Midnight Run (1988)

An accountant is chased by bounty hunters, the F.B.I., and the Mafia after jumping bail.

Director:

Martin Brest

Writer:

George Gallo

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Jack Walsh
Charles Grodin	...	Jonathan Mardukas
Yaphet Kotto	...	Alonzo Mosely
John Ashton	...	Marvin Dorfler
Dennis Farina	...	Jimmy Serrano
Joe Pantoliano	...	Eddie Moscone
Richard Foronjy	...	Tony Darvo
Robert Miranda	...	Joey
Jack Kehoe	...	Jerry Geisler
Wendy Phillips	...	Gail
Danielle DuClos	...	Denise
Philip Baker Hall	...	Sidney
Tom McCleister	...	Red Wood (as Thom McCleister)
Mary Gillis	...	Bus Ticket Clerk
John Toles-Bey	...	Monroe Bouchet

Storyline

Bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is sent to find and return bail jumper and former Mafia accountant, Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin). The FBI has had no success in locating The Duke, so when Jack finds him in next to no time, they are a little embarrassed. In order to collect his $100,000 fee, Jack must take The Duke from New York to Los Angeles. However, the Mafia and the FBI have other ideas, as does Marvin Dorfler (John Ashton), a rival bounty hunter. On their long cross-country trip to LA, the two get to know each other and they build up a strange friendship.

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Plot Keywords:

accountant | mafia | bail jumper | road movie | aerophobia | 

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Taglines:

A tough bounty hunter. A sensitive criminal.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the latter part of the film, there is a shot of Jimmy Serrano and his associates walking from a taxi into a casino in Las Vegas. The Dunes Hotel's sign is clearly visible against the sky in the background, and its hotel tower can be seen at the left edge of the screen. This indicates that the camera was pointed toward Las Vegas Boulevard from the Dunes property. The Dunes closed in 1993, and The Bellagio was built on its former grounds.

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Goofs

During the helicopter pursuit sequence, Jack, Mardukas and Marvin are shown in a wide shot from the helicopter running for cover behind a bridge support that is two pillars away from the river. (The river is just visible in the far right of the frame) However, when they subsequently emerge from here, Mardukas immediately falls into the river.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Jack trying to pick door lock. He drops one of his picks. When he bends over to pick it up, a gun shot is fired through the door, right where his head had been previously]
Jack Walsh: Shit!

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, Robert De Niro's name is spelled Robert DeNiro.

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Alternate Versions

Two cuts to remove lock-picking details were made to the UK video version, which was also upgraded from a 15 cinema certificate to an 18 on video. The British DVD release in 2000 restored the cuts made to previous UK versions.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Bounty Hunters in Movies (2013)

User Reviews

Run Robert Run

I had never seen this, but what a great road movie. And what a cast, starting with the lead (De Niro) down to all the other roles. Some are "minor" I reckon, but even seeing someone like one of the Beverly Hills Cop "sidekicks" in this movie is quite great. And I don't mean any offense by that, because the character he portrays here is so very different from the earnest cop he plays opposite Eddie Murphy to elevate his comedy.

So yes the actors are great, but it's also a real fun script and story you get to see here. A prime example of a good cop and buddy movie right here. Chemistry is through the roof and it's believable as far as the rules of the movie allow us to connect and suspend our disbelief.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Midnight Run

Filming Locations:

Miami, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,506,290, 24 July 1988

Gross USA:

$38,413,606

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$81,613,606

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, City Light Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1