The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

Director:

David Mamet

Writer (WGA):

David Mamet (written by)

Release Date:

3 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Can you really trust anyone?

Plot:

An employee of a corporation with a lucrative secret process is tempted to betray it. But there's more to it than that.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Innocence | Bonus | Secret | Murder

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Campbell Scott	...	Joseph A. 'Joe' Ross
Steve Martin	...	Julian 'Jimmy' Dell
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Susan Ricci
Ben Gazzara	...	Mr. Klein
Ricky Jay	...	George Lang
Felicity Huffman	...	Pat McCune
Richard L. Friedman	...	Businessman
Jerry Graff	...	Businessman
G. Roy Levin	...	Businessman
Hilary Hinckle	...	Resort Concierge
David Pittu	...	Resort Manager
Christopher Kaldor	...	Dell's Bodyguard
Michael Robinson	...	Security Person
Olivia Tecosky	...	Flight Attendant
Charlotte Potok	...	Bookstore Woman

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements including tension, some violent images and brief language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #35283) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Jasmine Productions Inc.

Trivia:

George Lang's line "Beware of all enterprises which require new clothes" is by Thoreau ("Economy" chapter of Walden).

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: In the scene outside the luxurious cars garage, where Dell is once more apologizing to Ross, a microphone is fully visible over Ross's head. It's partially visible in other scenes as well (yacht scene, Ross's flat when talking to Susan etc.)

Quotes:

George Lang: Worry is like interest paid in advance on a debt that never comes due.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: High Top Fade Out (#4.7)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

one of the year's best films

"The Spanish Prisoner" comes closer to Hitchcock than anything I've seen in a long, long time. The cast is excellent; I haven't seen Campbell Scott in a movie since he was much younger, but he really turned in a great performance, loaded with nuance and subtlety. Steve Martin is truly outstanding--I think it's fair to say that this is one of his career's best performances. The only clunker is Rebecca Pidgeon; her character is poorly written, and she's not much of an actress. Just between you and me, I think she only got the job because she's sleeping with the director (she's Mamet's wife). Ed O'Neill even shows up halfway through the film with a nice cameo.

I don't want to give away much about the story for those who haven't seen TSP, but it really is amazing. Many of the plot twists actually made me laugh--not because they were ridiculous, but because they were so ingeniously crafted and actually plausible. Since he wrote AND directed the movie, though, David Mamet let himself get away with a few bad lines and one or two hokey plot devices. In the greater context of the movie, however, they're forgivable.