The Heist (2009)
"The Maiden Heist" (original title)

A comedy centered on three museum security guards who devise a plan to steal back the artworks to which they have become attached after they are transferred to another museum.

Director:

Peter Hewitt

Writer:

Michael LeSieur

Stars:

Christopher Walken, Joseph McKenna, Wynn Everett

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Walken	...	Roger Barlow
Joseph McKenna	...	Lead Villain
Wynn Everett	...	Docent
Patricia B. Till	...	Rude Museum Patron
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Rose Barlow
Bhavesh Patel	...	Donnie (as Bhavesh R. Patel)
Todd Weeks	...	Curator
Philip Dorn Hebert	...	Needlebaum
Morgan Freeman	...	Charles Peterson
William H. Macy	...	George McLendon
Jim Chiros	...	Sculptor
Breckin Meyer	...	Starving Artist
Stephen Stapinski	...	Bob
Bates Wilder	...	Warehouse Foreman
Anthony Cascio	...	Tony (as Anthony M. Cascio)

Storyline

Three middle-age guards learn that their museum has sold a wing of art to a Danish museum. Each has a favorite in that collection, and none can imagine life without the peace and completion it brings. Though mere acquaintances, they plot a theft of the three pieces between the time they are packed and the time they're loaded onto a plane. First each must obtain a forgery; then, they have to smuggle the forgeries into the museum and find a way to make the switches. The heist is complicated by Roger's intrusive wife - he's promised her a trip to Florida for their anniversary - and George's proclivity for taking his clothes off when standing in front of the warrior statue he loves.

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Plot Keywords:

forgery | statue | security guard | heist | locker | 

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Taglines:

They're not bad guys. Just bad thieves.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, nudity and brief fantasy violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 July 2010 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

The Lonely Maiden

Filming Locations:

Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dog Pond Productions, Paris Film, Revelations Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The ladies playing the museum visitors were not told that Christopher Walken was going to interrupt the docent's explanation of "The Lonely Maiden". Therefore, their reactions to Roger's expertise were genuine.

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Goofs

During the conversation between Roger and his wife at the door of her room, the door changes between half open in the scenes shot from the hall, to wide open in the scenes shot from inside the room.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lead Villain: I sincerely apologize for disturbing your afternoon. If you relax, and stay calm, you will all be here alive. We have come only for the girl.

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Connections

Features Wheel of Fortune (1983)

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Soundtracks

"L'Avocado"
(FMG)
Written by Jonathan Tunick
Performed by Jonathan Tunick
Courtesy of Yari Music Group, LLC

User Reviews

Like Freeman's THE CODE, a mix of the decent and not-so-decent

What's up with Morgan Freeman appearing in heist movies that go direct to video? Just a few months ago we got THE CODE, and now we have THE MAIDEN HEIST. Actually, it does appear that THE MAIDEN HEIST was originally going to have a theatrical release, but the bankruptcy of the Yari Film Group put an end to those plans and no other distributor seemed interested in releasing it to theaters.

Based on that fact, you might think that this is a bad movie, but it's not. There are some positive things about it. The production values are pretty strong for what was reportedly a somewhat limited budget; nothing about the movie looks cheap. The planning of the heist and the execution of the heist have some believable complications, and what's done about them are believable as well. Some humorous touches are amusing. Freeman, Walken, and Macy play a likable bunch of fellows that you hope will succeed.

But there's also some not-so-decent things about the movie. The violent opening fantasy sequence seems way out of place with its harsh tone. Except for Walken's character, we don't learn too much about the characters in the movie. There are some unexplained things in the movie, like where the thieves got the van and how Walken's character adjusted the vacation he was going to take with his wife. The main problem, however, is that while the movie is refreshingly low key, it's TOO low key. It's lacking a bit more edge to it. Some more excitement or some more laughs would have helped a lot.

Maybe it's best that this didn't land in theaters; I wouldn't have recommended to pay full price to see it in a theater. But if you like caper movies, like any or all of the three lead actors, and you can see it for little or no cost, it's an acceptable time waster.