Safe House (1998)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Eric Steven Stahl

Writers:

Eric Steven Stahl (story) &
John Schalter (story) ...

Release Date:

24 January 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

The less you know, the safer you are.

Plot:

A psychological thriller; Mace Sowell, an ex-intelligence operative and whose past government activities catches up with him...

Plot Keywords:

Alzheimer's Disease | Spy | Paranoid | Paranoia | Conspiracy Theory

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Mace Sowell
Kimberly Williams-Paisley	...	Andi Travers (as Kimberly Williams)
Hector Elizondo	...	Dr. Simon
Joy Kilpatrick	...	Michelle Sowell-Ross
Craig Shoemaker	...	Stuart Bittenbinder
James Harlow	...	Marc Ross
Richard Livingston	...	Admiral Thomas Michelmore
Julia Vera	...	Teresa
Brenda James	...	Asthma Girl Interviewee (as Brenda Klemme)
Robert Lee Barry	...	Rocket Scientist Interviewee
Scott Zacky	...	Wise Guy Interviewee
Wayne Demaline	...	'Butch' The Redneck Interviewee
Hank Garrett	...	Hitman / Postman

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Benjamin Productions

Trivia:

Hank Garrett, who plays the mailman whose pen runs out of ink, played essentially the same role in Three Days of the Condor (1975).

Goofs:

Continuity: Andi Travers looks for something to hit the "intruder" with during the first "drill" she witnesses. She looks like she is reaching for something when the viewpoint changes. You can see the handle of a gold club that she is holding. The viewpoint changes back to the oriGinal one and we see Andi reach for and pick up a golf club (the one she was just holding).

Quotes:

Mace: What sort of name is 'Andi' for a girl?
Andi: It's short for Andrea. What sort of name is 'Mace'?
Mace: It's short for 'in your face'!

Movie Connections:

References Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Poorly Billed and misleading

This movie was billed as a thriller and a semi caper film. Though I adore Patrick Stewart the movie had a very very 'Baywatch' feel, silly American production stereotypes and poor direction made it into a movie rather difficult to take seriously. Any scene with Patrick Stewart by himself is well done and believable. The other characters seem to get in the way of the main idea of the movie and blow of proportion the Clandestine sub plot (which was what the main plot was billed as) or the Maguffin if you will. This movie is worth a watch, but it isn't exciting or memorable really. Sloppy production, miscasting, misdirection and a weak story take away from what could have been a terrifying film about the middle aged 'coming of age' into senility and the fear that accompany's that.