominated for six awards in the 78th Academy Awards (2006), and won three of them, including a win for Best Picture. It was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards: one for Best Supporting Actor (Matt Dillon) and the other for Best Screenplay (Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco).
Other awards include Best Ensemble Cast at the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards; Best Original Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards 2005; Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Newton) at the BAFTA Awards; Best Writer at the Critics' Choice Awards; Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role (Howard) at the Black Movie Awards; Best First Feature and Best Supporting Male (Dillon) at the Independent Spirit Awards; Best Acting Ensemble and Best Writer at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards; and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Howard) and Outstanding Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.
| Award | Category | Winner/Nominee | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78th Academy Awards | Best Director | Paul Haggis | No |
| Best Editing | Hughes Winborne | Yes | |
| Best Picture | Paul Haggis & Cathy Schulman | ||
| Best Original Song | "In the Deep" | No | |
| Best Screenplay – Original | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | Yes | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | No | |
| 1st Austin Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Paul Haggis | Yes |
| Best Film | |||
| 59th BAFTA Film Awards | Best Cinematography | J. Michael Muro | No |
| Best Director | Paul Haggis | ||
| Best Editing | Hughes Winborne | ||
| Best Film | |||
| Best Sound | |||
| Best Screenplay – Original | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | Yes | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Don Cheadle | No | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Thandie Newton | Yes | |
| Black Reel Awards 2005 | Best Actor | Don Cheadle | No |
| Best Cast | Yes | ||
| Best Film | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Terrence Howard | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | No | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Thandie Newton | ||
| 11th BFCA Critics' Choice Awards | Best Cast | Yes | |
| Best Director | Paul Haggis | No | |
| Best Film | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Terrence Howard | ||
| Best Writer | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | Yes | |
| Casting Society of America Awards 2005 | Best Film Casting – Drama | Sarah Finn & Randi Hiller | Yes |
| 18th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Yes | |
| Best Screenplay | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Terrence Howard | No | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards 2005 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures | No | |
| 12th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | Yes |
| 58th Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement | Paul Haggis | No |
| Empire Awards | Best Actor | Matt Dillon | No |
| Best Actress | Thandie Newton | Yes | |
| Best Film | No | ||
| Scene of the Year | |||
| 63rd Golden Globe Awards | Best Screenplay | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | No |
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | ||
| 17th Producers Guild of America Awards | Motion Picture Producer of the Year | Paul Haggis & Cathy Schulman | No |
| 12th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Cast | Yes | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Don Cheadle | No | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | ||
| 6th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Terrence Howard | Yes |
| 4th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Cast | Yes | |
| Best Film | No | ||
| Best Screenplay – Original | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | Yes | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Matt Dillon | No | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Terrence Howard | ||
| 58th Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Screenplay – Original | Paul Haggis & Robert Moresco | Yes |
Home release
Crash was released on DVD on September 6, 2005 as widescreen and fullscreen one-disc versions, with a number of bonus features, including a music video by KansasCali (now known as The Rocturnals) for the song "If I..." off of the "Inspired by Soundtrack to Crash". The director's cut of the film was released in a 2-disc special edition DVD on April 4, 2006, with more bonus content than the one-disc set. The director's cut is three minutes longer than the theatrical cut. The scene where Daniel is talking with his daughter under her bed is extended and a new scene is added with Officer Hanson in the police station locker room.
The film also was released in a limited-edition VHS version. It was the last Academy Award (Best Picture) winning film to be released in the VHS-tape format. It was also the first Best Picture winner to be released on Blu-ray Disc in the U.S., on June 27, 2006.
Crash is also currently number one in the list of Netflix Top 100, a list compiled of movies most frequently rented on Netflix.com.
Television series
Main article: Crash (2008 TV series)A 13-episode series premiered on the Starz network on October 17, 2008. The series features Dennis Hopper as a record producer in Los Angeles, California, and how his life is connected to other characters in the city, including a police officer (Ross McCall) and his partner, actress-turned-police officer, Arlene Tur. The cast consists of a Brentwood mother (Clare Carey), her real-estate developer husband (D. B. Sweeney), former gang member-turned-EMT (Brian Tee), a street-smart driver (Jocko Sims), an undocumented Guatemalan immigrant (Luis Chavez), and a detective (Nick Tarabay).
References
- Crash DVD Commentary Track. 2005.
- "Crash Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "Crash reviews at". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "Crash :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "Empire Features". Empireonline.com. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ""Crash" ultimately upholds stereotypes about Asian-Americans". Mixedmediawatch.com. 1999-02-22. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "darkmatter » Crash and the City". Darkmatter101.org. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "Film Criticism Current Issue". Filmcriticism.allegheny.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- Turan, Kenneth (March 5, 2006). "Breaking no ground: Why 'Crash' won, why 'Brokeback' lost and how the academy chose to play it safe". The Los Angeles Times.
- "Maybe Crash's upset at the Oscars shouldn't have been such a surprise?". The Los Angeles Times. April 16, 2009.
- "historical Blu-ray Release Dates". Bluray.highdefdigest.com. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "Netflix Top 100". Netflix. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- "Crash: A Starz Original Series". Starz.com. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
External links
| Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | |
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- 2005 films
- 2000s drama films
- American crime drama films
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- Persian-language films
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- Korean-language films
- Race-related films
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- Best Picture Academy Award winners
- Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award
- Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award
- Films set in Los Angeles, California
- Films set in San Fernando Valley
- Lions Gate films
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