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:

He's a streetwise cop who just made detective. She's a stunning sophisticate who just saw a murder. A killer is the only thing they had in common. Until tonight.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

A

Did You Know?

Trivia

The classical piece of music entitled "Lakmé" (Viens Malika... Dôme épais le jasmine) by Léo Delibes featured in this Ridley Scott film had previously featured in his brother Tony Scott's earlier movie The Hunger (1983) which had been made and released around four years earlier.

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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 My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Somepony to Watch Over Me (2014)

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Soundtracks

Eight Little Notes
Written by Audrey Hall
Performed by Audrey Hall
Courtesy of Germain Records

User Reviews

Tuant romantic thriller - equally stylistic and atmospheric

A highly stylized crime thriller that also manages to work as a tale of adulterous romance in addition to an effective parable of the culture clashes that are apparent between the upper and lower classes. This is a film with multiple agendas, and Ridley Scott, best known at the time for 1979's ALIEN and 1982's BLADE RUNNER, is frankly an odd choice to direct such a picture. However, Scott proves himself to be up to the challenge, and film plays like a slightly abstract dream that isn't afraid to crash down into gritty realism on occasion. With his film noir skills perfected with BLADE RUNNER, Scott turns the focus from the future to an equally idealized version of the present (well, 1987 to be exact), but he maintains the same sense of visual menace and harsh industrialism.

Tom Berenger has received a considerable amount of criticism for the irritating fake Brooklyn accent he delivers his lines in, but I overall I found him to be quite acceptable in the role. Even better is Mimi Rogers, who convincingly portrays the detached loneliness of the high society lifestyle without the benefit of screen dialogue that permits her to openly address such an issue. Jerry Orbach and John Rubinstein are also memorable supporting parts, but it is Lorraine Bracco who steals the picture as Berenger's feisty wife. Long before she was best known as Tony Soprano's psychiatrist, Bracco brought to the screen the ultimate portrayal of the modern wife and mother - loving but fierce, tough but compassionate, and not afraid to slap some sense into the man who has done her wrong.

And I love Sting's opening rendition of the title Gershwin classic.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Traquée

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

Gross USA:

$10,278,549

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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