Death Sentence (2007)

Director:

James Wan

Writers (WGA):

Ian Jeffers (screenplay)
Brian Garfield (novel)

Release Date:

31 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Protect What's Yours

Plot:

Nick Hume is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no length is too great when protecting his family.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Death | Revenge | Blood On Camera Lens | Car Theft

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	Nick Hume
Kelly Preston	...	Helen Hume
Jordan Garrett	...	Lucas Hume
Stuart Lafferty	...	Brendan Hume
Garrett Hedlund	...	Billy Darley
Aisha Tyler	...	Detective Wallis
John Goodman	...	Bones Darley
Matt O'Leary	...	Joe Darley (as Matthew O'Leary)
Edi Gathegi	...	Bodie
Hector Atreyu Ruiz	...	Heco
Kanin Howell	...	Baggy
Dennis Keiffer	...	Jamie
Freddy Bouciegues	...	Tommy
Leigh Whannell	...	Spink
Casey Pieretti	...	Dog

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody brutal violence and pervasive language.

Runtime:

105 min | 111 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:18 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:18 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Taiwan:R-18 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:M18 | France:-12 | USA:R (certificate #43539) | Australia:MA | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R18 | Malaysia:18SG | Finland:K-18 | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Portugal:M/18 | Peru:18 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Japan:R15+

Filming Locations:

Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Originally, the film was to take place in Boston, Massachusetts before the director decided to have the film set in Columbia, South Carolina. The novel, completely different from the movie, took place in Chicago, Illinois.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the bar scene, Heco's glass is empty when he is actually pretending to drink from it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nicholas "Nick" Hume: [while recording his family at Christmas] Okay, guys. Ready?

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Soundtrack:

Breaking the News

Great thriller!

James Wan (Saw) brings the ultra-violence to this gritty story of a suburban father (Kevin Bacon) who discovers the consequences of revenge after his son is murdered. The perpetrators of this senseless killing are a multi-ethnic (and highly visible) gang of drug dealers and cutthroats led by the psychotic Billy Darley (Garrett Hedlund); when the case is thrown out on a technicality, Bacon takes a page from Charles Bronson's book (no surprise, as this is based on author Brian Garfield's 1975 follow-up to Death Wish) and pursues a vigilante course to avenge his boy. Things do not go according to Bacon's plan, which cues a series of frantic and well-executed action set pieces, most notably a parking structure chase that unfolds in a nearly unbroken take. Death Sentence breaks no new ground in the action-thriller department, and its characters and dialog are nearly indistinguishable from any violent crime movie of the last few decades (in its weakest moments, it resembles grind house fare like The Exterminator); however, Bacon is excellent (as always) as the mild-mannered architect who discovers his inner killer the hard way, and Wan's knack for screen mayhem and unsettling atmosphere are well used here. The DVD includes both the theatrical version and an unrated cut (which offers 10 additional minutes), as well as two making-of features that originally aired on the Fox Movie Channel, and several websites that focus on director Wan, his cast, and the film's elaborate stunts and fight scenes.