The Gingerbread Man (1998)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

John Grisham (story)
Clyde Hayes (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

Lawyer Rick Magruder has a one-night-stand affair with caterer Mallory Doss. He becomes hooked on her...

Plot Keywords:

Law Firm | Lawyer | Law | Hurricane | Craziness

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Rick Magruder
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mallory Doss
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Clyde Pell
Daryl Hannah	...	Lois Harlan
Tom Berenger	...	Pete Randle
Famke Janssen	...	Leeanne Magruder
Mae Whitman	...	Libby Magruder
Jesse James	...	Jeff Magruder
Robert Duvall	...	Dixon Doss
Clyde Hayes	...	Carl Alden
Troy Beyer	...	Konnie Dugan
Julia Ryder Perce	...	Cassandra (as Julia R. Perce)
Danny Darst	...	Sheriff Hope
Sonny Seiler	...	Phillip Dunson
Walter Hartridge	...	Edmund Hess

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Belgium:KT | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Guyton, Georgia, USA

Company:

Enchanter Entertainment

Trivia:

After Altman's cut of the film scored low in test screenings, PolyGram took it from him and recut it. This prompted Altman to demand that his name be removed from the credits. Then, however, PolyGram's recut version tested even worse, so Altman's cut was restored. The film opened in New York to largely good reviews.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the party early in the movie, Rick and Lois are talking head-to-head on the sofa. Mallory walks behind them and you can hear Lois talking, but we see their heads at opposite ends of the sofa and they aren't talking. The camera immediately cuts back to them sitting close and talking like before.

Quotes:

Clyde Pell: No offense ma'am, but it's always appeared to me your Dad's a few beers shy of a six-pack.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Magnolia (1999)

Good dark suspense

I don't understand the low 5.7 rating on this film. It's a delight for people who like a strong suspense plot and dark atmospherics. The tone is reminiscent of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, down to the locale (Savannah). The acting is strong, and I was amazed at the verisimilitude of Kenneth Branagh's southern accent. Famke Jansen is great, Robert Duval is effective in a small part, and Embeth Davitz is the BOMB. Great full nude scene of her,too.

The plot is fairly standard but effectively executed.