Cellular (2004)

Director:

David R. Ellis

Writers (WGA):

Larry Cohen (story)
Chris Morgan (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

If the signal dies so does she.

Plot:

A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. The catch? The woman claims to have been kidnapped; and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.

Plot Keywords:

Cell Phone | Family In Danger | Fishbowl | Conspiracy | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Caroline Aaron	...	Marilyn Mooney
Brenda Ballard	...	Irate Customer #1
Kim Basinger	...	Jessica Martin
Will Beinbrink	...	Young Security Guard
Jessica Biel	...	Chloe
Chase Bloch	...	Timid Boy
Chelsea Bloch	...	Surf Girl's Friend
Chantille Boudousque	...	Chloe's Chilly Friend
Robin Brenner	...	Excitable Customer
Richard Burgi	...	Craig Martin
Paige Cannon	...	Girl at Concert
Nikki Christian	...	Porsche Girl
John Churchill	...	Young Guard
Greg Collins	...	Aging Security Guard
Valerie Cruz	...	Dana Bayback

Also Known As:

Final Call - Wenn er auflegt, muss sie sterben (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, terror situations, language and some sexual references.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Denmark:11 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41056)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Center Studios - 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

This film was set to be Dean Devlin's directorial debut, but he decided to produce instead.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The Nokia 6600, used by Ryan to record the video showing the kidnappers executing people supports a maximum of 176x144 pixels when recording. However the clip displayed on the phone has a much higher resolution.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ricky Martin: Mom, will you still be a science teacher when I get into high school?
Jessica Martin: Hmm... You never know. Why?
Ricky Martin: 'Cause I think it'd be kind of weird to have your mom as a teacher.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Celling Out (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Baby Why

Highly entertaining

A popcorn thriller that draws heavily on PHONE BOOTH for its inspiration (written by the same guy, Larry Cohen), CELLULAR take us on one heck of a ride right from the opening sequence, as a bunch of bad guys kidnap a woman (Kim Basinger), Her only contact with the outside world accidentally becomes a young man (Chris Evans) with a cell phone, hence the title. William Macy as a retiring cop (shades of FALLING DOWN!) and Jason Statham as the main bad guy (and whose name is curiously missing from the IMDb credits for this film) lend able support. A harrowing car chase forms the centerpiece of this mindless but thoroughly enjoyable action flick, just as a huge chain accident formed the heart of the director's previous FINAL DESTINATION 2. The movie remains taut throughout, but it also has deft moments of comedy, to remind us we're watching a movie. In particular, watch for the scene where Evans is in desperate need of a cell phone charger. It's hysterical.