Along Came a Spider (2001)

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers (WGA):

James Patterson (novel)
Marc Moss (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The game is far from over.

Plot:

A congressman's daughter under Secret Service protection is kidnapped from a private school by an insider who calls Det. Alex Cross, sucking him into the case even though he's recovering from the loss of his partner.

Plot Keywords:

School | Partner | Secret Service | Kidnapping | Police Detective

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Morgan Freeman	...	Alex Cross
Monica Potter	...	Jezzie Flannigan
Michael Wincott	...	Gary Soneji
Dylan Baker	...	Ollie McArthur
Mika Boorem	...	Megan Rose
Anton Yelchin	...	Dimitri Starodubov
Kimberly Hawthorne	...	Agent Hickley (as Kim Hawthorne)
Jay O. Sanders	...	Kyle Craig
Billy Burke	...	Ben Devine
Michael Moriarty	...	Senator Hank Rose
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Elizabeth Rose
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Vickie
Scott Heindl	...	Floyd the Fisherman
Christopher Shyer	...	Jim
Jill Teed	...	Tracie

Also Known As:

Im Netz der Spinne (Germany)
Le masque de l'araignée (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Canada

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) (slightly cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Australia:M (TV rating) | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Iceland:16 | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (NO. 37942) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Kiss the Girls (1997) director Gary Fleder turned down the chance to direct this film, opting to make Impostor (2001) instead.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Sonji strangles the woman in the office, she is supposed to be dead but when they show her she is blinking.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tracie: Tonight was your first night at the club, wasn't it?
Jim: No. I've been there a few times before.
Tracie: Really? Well, how come I haven't seen you?
Jim: I noticed you the first night I walked in. You always stand out.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Slightly Above Average Despite Some Credibility Problems

Crime story-wise, this was nothing extraordinary but was a pretty solid film. He isn't always like this, but Morgan Freeman does best in films where he's the likable hero-cop. He is definitely that in this film although his character, Alex Cross, is a little too sharp for believability. There were just a bit too many "oh, come on's" said by me watching this as Cross would get computer passwords with no trouble, etc. The odds of that happening are millions-to-one but not in the world of films. There were other examples, too, of him figuring out things that were almost impossible.

For a tough modern-day crime story this film, for the most part, was pretty low- key with low profanity and not a lot of gore or overdone action. That was surprising considering the sordid subject matter. The tameness in here, and Freeman, make this a notch (albeit a small one) above the average thriller.