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Ransom
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ron Howard
Screenplay by	Richard Price Alexander Ignon
Story by	Cyril Hume Richard Maibaum
Produced by	Brian Grazer Kip Hagopian Scott Rudin
Starring	Mel Gibson Rene Russo Gary Sinise
Cinematography	Piotr Sobocinski
Edited by	Daniel P. Hanley Mike Hill
Music by	James Horner
Production companies	Touchstone Pictures Imagine Entertainment Icon Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures
Release date	November 8, 1996
Running time	121 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80 million
Box office	$309,492,681

Ransom is a 1996 American crime thriller directed by Ron Howard, and starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, and Gary Sinise. Delroy Lindo, Liev Schreiber, Donnie Wahlberg, and Lili Taylor appear in supporting roles. Gibson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

The original story came from a 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour titled "Fearful Decision". In 1956, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume into the feature film Ransom!, starring Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen. The film was also influenced by Ed McBain's police procedural novel King's Ransom.

The film received mostly positive reviews, and was a major financial success, becoming the 5th highest-grossing film of 1996 in the United States.

Plot

While multi-millionaire Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean is kidnapped. Sean is taken to an apartment by Maris, a caterer for the Mullens, along with criminals Clark, Cubby and Miles. Tom and Kate receive an e-mail from the kidnappers demanding $2,000,000. Tom calls the FBI, which begins operating from his New York City penthouse.

Detective Shaker of the NYPD is arresting a perpetrator in a convenience store when Cubby buys some FrankenBerry cereal. Shaker follows Cubby into the building where the kidnappers are residing, sees Sean tied in a bedroom, and holds Cubby at gunpoint, berating him for being so obvious; Shaker is the mastermind behind the kidnapping.

Tom agrees to the FBI instructions for delivering the ransom. Receiving a phone call from Shaker, who is electronically disguising his voice, Tom follows his instructions. He meets Cubby in a New Jersey quarry. Shaker indicated that Cubby would give Tom an address where Sean could be picked up in exchange for the money, but when Cubby appears ignorant of these instructions and simply demands the cash, Tom refuses to hand it over. The FBI sends a helicopter after Cubby and Cubby opens fire. FBI marksmen kill Cubby before he reveals Sean's location.

Shaker sets up another ransom drop. Angered that the FBI followed him instead of the money and killed his only lead, Tom insists on taking the money without being tracked. Realizing the first drop was a setup and there is no guarantee that Sean will come back alive, Tom goes on the television news and offers the ransom as a bounty. The only way for the kidnappers to save themselves is to return his son, in which case he will withdraw the bounty and drop all charges.

Despite the pleadings of Kate and FBI Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins, Tom sticks to his plan, believing it is the best chance of having Sean returned. Shaker lures Kate to a meeting where he tells her to pay the ransom or Sean will die. Tom responds by increasing the bounty to $4,000,000. Shaker calls Tom and demands to be paid. Tom replies that Sean must be returned or else the kidnappers will be hunted down. Tom hears Sean's voice screaming for his father. Shaker fires a shot heard over the phone before the call cuts off, leaving Tom and Kate believing their son is dead.

Shaker forms a new plan; he will kill Clark and Miles, pretend to rescue Sean and claim the bounty for himself and Maris. He calls in a possible kidnapping to the NYPD, requesting backup. He then flashes his badge and gun at Clark and Miles, who realize he has betrayed them. Clark tries running Shaker over with his van, but Shaker fatally shoots him. He then kills Miles, making it look as though Miles shot first. Maris, trying to back out of the plan, shoots Shaker in the shoulder. Before she can fire again, Shaker kills her and re-enters the apartment just before a SWAT team charges in, finding a wounded Shaker sitting next to Sean.

Hawkins takes Tom and Kate to the scene of Sean's rescue. Tom thanks Shaker, who is being hospitalized. Hawkins takes Tom to Maris' body, where he recognizes her.

Shaker appears at the Mullen penthouse to receive the reward, claiming he wants to avoid publicity. As Tom writes a check for him, Sean recognizes Shaker's voice. Seeing his son's horrified reaction and hearing Shaker speak the same phrase kidnapper did, Tom realizes who Shaker is. Tom gives Shaker the check with a false signature, but Shaker realizes that Tom is on to him. Shaker threatens to kill everyone in the house, but Tom convinces him to take him hostage and go to the bank so Tom can wire the money to Shaker's account. En route, Shaker orders Tom to ready his private jet. Tom fakes a call to his pilot, actually calling Hawkins, whom Tom manages to tell covertly that the kidnapper is with him.

Cops converge on Tom and Shaker outside the bank. Shaker opens fire, shooting both officers. Tom lunges at Shaker, grabbing his gun. Tom throws Shaker through a store window and when they emerge, they are surrounded by armed policemen. Shaker draws his back-up revolver from an ankle holster. Tom and Hawkins fire first, killing Shaker. The film closes as Hawkins stops the police from arresting Tom.

Cast

• Mel Gibson as Tom Mullen
• Rene Russo as Kate Mullen
• Brawley Nolte as Sean Mullen
• Gary Sinise as Det. James "Jimmy" Shaker
• Delroy Lindo as Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins
• Lili Taylor as Maris Conner
• Liev Schreiber as Clark Barnes
• Donnie Wahlberg as Cubby Barnes
• Evan Handler as Miles Roberts
• Paul Guilfoyle as FBI Director Stan Wallace
• José Zúñiga as David Torres
• Dan Hedaya as Jackie Brown

Production notes

During filming, Mel Gibson had appendicitis and had to have an operation.

Reception

The movie has a 73% rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Critic Roger Ebert gave the movie three stars out of four, saying "Gibson gives an interesting performance, showing a man trying to think his way out of a crisis, and Sinise makes a good foil: Here are two smart men playing a game with deadly stakes."

Awards and nominations

1997 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

• Won - Top Box Office Film

1997 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (Saturn Awards)

• Nominated - Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film

1997 Golden Globe Awards

• Nominated - Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama — Mel Gibson

1997 Image Awards

• Nominated - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture — Delroy Lindo

1997 Young Artist Awards

• Nominated - Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor — Brawley Nolte

References

2. Ransom Rotten Tomatoes, Retrieved 8/02/10
3. Ransom Roger Ebert, Retrieved 8/02/10

External links

• Ransom (1996) at IMDb
• Ransom at Box Office Mojo

Template:Scott Rudin

• 1996 films
• 1990s crime thriller films
• American crime thriller films
• American mystery films
• English-language films
• Films directed by Ron Howard
• Neo-noir
• Psychological thriller films
• Imagine Entertainment films
• Touchstone Pictures films
• Films shot in New Jersey
• Films shot in New York City
• Films about abduction
• Screenplays by Richard Price (writer)