Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)

A married New York cop falls for the socialite murder witness he's been assigned to protect.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writer:

Howard Franklin

Stars:

Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers, Lorraine Bracco

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Berenger	...	Mike Keegan
Mimi Rogers	...	Claire Gregory
Lorraine Bracco	...	Ellie Keegan
Jerry Orbach	...	Lt. Garber
John Rubinstein	...	Neil Steinhart
Andreas Katsulas	...	Joey Venza
Tony DiBenedetto	...	T.J. (as Tony Di Benedetto)
James E. Moriarty	...	Koontz (as James Moriarty)
Mark Moses	...	Win Hockings
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Scotty
Harley Cross	...	Tommy
Joanne Baron	...	Helen Greening
Anthony Bishop	...	Waiter
David Berman	...	Cop #1
Sharon K. Brecke	...	Bimbo (as Sharon Brecke)

Storyline

In Queens, Mike Keegan is celebrating with his wife Ellie, his son Tommy and friends his recent promotion to detective in a precinct in Manhattan. Meanwhile, in a fancy club, the socialite Claire Gregory witnesses the murder of the owner of the place by the powerful mobster Joey Venza. Mike is assigned to protect her in the night shift in her apartment in Manhattan. When Venza threatens Claire, the contact of Mike with Claire gets closer and conflicts him, dividing between the love for his family and the heat passion for Claire and the fascination for her world.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | love triangle | extramarital affair | witness | hostage | 

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Taglines:

Where protection ends, obsession begins.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detektiv i dama

Filming Locations:

Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,908,796, 12 October 1987, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$10,278,549

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two relatively new actresses were cast in the film by director Ridley Scott. He said: "Casting is a very thought-provoking process. By the time I've seen actors enough times, I start to get my own gut instincts about what they can do, who they are, and how they're going to deal with the material. By the time principal photography begins, frankly it makes no difference to me whether I'm dealing with an experienced actor or dealing with somebody who's relatively new. Somebody who is relatively new will sometimes be a little rough around the edges but they bring something dynamic to the film partially because of their naivete. If you can tap that, it's great. The constant battle is to retain freshness".

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Goofs

The newspaper which Mike is carrying on his way to his first shift guarding Claire has the word "SUPERMEN!" on the back page. He is carrying an identical newspaper three or four days later.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Det. Mike Keegan: Hey! We got food back there, you know; all right? Hey, thanks for comin' - good to see ya. Come on in, get a drink. T.J...
T.J.: Yeah?
Det. Mike Keegan: Set 'em up with a drink.

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Connections

Referenced in Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)

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Soundtracks

Johnny Come Home
Written by David Steele and Roland Gift
Performed by Fine Young Cannibals
Courtesy of I.R.S. Records and London Records, Ltd.

User Reviews

Looks great, but the story's not all that

Ridley Scott's SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME had the misfortune to come out during a time when FATAL ATTRACTION was going to change the whole look of the psycho-thriller movie. Thus by comparison, this film feels very ponderous and dated. It's a mixed bag of a production, with some decent performances and a nice visual style, but it doesn't really do much we haven't seen before.

It's clear from the outset that Scott is most interested in the dark and brooding cinematography here, because this is a fine-looking movie. The plot, which is about a cop who has to protect a woman who witnessed a mob murder, is less intriguing and indeed rather predictable. Tom Berenger is an acceptable hero and Mimi Rogers is ever-intriguing as the object of his desire, but I can't help but think there's a little too much romance here and not enough thrills. Jerry Orbach props up the supporting cast, as in so many films.