The Gingerbread Man (1998)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

John Grisham (based on an original story by)
Clyde Hayes (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

Lawyer Rick Magruder has a one-night-stand affair with caterer Mallory Doss. He becomes hooked on her...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Female Frontal Nudity | Scam | Craziness | Crimes Of Passion

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Rick Magruder
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mallory Doss
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Clyde Pell
Daryl Hannah	...	Lois Harlan
Tom Berenger	...	Pete Randle
Famke Janssen	...	Leeanne Magruder
Mae Whitman	...	Libby Magruder
Jesse James	...	Jeff Magruder
Robert Duvall	...	Dixon Doss
Clyde Hayes	...	Carl Alden
Troy Beyer	...	Konnie Dugan
Julia Ryder Perce	...	Cassandra (as Julia R. Perce)
Danny Darst	...	Sheriff Hope
Sonny Seiler	...	Phillip Dunson
Walter Hartridge	...	Edmund Hess

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Belgium:KT | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Guyton, Georgia, USA

Company:

Enchanter Entertainment

Trivia:

Robert Altman said that one of the reasons he took on "The Gingerbread Man" was because he had never directed a thriller before and wanted to give the genre a try.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the party early in the movie, Rick and Lois are talking head-to-head on the sofa. Mallory walks behind them and you can hear Lois talking, but we see their heads at opposite ends of the sofa and they aren't talking. The camera immediately cuts back to them sitting close and talking like before.

Quotes:

Lois Harlan: The only exercise you are gettin' is jumpin' to conclusions.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Directors: The Films of Robert Altman (#2.9)" (2001)

Well-made, but thrill-less thriller

The promising first half-hour is let down by the failure to develop the characters and thus waste a great cast. Downey Jnr is a fantastic actor but is given very little to work with, same goes for Hannah, Berenger and Janssen (who seems to have no purpose in the film whatsoever). Davidtz would've been great if her character had grown, but instead all she got to do was mope around for the whole movie. Majority of the bog-standard material here is given to Branagh, and although he is by no means poor, he just does not get the viewer involved in his battle.

The direction, for me, was the film's only virtue. Altman creates a wonderfully dark and intriguing atmosphere, it's just a shame neither the story nor the undercooked characters are equally dark and intriguing.

With more complex characters, more of Downey Jnr and Jansenn, and more explosive dialogue, I could've easily overlooked and forgiven the silly plot turns and contrivances, but sadly they stick out like a sore thumb.

Disappointing sub-noir thriller. 4/10