Desperate Hours (1990)

Director:

Michael Cimino

Writers (WGA):

Joseph Hayes (novel)
Joseph Hayes (play)

Release Date:

5 October 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

At the height of fear every moment is a desperate hour

Plot:

An escaped con on the run from the law moves into a married couple's home and takes over their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | FBI | Trial | Stabbed In The Chest | Family In Danger

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Michael Bosworth
Anthony Hopkins	...	Tim Cornell
Mimi Rogers	...	Nora Cornell
Lindsay Crouse	...	Brenda Chandler
Kelly Lynch	...	Nancy Breyers
Elias Koteas	...	Wally Bosworth
David Morse	...	Albert
Shawnee Smith	...	May Cornell
Danny Gerard	...	Zack Cornell
Gerry Bamman	...	Ed Tallent
Matt McGrath	...	Kyle
John Christopher Jones	...	Neff
Dean Norris	...	Maddox
John Finn	...	Lexington
Christopher Curry	...	Chabon

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Alta, Utah, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "Desperate Hours" written by Joseph Hayes opened on February 10, 1955 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater and ran for 212 performances. The author also wrote the novel and collaborated on the screenplay.

Quotes:

Michael Bosworth: Everything's under control. Timmy's got the idea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Murphy Brown: Desperate Times (#9.19)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

LETTERS OF FIRE

An exciting thriller

For some reason, a lot of critics and moviegoers love to pick on Michael Cimino. Sure, "Heaven's Gate" virtually put United Artists out of business, but if viewed with an open mind, it's a very good and beautifully made western. Cimino has a lot of talent, and unlike many more popular director (like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, etc.), he often makes gutsy, politically incorrect films that don't always tell people what they want to hear. This makes some folks hate him, but I think it's what makes him interesting. His films (see "The Deer Hunter" and "Year of the Dragon") are usually stirring and in- your-face, and seldom explore the nicest people in the world. But nice is boring, and it's really a shame Hollywood has ostracized Cimino. Most major-studio films are so incredibly boring anymore that Hollywood NEEDS more filmmakers like Cimino. His 1990 remake of "Desperate Hours" isn't one of his most significant works, but it's a much better film than the critics and its own studio (MGM dumped it) gave it credit for. Never dull, "Desperate Hours" is a crackerjack hostage drama that's well-directed by Cimino, gorgeously shot by cinematographer Doug Milsome and acted with fierce intensity by Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins. Many of the scathing reviews for this film singled out the scene where one of the three criminals (David Morse) leaves the house. Covered in blood from a dead body he just dumped, Morse ends up in a creek where heavily armed FBI agents surround him. Ordered to drop his weapon, Morse knows he's finished, and refuses to drop his gun. Then while standing in the creek, Morse takes one last look at the surrounding Utah mountains, admiring the scenic view while he whistles "Red River Valley" (which simultaneously plays on the soundtrack). Most critics scoffed at this moment, but I think it's a great and oddly moving scene -- Morse decides he'd rather be shot dead than return to prison, and decides to take one last glance at earth's beauty before the FBI kills him. And as Cimino pans the scenic surroundings, you can tell he's paying tribute not only to the West, but also to a lost way of life. Morse's death scene is precisely the kind of strange, but thoughtful moment that's sorely missing from most of today's dumbed-down movies. Like most of Cimino's work, "Desperate Hours" is highly underrated. Please give it a chance.