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The Spanish Prisoner (1997) 7.2
Ratings:
7.2/10 from 14,879 users
Metascore: 70/100
Reviews: 254 user | 92 critic | 21 from Metacritic.com An employee of a corporation with a lucrative secret process is tempted to betray it. But there's more to it than that. Director:David MametWriter:David Mamet |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Campbell Scott | ... | ||
| Steve Martin | ... | ||
| Rebecca Pidgeon | ... | ||
| Ben Gazzara | ... | ||
| Ricky Jay | ... | ||
| Felicity Huffman | ... |
Pat McCune
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Richard L. Friedman | ... |
Businessman
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Jerry Graff | ... |
Businessman
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G. Roy Levin | ... |
Businessman
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Hilary Hinckle | ... |
Resort Concierge
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| David Pittu | ... |
Resort Manager
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Christopher Kaldor | ... |
Dell's Bodyguard
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| Mike Robinson | ... |
Security Person
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Olivia Tecosky | ... |
Flight Attendant
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Charlotte Potok | ... |
Bookstore Woman
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
Joe Ross is a rising star. He's designed a process that will make his company millions. He wants a bonus for this work, but fears his boss will stiff him. He meets a wealthy stranger, Jimmy Dell, and they strike up an off-kilter friendship. When the boss seems to set Ross up to get nothing, he seeks Dell's help. Then he learns Dell is not what he seems, so he contacts an FBI agent through his tightly-wound assistant, Susan Ricci. The FBI asks him to help entrap Dell. He accepts, a sting is arranged, but suddenly it's he who's been conned out of the process and framed for murder. Bewildered and desperate, he enlists Susan's aid to prove his innocence. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
It's the oldest con in the book. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG for thematic elements including tension, some violent images and brief language | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
3 April 1998 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La prisonnière espagnole See more »Box Office
Budget:
$10,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
£78,903 (UK) (28 August 1998)Gross:
$9,582,900 (USA) (6 November 1998)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby SRColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Airport Security: What is the purpose of your trip, please?
Joe Ross: Business.
Airport Security: Thank you and welcome to St. Estéphe.
See more »
Written by Frank R. Adams (as Frank Adams), William M. Hough (as Will Hough),
Joseph E. Howard (as Joseph Howard) and Harold Orlob
Arranged by Play-Rite Music Rolls, Inc.
Played at the carousel
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The main character's name is Joseph, and he invents a "process." In Kafka's "Der Prozess" (English title: The Trial), the main character, Joseph, is also framed, and nothing is what it seems. See more »Goofs
When the rendezvous in Central Park is set up, Scott is told to go to the Navy Fountain. The fountain that he goes to is actually the Bethesda Fountain. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Airport Security: What is the purpose of your trip, please?
Joe Ross: Business.
Airport Security: Thank you and welcome to St. Estéphe.
See more »
Soundtracks
"I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now"Written by Frank R. Adams (as Frank Adams), William M. Hough (as Will Hough),
Joseph E. Howard (as Joseph Howard) and Harold Orlob
Arranged by Play-Rite Music Rolls, Inc.
Played at the carousel
See more »
"The Spanish Prisoner" comes closer to Hitchcock than anything I've seen in a long, long time. The cast is excellent; I haven't seen Campbell Scott in a movie since he was much younger, but he really turned in a great performance, loaded with nuance and subtlety. Steve Martin is truly outstanding--I think it's fair to say that this is one of his career's best performances. The only clunker is Rebecca Pidgeon; her character is poorly written, and she's not much of an actress. Just between you and me, I think she only got the job because she's sleeping with the director (she's Mamet's wife). Ed O'Neill even shows up halfway through the film with a nice cameo.
I don't want to give away much about the story for those who haven't seen TSP, but it really is amazing. Many of the plot twists actually made me laugh--not because they were ridiculous, but because they were so ingeniously crafted and actually plausible. Since he wrote AND directed the movie, though, David Mamet let himself get away with a few bad lines and one or two hokey plot devices. In the greater context of the movie, however, they're forgivable.