Hackers (1995)

Hackers are blamed for making a virus that will capsize five oil tankers.

Director:

Iain Softley

Writer:

Rafael Moreu

Stars:

Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Dade
Angelina Jolie	...	Kate
Jesse Bradford	...	Joey
Matthew Lillard	...	Cereal
Laurence Mason	...	Nikon
Renoly Santiago	...	Phreak
Fisher Stevens	...	The Plague
Alberta Watson	...	Lauren Murphy
Darren Lee	...	Razor
Peter Y. Kim	...	Blade
Ethan Browne	...	Curtis
Lorraine Bracco	...	Margo
Wendell Pierce	...	Agent Dick Gill
Michael Gaston	...	Agent Bob
Marc Anthony	...	Agent Ray

Storyline

Dade Murphy was a hacker even as a kid in Seattle. He got arrested for the computer virus that he planted and was banned from using any computer until the age of 18.Then he moves to New York to meet a group of hackers. He also falls in love with Kate Libby.

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Plot Keywords:

computer virus | computer | cyberpunk | hacker | fight the system | 

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Taglines:

Mess with the best, die like the rest.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Japanese Russian

Release Date:

15 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hakeri

Filming Locations:

Battery Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,564,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists, Suftley

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Nikon is walking through Ellingson Mineral's office looking for people's passwords as they type them in, during the cut away sequence showing a person typing, the letters K-E-R-M-I-T are pressed. Kermit is a well-known file transfer protocol computers used to exchange files. The 'backronym' created to avoid legal issues with The Muppets is "KL10 Error-Free Reciprocal Microprocessor Interchange over TTY lines".

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Goofs

At Kate's party, you see Cereal Killer walking through the crowd. You hear him talking, saying something along the lines of "... big man, big boots..." but his mouth is not moving.

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Quotes

Dade Murphy: I don't play well with others.

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Connections

Referenced in Antitrust (2001)

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Soundtracks

Original Bedroom Rockers
Written by Richard Dorfmeister and Peter Kruder
Performed by Peter Kruder (as Kruder) and Richard Dorfmeister (as Dorfmeister)
Courtesy of Quango Music Group/G-Stone Recordings

User Reviews

Out-of-Date, Tech Mistakes, but WHAT A CAST!

The problem with any movie that focuses on technology, particularly computers, is that it will become dated nearly immediately. This isn't a new problem for filmmakers; great films of the past, from DESK SET to COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT, from DEMON SEED to TRON and THE LAST STARFIGHTER have all featured 'cutting-edge' technology that seems quaint, by today's standards. Even 'Hal', from the timeless classic 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY, is a huge monstrosity that could be miniaturized to a fraction of it's size, today. So when a film's whole theme involves computers, like THE NET, or HACKERS, you can't take the technology end too seriously, even if much of it is bogus, as is the case of Iain Softley's paean to teen-aged computer freaks. Hackers are, of course, not romantic, adventurous daredevils who are trying to right wrongs by attacking evil conglomerates via an expertise in computer programming; they are generally over-educated anarchists who create worms and viruses for the simple joy of seeing the disruption and destruction of EVERYONE'S computers, just to know that they can do it.

Having said this, let me say that the true joy of HACKERS is seeing a group of young 'Stars in the Making', early in their careers. Of course the most recognizable and famous of these is Angelina Jolie, who looks butch and adorable with short hair, and 'an attitude', but the film also offers a dazzling performance by Matthew Lillard (Shaggy in the live-action SCOOBY-DOO), who has become one of the finest young comic actors around; gifted British actor Jonny Lee Miller, playing an American, here, who would go on to TRAINSPOTTING, DRACULA 2000, and the title role in the TV production of BYRON; Jesse Bradford, star of last year's CLOCKSTOPPERS; Laurence Mason (BEHIND ENEMY LINES, A.I.); and Renoly Santiago (CON AIR). Quite an impressive resume for a cast of 'unknowns' in 1995!

Of course, the established actors of the film haven't done badly, either...While Fisher Stevens never became a 'major' star, after the build-up television and the SHORT CIRCUIT films gave him, he still remains active; and of course, Lorraine Bracco went on to THE SOPRANOS, as the Mafia's favorite 'shrink' (with the possible exception of Billy Crystal).

So, if you skip over the dated attempt to be 'cutting edge', and just sit back and enjoy the performances, HACKERS is a fun movie that can be appreciated as a 'Preview of Coming Attractions' from a remarkable cast...