Striking Distance (1993)

Director:

Rowdy Herrington

Writers (WGA):

Rowdy Herrington (written by) &
Marty Kaplan (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Loyalty above all else, except honour.

Plot:

Coming from a police family, Tom Hardy ends up fighting his uncle after the murder of his father. Tom believes the killer is another cop, and goes on the record with his allegations. Demoted then to river duty, the killer taunts Tom.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | River | Chase | Police | Murder

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Det. Tom Hardy
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Jo Christman
Dennis Farina	...	Capt. Nick Detillo
Tom Sizemore	...	Det. Danny Detillo
Brion James	...	Det. Eddie Eiler
Robert Pastorelli	...	Det. Jimmy Detillo
Timothy Busfield	...	Tony Sacco
John Mahoney	...	Lt. Vince Hardy
Andre Braugher	...	Dist. Atty. Frank Morris
Tom Atkins	...	Sgt. Fred Hardy
Mike Hodge	...	Capt. Penderman, River Rescue Commandant
Jodi Long	...	Officer Kim Lee, River Rescue Dispatcher
Roscoe Orman	...	Sid, Eddie Eiler's Partner
Robert Gould	...	Douglas Kesser
Gareth Williams	...	Chick Chicanis
Ed Hooks	...	Attorney Gunther
Lawrence Mandley	...	Bailiff
Julianna McCarthy	...	Judge Helen Kramer
Sally Wiggin	...	Newscaster
Andrea Martin	...	Newscaster
Suzanne Vafiadis	...	Newscaster
Ken Rice	...	Newscaster
Michael Canavan	...	Officer Gary Hardy
Scott Klace	...	Card Player (as Scott Kloes)
Bruce Kirkpatrick	...	Card Player
Edward Gero	...	Officer Lulley
Andrew May	...	Officer Jeff Schultz
Sigrid Adrienne	...	Nurse Paula Puglisi
Elva Branson	...	Head Nurse
Jack Pashkin	...	Bartender
Erik Jensen	...	Kid on Steps
Jeffrey J. Stephen	...	Dispatcher (as Jeffrey J. Stephan)
Bill Hartung	...	Boat Preppie
Dan Holland	...	Tugboat Gunman
Vince Deadrick Jr.	...	Tugboat Gunman
John Bower	...	Cop (as John T. Bower)
Janette Caldwell	...	Cheryl Putnam
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Amen	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
David Barckhoff	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Timothy Butts	...	Officer Huck Tuckerman (uncredited)
Robert DiDonato	...	Officer Gino (uncredited)
John W. Iwanonkiw	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Dave Petti	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Betsy Zajko	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Rowdy Herrington

Writing credits (WGA)
Rowdy Herrington		(written by) &
Marty Kaplan		(written by) (as Martin Kaplan)

Produced by
Marty Kaplan	....	associate producer (as Martin Kaplan)
Hunt Lowry	....	producer
Arnon Milchan	....	producer
Steven Reuther	....	executive producer
Tony Thomopoulos	....	producer
Carmine Zozzora	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Brad Fiedel

Cinematography by
Mac Ahlberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Pasquale Buba
Mark Helfrich

Casting by
Pam Dixon

Production Design by
Gregg Fonseca

Art Direction by
Bruce Alan Miller

Set Decoration by
Jay Hart

Costume Design by
Betsy Cox

Makeup Department
Paul Abascal	....	hair stylist
Scott H. Eddo	....	makeup artist
Jeannee Josefczyk	....	makeup artist
Rachel Kick	....	additional makeup artist
Jeffrey A. Rubis	....	hair stylist
Linda Williams	....	additional hair stylist

Production Management
Christopher Cronyn	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Todd Hallowell	....	second unit director
Dana J. Kuznetzkoff	....	second assistant director
Nicholas Mastandrea	....	first assistant director
Bruce Moriarty	....	first assistant director: second unit
Susan Pickett	....	second second assistant director
Jennifer Wilkinson	....	dga trainee

Art Department
G. Roger Abell	....	set dresser
Steve Arnold	....	set designer
Robert J. Carlyle	....	construction coordinator
Rosario Casalenuovo	....	set labor
Gina B. Cranham	....	set designer
Elizabeth Flaherty	....	art department coordinator
Eileen Garrigan	....	charge scenic
Robert Lucas	....	lead man
Mary O'Brien	....	scenic artist
Brent Peelor	....	carpenter
Gregory Puchalski	....	scenic artist
Gregory Puchalski	....	signwriter
Eric Ramsey	....	storyboard artist
Doug Sieck	....	set dresser
Andrew M. Siegel	....	assistant property master
Diana Stoughton	....	assistant set decorator
Paul Bucciarelli	....	props assistant (uncredited)
Michael Burnett	....	radio controlled miniature police car (uncredited)
Jim Heastings	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Sandy Berman	....	supervising sound editor
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Susan Dudeck	....	dialog editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor
R.J. Kizer	....	adr editor
Elliott Koretz	....	sound editor
Jeena M. Phelps	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis C. Salcedo	....	boom operator
George E. Simpson Jr.	....	cableperson
Mary Ruth Smith	....	adr editor
Mary Ruth Smith	....	dialogue editor
Lee Strosnider	....	sound mixer
John Sutton	....	sound mixer
Marvin Walowitz	....	sound editor
Hugo Weng	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Darin Bouyssou	....	lab assistant
Allen Hall	....	special effects
Bruce E. Merlin	....	special effects foreman
James L. Roberts	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Perry Barndt	....	stunt double
David Barrett	....	stunts
Stanton Barrett	....	stunts
Shelley S. Boyle	....	stunts
Timothy Butts	....	stunt double
Sherri Coleman	....	stunts (as Sherri Coleman Wilson)
Bill Dalzell	....	stunts
Andy Epper	....	stunts
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts
Frankie 'G' Garbutt	....	stunts
Lance Gilbert	....	stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Tim Gilbert	....	stunts
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
Andy Gill	....	stunts
Chuck Hosack	....	stunts
Keii Johnston	....	stunt double
Louis Kiss	....	stunt performer
Jimmy Lewis Jr.	....	stunts (as Jim Lewis Jr)
Dave Lowry	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts (as Debbie Lynn Ross)
Spike Silver	....	stunts
Michael S. Walter	....	stunt double: Jimmy
Ric Roman Waugh	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Pete Beal	....	electrician: second unit
Robert Bender	....	grip
Jorgen Christenen	....	rigging electrician
Steve Cohagan	....	best boy electrician: 2nd unit
Pat Dames	....	grip
Gregory L. Edwards	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Ray 'Chazz' Edwards	....	grip
Bart Flaherty	....	grip
Bobby Huber	....	key grip
Gilbert Johnson	....	gaffer: underwater unit
Ron Kunecke	....	musco light operator
Chris Lugar	....	electrician: 2nd unit
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	Steadicam operator
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	camera operator
Bob Marshak	....	still photographer
Frank McGough	....	rigging gaffer
Jon D. Morrison	....	set lighting
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Jean-Pierre Nutini	....	electrician
Brian S. Osmond	....	second assistant camera
Douglas Pellegrino	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Ethan Phillips	....	electrician
Brian Powers	....	electrician
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	director of photography: second unit
Andrew Priestley	....	second unit camera
Rich Schutte	....	grip
Keith Seymour	....	rigging grip
John P. Shine	....	grip
Nick Tallo	....	grip
Edward West	....	electrician: second unit

Casting Department
Donna M. Belajac	....	casting: Pittsburgh
Naomi Yoelin	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Diane Collins	....	costumer
Danna Edwards	....	costumer
Linda Matthews	....	costume supervisor
Lori Stilson	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Ray Boniker	....	first assistant editor
Galen Goodpaster	....	assistant editor
Chris Jackson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ronald Blackwell	....	composer: song "Li'l red Riding Hood"
Tim Boyle	....	music scoring mixer
Tim Boyle	....	score mixer
Brad Fiedel	....	orchestrator
Giovanna Imbesi	....	assistant to composer (as Joyce Imbesi)
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor
Shirley Walker	....	conductor
Shirley Walker	....	orchestrator
Michael McCuistion	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael Avallon	....	driver
Alan Kaminsky	....	transportation: re-shoots
Ted Schambers	....	driver: Bruce Willis
Frank A. Serrao	....	picture car coordinator

Other crew
Shawn Boyachek	....	production assistant
Sondra Dee Boyachek	....	production coordinator
Ray Cervenak	....	security captain
Katie Clarke	....	payroll accountant
Stephen J. Eads	....	assistant: Bruce Willis
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	production accountant
Paula Gregg	....	craft service assistant
Steffany Hannan	....	assistant office production coordinator
Thomas Johnston	....	script supervisor
Caroline Korney	....	assistant production accountant
Charles Miller	....	location manager
Vince Pace	....	underwater crew
Steve Parys	....	assistant location manager
Steve Parys	....	location scout
Billy Pittard	....	title designer (as Pittard Sullivan Fitzgerald)
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator
Eden Ashley Umble	....	unit publicist
R. Dale VanBatenburg	....	set medic
David H. 'Wino' Weinstein	....	production assistant
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	aerial coordinator
Peter J. Novak	....	location manager (uncredited)
Barbara Thaxton	....	script supervisor: additional photography, Los Angeles (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (1993-1994) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1993) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (1994) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1994) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (1994) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Fox Network (1996) (USA) (TV)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film (1999) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Cine Equipment  cranes and remote heads
• Cinema Research  opticals
• Donah Bassett and Associates  negative cutting
• Moving-Cam S.A.  flying camera sequences
• Pittard Sullivan Fitzgerald  title design
• Sony Pictures Studios  post-production sound services
• Tony's Food Service  catering

Also Known As:

"Three Rivers" - Japan (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, strong language and a sex scene

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/16 | Peru:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #31925)

Filming Locations:

Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Extensive reshooting took place after principal photography was completed due to a negative test screening. All the love/intimate scenes between Hardy and Jo were reshot to make things sexier. Several dialogue scenes, like the scene in the bar between Willis and Sizemore, pictured on the IMDB page, were also cut to make the film quicker paced. The change in tone of the film also made Columbia change the title from "Three Rivers" to "Striking Distance", as it now focused more on the action/thriller elements.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tom is taking the boat and Jo to go look for Chicanis, it's still broad daylight when they leave the boundary of their patrol area. It's dark when they get to the place Tom find Chicanis. However, when the kids find a floating body in the park, they arrive at the scene long before the regular police arrives.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Newscaster:The search for the Polish Hill Strangler continues in the wake of the discovery of yet a fourth victim early this morning.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: True Romance/The Ballad of Little Jo/Kalifornia/The Joy Luck Club/The Real McCoy" (1993)

Soundtrack:

WALK RIGHT NOW

Two key cast members make this movie

Great support cast. Dialogue between Farina & Willis is as real as it gets. Irish vs Italian is always interesting. Needed more of those scenes. Some cliché movie lines but storyline hides the cheese. Location, Location, Location. All things being equal, I'd rather be in Philadelphia (right: Willis from Die Hard). I prefer Philly movies, but Pittsburgh is a great setting. Not NY. Not LA. I'll take it and it works. Every other profession has been glammed up by Hollywood so river police was a refreshing change.

Getting back to the cast, most of them are interchangeable with other actors. But there is no substitute for Dennis Farina as tough cop. He ad libs in his own way as well as Hackman & Matthau. If he's a non-smoker in real life, he should have won an Oscar for this role. This is one of those movies where the pre-quels would be just as action packed. Yeah I know the Episode IV thing has been done before in a galaxy far far away. But these characters would be interesting in their younger years.