Random Hearts (1999)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers (WGA):

Warren Adler (novel)
Darryl Ponicsan (adaptation)

Release Date:

8 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

In a perfect world...they never would have met.

Plot:

After the death of their loved ones in a tragic plane crash 'Harrison Ford' and Kristin Scott Thomas find...

Plot Keywords:

Death | Box Office Flop | Funeral | Sexuality | Victimization

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Dutch Van Den Broeck
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Kay Chandler
Charles S. Dutton	...	Alcee
Bonnie Hunt	...	Wendy Judd
Dennis Haysbert	...	Detective George Beaufort
Sydney Pollack	...	Carl Broman
Richard Jenkins	...	Truman Trainor
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Dick Montoya
Susanna Thompson	...	Peyton Van Den Broeck
Peter Coyote	...	Cullen Chandler
Dylan Baker	...	Richard Judd
Lynne Thigpen	...	Phyllis Bonaparte
Susan Floyd	...	Molly Roll
Bill Cobbs	...	Marvin
Kate Mara	...	Jessica Chandler

MPAA:

Rated R for brief violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #36468) | Malaysia:18SX | Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

During production planning for this film, the studio contacted American Airlines to request information about its "CARE Team" in order to portray the movie airline's response team more accurately. American declined, seeing no upside in being associated with a film about a crash.

Goofs:

Continuity: Cullen and Peyton are said to be in seats 3 A and B, which are on the left side of the plane, but their bodies in the submerged airliner are securely buckled in seats on the right side of the aisle.

Quotes:

Dutch Van Den Broeck: You're supposed to be nice to me. I've been shot.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Random Hearts' (#6.8)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Feliz

absorbing, ultimately unsatisfying

Random Hearts snuck up on me. Criticized for the implausibility of a) the premise and b) the pairing of an IA cop and a Congresswoman, as well as for its slowness, the film felt just fine to me , and even ended up being surprisingly absorbing. I found my interest engaged as the film cut back and forth between Ford's and Thomas's lives as they first found out about, and dealt in very different ways in very different environments with, their spouses' deaths and the subsequent revelation that they were involved with other people. It could happen; two people's philandering spouses could be on the same plane, the plane could go down, the survivors could be brought together by the aftermath. So what if it's improbable? Improbable is not the same as far-fetched. So..what if it did happen? Why not speculate?

Ford's and Thomas's performances are believable and nuanced. Instead of finding their coupling implausible (opposite sides of the tracks--give me a break) I felt it driven by a grief and betrayal neither party knew how to deal with. The script does not bring them together too soon or too easily, and the end of the film does not resolve their relationship conventionally, either. Where I find it unsatisfying is when the dialogue brings up interesting wrinkles in or insights into the ramifications of the situation, personal and professional, but never seems to pursue any of them very far. And if you make the mistake of thinking about it too hard, Harrison Ford does seem about 10 years too old for the part.

For five and a half bucks at Wal-Mart, with full length director commentary and behind-the-scenes featurette, the DVD is well worth owning. I don't think I would pay $20 for it on a bet, but my wife might. OK, ten...