The Game (1997)

Wealthy financier Nicholas Van Orton gets a strange birthday present from wayward brother Conrad: a live-action game that consumes his life.

Director:

David Fincher

Writers:

John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris

Stars:

Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Douglas	...	Nicholas Van Orton
Sean Penn	...	Conrad Van Orton
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Christine
James Rebhorn	...	Jim Feingold
Peter Donat	...	Samuel Sutherland
Carroll Baker	...	Ilsa
Anna Katarina	...	Elizabeth
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Anson Baer
Charles Martinet	...	Nicholas' Father
Scott Hunter McGuire	...	Young Nicholas
Florentine Mocanu	...	Nicholas' Mother
Elizabeth Dennehy	...	Maria
Caroline Barclay	...	Maggie
Daniel Schorr	...	Himself
John Aprea	...	Power Executive

Storyline

Nicholas Van Orton is a very wealthy San Francisco banker, but he is an absolute loner, even spending his birthday alone. In the year of his 48th birthday (the age his father committed suicide) his brother Conrad, who has gone long ago and surrendered to addictions of all kinds, suddenly returns and gives Nicholas a card giving him entry to unusual entertainment provided by something called Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). Giving up to curiosity, Nicholas visits CRS and all kinds of weird and bad things start to happen to him.

---

Plot Keywords:

birthday | game | suicide | jumping from a car | shower | 

---

Taglines:

There are no rules in The Game.

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, and for some violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese German

Release Date:

12 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Igra

Filming Locations:

1 Bush Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$6,400,000 (Non-US) (31 October 1997)

Gross:

DEM 12,612,526 (Germany) (16 January 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Propaganda Films, A&B Producoes, Lda.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Deborah Kara Unger fractured a bone in her foot and jumped into a dumpster infested with real rats while working on this film.

---

Goofs

When Van Orton and 'Christine' leave from his office in separate taxis, Christine's cab stops just off-camera - the reflection of the breaking lights from the cab can clearly be seen in the bumper of the remaining taxi.

---

Quotes

Nicholas: [leveling gun at carjacker] I am extremely fragile right now.

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits shatter in the form of jigsaw puzzle pieces in Reference to the Film's title.

---

Connections

References Seconds (1966)

---

Soundtracks

"Take Me Baby"
Written and Performed by Dave Crimmen
Courtesy of Mastersource

User Reviews

Impressive movie

Nicholas Van Orton, a successful businessman lives a good life until an unexpected birthday gift from his brother destroys it all. Nicholas has been enrolled in a game - "a profound life experience" that begins quietly but soon erupts in a rush of devastating events. Van Orton has to win this deadly game or lose control of everything in his life. And this time money and power are meaningless. This is a suspense/thriller, that does manage to hold one's attention. The film stars Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Deborah Kara Unger (David Cronenberg's "Crash") turns in a fine supporting roll as well. Davd Fincher, director of Seven and Aliens 3, continues to set high standards for motion picture making. This lastest entree of Fincher's does not lose a beat in delivering the maximum impact of the story. This movie will get into your head. It will keep you guessing the whole time. If you don't give this movie a chance you'll never know what you missed.