Along Came a Spider (2001)

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers (WGA):

James Patterson (novel)
Marc Moss (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The game is far from over.

Plot:

A congressman's daughter under Secret Service protection is kidnapped from a private school by an insider who calls Det. Alex Cross, sucking him into the case even though he's recovering from the loss of his partner.

Plot Keywords:

School | Partner | Secret Service | Kidnapping | Police Detective

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Morgan Freeman	...	Alex Cross
Monica Potter	...	Jezzie Flannigan
Michael Wincott	...	Gary Soneji
Dylan Baker	...	Ollie McArthur
Mika Boorem	...	Megan Rose
Anton Yelchin	...	Dimitri Starodubov
Kimberly Hawthorne	...	Agent Hickley (as Kim Hawthorne)
Jay O. Sanders	...	Kyle Craig
Billy Burke	...	Ben Devine
Michael Moriarty	...	Senator Hank Rose
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Elizabeth Rose
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Vickie
Scott Heindl	...	Floyd the Fisherman
Christopher Shyer	...	Jim
Jill Teed	...	Tracie

Also Known As:

Im Netz der Spinne (Germany)
Le masque de l'araignée (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Canada

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) (slightly cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Australia:M (TV rating) | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Iceland:16 | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (NO. 37942) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The scene where Alex Cross pays the kidnapper by throwing the bag containing the ransom from the window of a transit train is taken from James Patterson's novel "Roses Are Red", which starred Alex Cross investigating another of his "best enemies", Kyle Craig, aka "The Mastermind".

Goofs:

Factual errors: While it is true that the Secret Service does not protect Senators' children, they do protect visiting Heads of State. Since Dimitri was the son of the Russian president, it is possible that they were in fact protecting him, but using Megan as a cover. As it turns out, Dimitri was Soneji's true target, making it plausible (although not probable) that he needed the additional protection.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tracie: Tonight was your first night at the club, wasn't it?
Jim: No. I've been there a few times before.
Tracie: Really? Well, how come I haven't seen you?
Jim: I noticed you the first night I walked in. You always stand out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Jay Leno Show: (#1.57)" (2009)

Great Suspenseful Thriller

I just finished watching this movie and really enjoyed it. It is one of those movies where if you walk to the kitchen for two minutes, you probably missed something important. It leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout the course of the movie. The only flaw that I have with the movie is the decision to use special effects in the first few minutes of the movie. These special effects with the car were not very "special" at all. In fact, it was so unrealistic looking that it was borderline pathetic. Fortunately, this only occurred in this one scene. However, the scene with the thermos (as to not give anything away) was excellent and extremely creative. Morgan Freeman did his usual brilliant job of acting. If you like a good suspenseful thriller/mystery, this may be a good choice for you. 8.5 Stars.