Bandits (2001)

Two bank robbers fall in love with the girl they've kidnapped.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer:

Harley Peyton

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Joseph 'Joe' Blake
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Terry Lee Collins
Cate Blanchett	...	Kate Wheeler
Troy Garity	...	Harvey 'Dog' Pollard
Brían F. O'Byrne	...	Darill Miller
Stacey Travis	...	Cloe Miller
Bobby Slayton	...	Darren Head
January Jones	...	Claire / Pink Boots
Azura Skye	...	Cheri
Peggy Miley	...	Mildred Kronenberg
William Converse-Roberts	...	Charles Wheeler
Richard Riehle	...	Larry Fife
Micole Mercurio	...	Sarah Fife
Scott Burkholder	...	Wildwood Policeman
Anthony Burch	...	Phil

Storyline

Two convicts, one charismatic (Willis) and the other a hypochondriac (Thornton), break out of prison and immediately start a bank robbing spree, kidnapping bank managers, spending the night with their families, then going with the managers in the morning to rob the banks. Using a dim-witted stunt man as their getaway driver and lookout, the three successfully pull off several jobs (even gaining the attention of a television show about American criminals), and become known as "The Sleepover Bandits." Things are going great until the bank managers begin to realize that the robbers are non-violent and therefore no threat to them or their employees, changing the game for the Bandits. To add to the complications, a bored & unhappy housewife (Blanchett) ends up in the hands of the criminals, and begins to have romantic feelings for both Willis and Thornton, causing a sticky love triangle.

---

Plot Keywords:

bank manager | television | love triangle | hypochondriac | prison | 

---

Taglines:

Two's Company, Three's A Crime.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, language and violence

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [us] MGMawards.com [us] nominees, reviews

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Outlaws

Filming Locations:

Bodega Bay, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,330,135 (France) (18 January 2002)

Gross:

$41,523,271 (USA) (1 February 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Hyde Park Entertainment, Empire Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The storyline is loosely based on real life bank robbers Terry lee Connor and Joseph Daugherty. Many elements of their heists are accurately depicted in this film, including breaking into the home of a bank manager and giving a soda to one of their victims.

---

Goofs

When Joe And Terry are in Phil's Toyota they go to meet Harvey at his place, while their conversation is taking place the "Toyota" emblem on the front grill of the vehicle repeatedly disappears and reappears between shots.

---

Quotes

Charles Wheeler: Please, wherever you are, return my wife to me. Kate, if you're listening, I want you to know that I'm okay. I hope you're holding up well, I hope that these gentlemen are treating you correctly, the way you should be treated, and speaking of which, I'm going to Spain next week, so if your kidnappers would like to contact me, they can get in touch with my people, and you know who they are, and the house is waiting for you, right here, where you belong. And the house misses you, I miss you...
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in El Crimen Perfecto (The Perfect Crime) (2004)

---

Soundtracks

"Holding Out for a Hero"
(1984)
Written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford
Performed by Bonnie Tyler
Courtesy of Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment (U.K.) Ltd.
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

One Last Big Score

The story of two unlikely bank robbers, a sexy accomplice, and a would-be movie stunt man who come together for one last big score. The story is complex enough to keep your attention right up until the surprise ending. Beyond that, though, this is an ensemble character study with four wonderful actors and it is a pleasure to watch them work. Bruce Willis is a tough guy with a believable sensitive side. Billy Bob Thornton is a hypochondriac with a penchant for making trivial observations at extremely critical times. Billy Bob enjoys doing different characters and this is a memorable one. Cate Blanchett is a beautiful woman running from a failed marriage who falls in love with both men. Troy Garity is a cowboy stunt man whose lapses in judgment are made forgivable by his love for his work. This is, for Garity, a very different character from role in "Barbershop". The movie is beautifully filmed in interesting places and there are even a few classy automobiles around. If you enjoy a good story, some action, and good actors working well together, I recommend that you rent this one.