Midnight Run (1988)

Director:

Martin Brest

Writer (WGA):

George Gallo (written by)

Release Date:

20 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

A tough bounty hunter. A sensitive criminal.

Plot:

An accountant is chased by bounty hunters, the FBI, and the Mafia after jumping bail.

Plot Keywords:

Bounty Hunter | FBI | Accountant | Mafia | Cross Country

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Jack Walsh
Charles Grodin	...	Jonathan Mardukas
Yaphet Kotto	...	FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely
John Ashton	...	Marvin Dorfler
Dennis Farina	...	Jimmy Serrano
Joe Pantoliano	...	Eddie Moscone
Richard Foronjy	...	Tony Darvo
Robert Miranda	...	Joey
Jack Kehoe	...	Jerry Geisler
Wendy Phillips	...	Gail
Danielle DuClos	...	Denise Walsh
Philip Baker Hall	...	Sidney
Tom McCleister	...	Bill 'Red' Wood (as Thom McCleister)
Mary Gillis	...	Bus Ticket Clerk
John Toles-Bey	...	Monroe Bouchet

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | USA:R | West Germany:12 | UK:15 (original rating) | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Cameron, Arizona, USA

Company:

City Light Films

Trivia:

The idea to have Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) continually checking his watch, and the whole back-story related to his habit, was all De Niro's own idea.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Jonathan opens the bathroom door to see what's got the dog all upset, the dog runs up to Jack who's behind the shower door. The loud barking continues but the top of the dog's head can be seen and it's quite apparent that she is not barking at that time.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Jack trying to pick door lock. He drops one of his picks. When he bends over to pick it up, a gun shot is fired through the door, right where his head had been previously]
Jack Walsh: Shit!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sentinel: The Girl Next Door (#3.3)" (1997)

fun fun fun

Here is a movie of my favourite sort regardless of the genre - you feel you would neither add nor substract anything from it. Excellent cast, beautiful script, professional director's work. The main strength of the movie can be found in its unpretentiousness. It primarily aims at providing fun and entertainment, and fulfills it in an efficient way. You have your comedy and action galore.

We are usually willing to suspend our disbelief when watching comedies. No such need when it comes to this movie - the plot, the relations between characters, their motives, everything works like a flawless machinery. It is as credible as life itself.

The movie is brimming with memorable scenes. I have seen it twice - first when it appeared more than 15 years ago, and then again yesterday. I was delighted to find that the movie had lost nothing of its freshness and endured all time traps. I highly recommend it.

9/10 !