Panic Room (2002)

Director:

David Fincher

Writer (WGA):

David Koepp (written by)

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It was supposed to be the safest room in the house

Plot:

A woman and her teenage daughter become imprisoned in the panic room of their own house by 3 criminals.

Plot Keywords:

Break In | Home | Diabetic | Panic Room | Cat And Mouse

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Jan. 3	9:00 PM	LIFE
Sun. Jan. 3	11:00 PM	LIFE

Cast

Jodie Foster	...	Meg Altman
Kristen Stewart	...	Sarah Altman
Forest Whitaker	...	Burnham
Dwight Yoakam	...	Raoul
Jared Leto	...	Junior
Patrick Bauchau	...	Stephen Altman
Ann Magnuson	...	Lydia Lynch
Ian Buchanan	...	Evan Kurlander
Andrew Kevin Walker	...	Sleepy Neighbor
Paul Schulze	...	Officer Keeney
Mel Rodriguez	...	Officer Morales
Richard Conant	...	SWAT Cop
Paul Simon	...	SWAT Cop
Victor Thrash	...	SWAT Cop
Ken Turner	...	SWAT Cop

Also Known As:

Safe Room (USA) (working title)
The Panic Room (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

112 min | Spain:113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Belgium:16 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Belgium:KT (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Canada:R (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | France:U (with warning) | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Darius Khondji left the project after just two weeks into principal photography. He was still credited as co-D.O.P in the opening credits

Goofs:

Continuity: Sarah's coke can in the first dinner at the house repeatedly turns round between shots.

Quotes:

Junior: She's coming down to you!
Burnham: Hey I told you, I don't hurt people.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Getaway: (#17.9)" (2008)

Circus Performance

David Fincher is a magician of sorts, he should work in a circus. He does things with his gadgets that are quite extraordinary, but, has absolutely no clue about drama. Based on a tiny, thin, invisible script he builds a theme park ride that gets very tired very soon. All of David Fincher's films look terrific, they all have ambitious intentions but they collapse under the poverty of the scripts. "Seven" is the better one, but still, after you get over the magnificent photography, you're left with a formula used and abused for years. "Fight Club" has a first hour that makes you think in you're in for a real treat. With superb performances by Norton, Pitt and Bonham Carter and then a massive let down. "The Game" was mystical, powerful, mysterious and spine chilling for the whole first part but then... They all have that same common denominator, opportunistic, thoughtless and unimaginative writing. That alone alienates the bulk of their potential audiences. Now "Panic Room" the most blatant example of what I'm trying to convey. No matter how brilliant the camera work, where are the characters? Where is the drama? What was with the husband? What about that semi visit by the police? Unforgivable. I should advice Mr. Fincher to look at films with less gadgetry, even less ambition and take note. From William Wyler's "Desperate Hours" to David Miller's "Midnight Lace" or quite simply look at the sort of writers Alfred Hitchcock worked with, without them Mr. Hitchcock would have been a director of the past not the legendary master for all seasons.