Bad Company (1995)

Nelson Crowe is a CIA operative under the thumb of the Company for a disputed delivery of $50,000 in gold. They blackmail him into working for the Grimes Organization, which is set up as a ... See full summary »

Director:

Damian Harris

Writer:

Ross Thomas

Stars:

Ellen Barkin, Laurence Fishburne, Frank Langella

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ellen Barkin	...	Margaret Wells
Laurence Fishburne	...	Nelson Crowe
Frank Langella	...	Vic Grimes
Michael Beach	...	Tod Stapp
Gia Carides	...	Julie Ames
David Ogden Stiers	...	Judge Beach
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Les Goodwin
Spalding Gray	...	Walter Curl
James Hong	...	Bobby Birdsong
Tegan West	...	Al
Fred Henderson	...	John Cartwain
Michelle Beaudoin	...	Wanda
Sherry Bie	...	Mrs. Beach
Alan Robertson	...	Phil
L. Harvey Gold	...	Doctor

Storyline

Nelson Crowe is a CIA operative under the thumb of the Company for a disputed delivery of $50,000 in gold. They blackmail him into working for the Grimes Organization, which is set up as a private company for hire, to blackmail prominent individuals. Crowe, working with Margaret Wells (another former Covert Operations operative), blackmails and bribes a State Supreme Court judge, but the deal sours. One of Crowe's co-workers, Tod Stapp, discovers Crowe's current CIA involvement in a plot to overthrow Grimes, and blackmails him to be cut in on the deal. More blackmail occurs as Wells manipulates Crowe to kill Grimes, then the CIA uses that discovery to blackmail Wells into killing Crowe. Who can you trust???

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Plot Keywords:

suspense | male frontal nudity | male full frontal nudity | pubic hair | male pubic hair | 

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Taglines:

Bribery. Blackmail. Murder. Specialities of the house.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some graphic shootings, strong sexuality and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The setting of the film is supposed to be Seattle, Washington. However, the film was shot entirely in Vancouver, British Columbia which was not far away from Seattle ironically. The film was shot there due mostly to budget.

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Goofs

When the woman in the beginning says ten minutes she has her hand on her cheek but in the next scene she does not.

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Quotes

Margaret Wells: And here we are, just the three of us, about to suborn a supreme court justice into voting against crippled kids.
Vic Grimes: Does that give you pause, Mr. Crowe?
Nelson Crowe: Sure.
Vic Grimes: But?
Nelson Crowe: No "buts." The two of you wanted to know if it gives me pause; I said yes. It's a felony. If I get caught, I go to jail. That gives me pause, alright? If it didn't, you wouldn't have me working for you.
Vic Grimes: What about the deformed tots?
Nelson Crowe: I suppose I think of them as often as they think of me.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Bad Company/Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog/Murder in the First/Higher Learning/S.F.W./Strawberry and Chocolate (1995)

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Soundtracks

ELEVATE MY MIND
Written by Nicholas Hallam and Richard Birch
Performed by Stereo MCs (as Stereo MC's)
Courtesy of Gee Street/Island Records Ltd.

User Reviews

A doctorate in cool style and wicked amorality!!

This movie is proof-positive that everything is not for everyone,and in this case,that is unfortunate.The criticisms leveled at this film usually mention its 'slow pace' or its 'simplistic writing',as if every film needs to be directed by John Woo or written by David Mamet.I enjoyed it tremendously because it spit in the face of the usual textbook narrative themes found in nearly every movie made before or since.It champions its amoral characters,treating them like golden gods and giving them plenty of room to play.When you've found a film where the most sympathetic character is someone's conniving mistress,it is cause for much celebration! These characters are not just amoral,they are deliciously amoral and quite nonchalant about it!

I love the degree of sophistication that each character possesses,treating each other as petty contrivances standing in the way of their decidedly selfish goals.They absolutely reek of elegance.Even their conflicts are handled in a gentlemanly manner,like being slapped with a silk glove instead of the customary right cross or knee to the groin.The bullets flying about even seem to adhere to some sort of proper etiquette!The characters even refuse to die wearing anything off the rack!

This film is more about gracious duels than cacophonous shoot-outs and car chases.It is,quite simply,a film for the sophisticate.The person who admires the cool detachment of Hannibal Lecter(minus his dietary proclivities),or the person who has an especially warm spot for humorous lines that only aspire to deliver a wicked grin instead of a hearty guffaw.This movie fully realizes that most of its characters are unapologetic elitists,and it applauds them.Nowhere is this more clear than in the character portrayed by Daniel Hugh Kelly.His elegantly evil performance is so deliciously smarmy that it was obviously created for the sole purpose of providing that wicked grin that I spoke of before.

If you consider yourself more trip-hop than hip-hop,more Oscar De La Renta than Old Navy,more Paris in the spring than Peoria in the summer,then this is the film for you!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Tool Shed

Filming Locations:

New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,459,824, 22 January 1995

Gross USA:

$3,674,841

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,674,841

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Tool Shed Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1