The Jacket (2005)

A Gulf war veteran is wrongly sent to a mental institution for insane criminals, where he becomes the object of a Doctor's experiments, and his life is completely affected by them.

Director:

John Maybury

Writers:

Tom Bleecker (story), Marc Rocco (story),

Stars:

Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrien Brody	...	Jack Starks
Keira Knightley	...	Jackie Price
Kris Kristofferson	...	Dr. Thomas Becker
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Dr. Beth Lorenson
Kelly Lynch	...	Jean Price
Brad Renfro	...	The Stranger
Daniel Craig	...	Rudy Mackenzie
Steven Mackintosh	...	Dr. Hopkins
Brendan Coyle	...	Damon
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Nurse Harding
Laura Marano	...	Young Jackie
Jason Lewis	...	Officer Harrison
Richard Dillane	...	Captain Medley
Jonah Lotan	...	Intern #1
Angel Coulby	...	Intern #2

Storyline

The film centers on a wounded Gulf war veteran who returns to his native Vermont suffering from bouts of amnesia. He is hitching and gets picked up by a stranger, things go pear shaped when a cop pulls them over and is murdered by the stranger. The vet. is wrongly accused of killing the cop and lands up in an asylum. A quack doctor prescribes a course of experimental therapy, restraining him in a heavy duty straight jacket-like device, and locks him away in a body drawer of the basement morgue. During course of his treatment he gets flashbacks and visions of his future , where he can foresee he is to die in four days time. The catch is he doesn't know how. Thus commences the classic race against time.

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Plot Keywords:

morgue | cop | shot in the head | veteran | gulf war veteran | 

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Taglines:

When you die, all you want to do is come back.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and brief sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Pandasia Entertainment [tw] Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Regresiones de un hombre muerto

Filming Locations:

Bangour Village Hospital, Dechmont, West Lothian, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$25,207 (Chile) (29 September 2006)

Gross:

$25,207 (Chile) (29 September 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandalay Pictures, Warner Independent Pictures (WIP), 2929 Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 94 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to director John Maybury, the love scene between Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley was longer, but was cut because American test audiences did not like the scene, which included nudity.

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Goofs

When Jack is pulled over with the Stranger, the windshield is covered in salt, but in his flashbacks, it is clear.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Starks: [Walking over to Iraqi child who's breathing hard] How's it going little man? You all right?
[Babak pulls out gun. Jack puts his hand up in a stop gesture but Babak shoots Jack in the head. Jack falls to the ground]

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Connections

References Mothlight (1963)

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Soundtracks

"Auld Lang Syne"
Written/Arranged by D. Walter
Courtesy of KPM Music Ltd.

User Reviews

Outstantding!

I was fortunate enough to see this at Sundance on opening night and I thought it was absolutely BRILLIANT. Adrian Brody was incredible and I thought it was directed almost flawlessly. I highly recommend it.

The film really makes you think and I was disappointed not to be able to ask questions I had during the Q&A which followed the premiere. I think there are loads of things hidden in this film which you would have to see several times to catch. That is my idea of outstanding film making.

I could have done without the nudity which I saw no reason for. I think a love scene is much more erotic when you don't see anything. Body parts don't need to be shown. Most of us have decent imaginations. :-)

Chris