Ransom (1996)
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A wealthy man must navigate a deadly game of wits with a corrupt detective after his son is kidnapped.
The story
When the son of millionaire airline magnate Tom Mullen is kidnapped during a science fair, Tom is forced into a high-stakes confrontation with the kidnappers. The operation is led by Jimmy Shaker, a corrupt NYPD detective who is posing as a negotiator. As Tom navigates the demands of the kidnappers and the protocols of the FBI, he must decide how far he is willing to go to ensure his son's safe return. The situation escalates into a tense standoff where the lines between law enforcement and criminal intent become dangerously blurred as the clock ticks down on the boy's safety.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After his son Sean is kidnapped by a group including a caterer and two brothers, millionaire Tom Mullen is contacted by a negotiator, NYPD detective Jimmy Shaker. Shaker demands $2 million, but after a failed exchange in a New Jersey quarry where a kidnapper is killed, Tom publicly offers a bounty on the kidnappers. Shaker, realizing the situation is spiraling, uses violence to maintain control, eventually killing his own accomplices and the caterer. After a tense standoff where Tom and his wife Kate believe Sean is dead, they are reunited with their son. However, the truth is revealed: Shaker is the primary kidnapper. In a final confrontation at a bank, Tom and Shaker are forced into a standoff. Tom manages to outmaneuver Shaker, and the police intervene just as Shaker is shot and killed by Tom and FBI Agent Lonnie Hawkins.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ron Howard
- Writers
- Richard Price · screenplay; Alexander Ignon · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Mel Gibson · Tom Mullen; Rene Russo · Kate Mullen; Gary Sinise · Jimmy Shaker; Delroy Lindo · Lonnie Hawkins; Lili Taylor · Maris Conner; Liev Schreiber · Clark Barnes; Evan Handler · Miles Roberts; Donnie Wahlberg · Cubby" Barnes; Brawley Nolte · Sean Mullen
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- father-son relationship; extortion; trust
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- kidnapping; hostage taking; corruption
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour titled 'Fearful Decision'
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews from critics and an A- rating from audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 21
- Awards and nominations
- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards · Top Box Office Film · Won; Golden Globe Awards · Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama · Nominated; Image Awards · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture · Nominated; Young Artist Awards · Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actor · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was the 5th highest-grossing film of 1996 in the United States.; The story was adapted into a feature film in 1956 titled Ransom!.; It held the record for the highest opening weekend for a Ron Howard film for four years.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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