Speed (1994)

A young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.

Director:

Jan de Bont

Writer:

Graham Yost

Stars:

Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock

Won 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keanu Reeves	...	Jack Traven
Dennis Hopper	...	Howard Payne
Sandra Bullock	...	Annie
Joe Morton	...	Capt. McMahon
Jeff Daniels	...	Harry
Alan Ruck	...	Stephens
Glenn Plummer	...	Jaguar Owner
Richard Lineback	...	Norwood
Beth Grant	...	Helen
Hawthorne James	...	Sam
Carlos Carrasco	...	Ortiz
David Kriegel	...	Terry
Natsuko Ohama	...	Mrs. Kamino
Daniel Villarreal	...	Ray
Simone Gad	...	Bus Passenger #1

Storyline

When a young Los Angeles police department, Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) officer called Jack Traven angers retired Atlanta police department bomb squad member Howard Payne, by foiling his attempt at taking hostages stuck in an elevator with a bomb, Payne in retaliation arms a bus with a bomb that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per hour. With the help of spunky passenger Annie, Jack and his partner Detective Harry Temple try to save the people on the bus before the bomb goes off, while also trying to figure out how Payne is monitoring them.

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Plot Keywords:

bus | bomb | time bomb | public transport | police | 

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Taglines:

Get ready for rush hour.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

(Rated R for violence and language)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The picture on Harry's desk is that of Jan de Bont's wife Trish.

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Goofs

Towards the conclusion of the subway scene the sparks are being generated from several inches above and not from contact with the side of the subway car.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Workman: Hey, this area's restricted.
Howard Payne: Oh, hi. Yeah, I know. They called me down here. Some of this wiring got screwed up.
Workman: Nobody called it down to me. I'm going to have to see a work order.
Howard Payne: Yeah, just a second. There you are.
[stabs workman in the ear with a screwdriver]
Howard Payne: Nothing personal.

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Alternate Versions

Theatrical version had the 1981 20th Century Fox logo at the opening. All VHS, Laserdisc and DVD versions plaster this with the 1994 CGI logo (with the 1981 fanfare) that was used until 2009. However, the Blu-ray release restores the original 1981 logo.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Sandra Bullock Movies (2010)

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Soundtracks

A Million Miles Away
Written by Peter Case, Joey Alkes and Chris Fradkin (as Chris Fredkin)
Produced by Ralph Sall
Performed by The Plimsouls

User Reviews

A Great Action Film That Is Actually a Great Film

"Speed" was a runaway success in 1994. It was a block-buster in every sense of the word and critically speaking, it is an excellent motion picture. The film deals with an LAPD swat officer (Keanu Reeves) who is playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with crazed ex-cop Dennis Hopper. After Reeves stops Hopper from blowing up a high-rise building, the next obstacle is a city bus. Hopper has rigged the bus to explode if the "speed" ever drops below 50 miles per hour. Sandra Bullock, in her star-making role, plays an unlucky passenger who becomes the center of attention when she is forced to be the driver when the original navigator is accidently shot. The great thing about "Speed" is the fact that it never tries to be more than it is. It goes for non-stop action, thrills, chills, and spills. However, Dennis Hopper's character is somewhat complex and his performance probably should have garnered him an Oscar nomination. A great film in spite of the fact it is from the action genre. 5 stars out of 5.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down

Filming Locations:

MTA Subway, Hollywood and Highland Terminal, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,456,194, 12 June 1994

Gross USA:

$121,248,145

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$350,448,145

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mark Gordon Company, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (uncredited)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1