The Rock (1996)

A mild-mannered chemist and an ex-con must lead the counterstrike when a rogue group of military men, led by a renegade general, threaten a nerve gas attack from Alcatraz against San Francisco.

Director:

Michael Bay

Writers:

David Weisberg (story), Douglas Cook (story) (as Douglas S. Cook)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	John Patrick Mason
Nicolas Cage	...	Stanley Goodspeed
Ed Harris	...	General Francis X. Hummel
John Spencer	...	F.B.I. Director Womack
David Morse	...	Major Tom Baxter
William Forsythe	...	Ernest Paxton
Michael Biehn	...	Commander Anderson
Vanessa Marcil	...	Carla Pestalozzi
John C. McGinley	...	Marine Captain Hendrix (as John C. Mc Ginley)
Gregory Sporleder	...	Captain Frye
Tony Todd	...	Captain Darrow
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Sergeant Crisp
Jim Maniaci	...	Private Scarpetti
Greg Collins	...	Private Gamble
Brendan Kelly	...	Private Cox

Storyline

Stanley Goodspeed, who lives in Washington D.C., is a biochemist who works for the FBI. Soon after his fiancée Carla Pestalozzi announces that she is pregnant, Stanley gets a call from FBI director James Womack. Womack tells Stanley that San Francisco's Alcatraz Island has been taken hostage, along with 81 tourists, by marine General Francis Xavier Hummel who, for years, has been protesting the government's refusal to pay benefits to families of war veterans who died during covert military operations. The death of his wife Barbara Hummel on March 9, 1995 drove General Hummel over the edge, and now he's holding hostages in order to get his point across. Stanley is needed because General Hummel has stolen some VX gas warheads and has announced that he will launch them onto San Francisco unless his demands are met. Stanley knows how to disarm the bombs, but Stanley needs someone who knows Alcatraz well enough to get him inside. That man is former British intelligence agent John Patrick ...

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Plot Keywords:

alcatraz | general | fbi | rocket | hostage | 

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Taglines:

Alcatraz. Only one man has ever broken out. Now five million lives depend on two men breaking in.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language and a sex scene

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Rock - Entscheidung auf Alcatraz

Filming Locations:

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£5,604,935 (UK) (19 July 1996)

Gross:

$134,006,721 (USA) (8 November 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Bay's favorite movie of his own.

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Goofs

General Hummel was lauded as possibly the greatest battalion commander of the Vietnam War, which ended in 1973, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as such. The movie is based in a time line that occurs over 20 years after our last troops left Vietnam yet Hummel seems to only been promoted twice going from lieutenant colonel (O-5...the standard rank for a battalion commander) to brigadier general (O-7). This seems highly unlikely especially considering the awarding of the United States highest award for valor.

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Quotes

[first lines]
General Hummel: Congressman Weaver and esteemed members of the Special Armed Services Committee, I come before you to protest a grave injustice... It has to stop.

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Connections

Referenced in 'Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty' - Making of the Hollywood Game (2002)

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Soundtracks

Rocket Man
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Performed by Elton John
Courtesy of Mercury Records, Ltd.
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Classic Action Movie

This movie is all a man could hope for in a movie these days. Action packed, but followed with a meaningful story that relates to today. The harsh reality is, what takes place within the movie is not too far off from what could happen in reality. I feel that if anyone fears domestic terrorism as well as foreign terrorism, this movie is a must see, while it bends the facts a tad for action and interest sake, its central story is compelling and thought-provoking.

The best quote of this movie: "This isn't about terrorism, this about justice. It's about reminding you people of something you find politically convenient to forget."

-General Hummel