Mercury Rising (1998)

Shadowy elements in the NSA target a nine-year old autistic savant for death when he is able to decipher a top secret code.

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Ryne Douglas Pearson (novel), Lawrence Konner (screenplay),

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Miko Hughes

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Art Jeffries
Alec Baldwin	...	Nick Kudrow
Miko Hughes	...	Simon Lynch
Chi McBride	...	Tommy B. Jordan
Kim Dickens	...	Stacey
Robert Stanton	...	Dean Crandell
Bodhi Elfman	...	Leo Pedranski (as Bodhi Pine Elfman)
Carrie Preston	...	Emily Lang
Lindsey Ginter	...	Peter Burrell (as L.L. Ginter)
Peter Stormare	...	Shayes
Kevin Conway	...	Lomax
John Carroll Lynch	...	Martin Lynch
Kelley Hazen	...	Jenny Lynch
John Doman	...	Supervisor Hartley
Richard Riehle	...	Edgar Halstrom

Storyline

Bruce Willis is an outcast FBI agent who is assigned to protect a 9 year old autistic boy who is the target for assassins after cracking a top secret government code.

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Plot Keywords:

fbi | nsa | assassin | puzzle | hospital | 

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Taglines:

The boy no one could reach. The code no one could crack. The agent no one could stop.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mercury Falling

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£457,292 (UK) (2 October 1998)

Gross:

£1,027,487 (UK) (16 October 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The wine that Art opens in Kudrow's basement is Chateau Petrus from Pomerol (identifiable by the red seal at the bottom left corner of the label), probably the most expensive Bordeaux red wine, and contrary to what Art said in the movie, even young Petrus costs much more than $75 per bottle.

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Goofs

When Emily walks into her boyfriend's apartment, her lips stop moving for a brief moment but she doesn't stop talking.

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Quotes

[first lines]
FBI Supervisor Hartley: Let's go down.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Lost in Space/The Spanish Prisoner/Mercury Rising/Kurt & Courtney/Character (1998)

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Soundtracks

"Woody Waltz"
From Woody Woodpecker Cartoon
Written by Darrell Calker

User Reviews

Probably for true Willis fans only

It was just a matter of time before Bruce hit a slump. 1998 was a bad year. The Fifth Element was good, but The Siege, Armageddon and Mercury Rising were stretching it for the star. Not that they are a complete waste, but they are for fans only.

I work with children who have autism, so I naturally like the fact that they are featured and hope that it helps people understand the disease a little more. So, it was a good story for me, and Willis' acting with the boy probably got him the role in The Sixth Sense.

Alec Baldwin plays the government official you love to hate as he is effective in displaying why we distrust the government so much. Hope that comment doesn't get me sent to Guantanamo.

Maybe not entirely realistic, but good job by Willis and a good thriller.