The Net (1995)

A computer programmer stumbles upon a conspiracy, putting her life and the lives of those around her in great danger.

Director:

Irwin Winkler

Writers:

John Brancato, Michael Ferris

Stars:

Sandra Bullock, Jeremy Northam, Dennis Miller

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sandra Bullock	...	Angela Bennett
Jeremy Northam	...	Jack Devlin
Dennis Miller	...	Dr. Alan Champion
Diane Baker	...	Mrs. Bennett
Wendy Gazelle	...	Imposter
Ken Howard	...	Bergstrom
Ray McKinnon	...	Dale
Daniel Schorr	...	WNN Anchor
L. Scott Caldwell	...	Public Defender
Robert Gossett	...	Ben Phillips
Kristina Krofft	...	Nurse #1
Juan Garcia	...	Resort Desk Clerk (as Juan García)
Tony Perez	...	Mexican Doctor
Margo Winkler	...	Mrs. Raines
Gene Kirkwood	...	Stan Whiteman

Storyline

Angela Bennett is a computer expert. This young and beautiful analyst is never far from a computer and modem. The only activity she has outside of computers is visiting her mother. A friend, whom she's only spoken to over the net and phone, Dale Hessman, sent her a program with a weird glitch for her to de-bug. That night, he left to meet her and was killed in a plane crash. Angela discovers secret information on the disk she has received only hours before she leaves for vacation. Her life then turns into a nightmare, her records are erased from existence and she is given a new identity, one with a police record. She struggles to find out why this has happened and who has it in for her.

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Plot Keywords:

computer | identity | identity theft | computer hacker | chat room | 

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Taglines:

Escape is impossible when you're caught in the net.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Angela Bennett's favorite drink is similar to a martini, mixing gin and vermouth, but garnished with a pearl onion instead of an olive. It is called a Gibson, likely a reference to William Gibson, who is recognized as the godfather of cyberpunk fiction. He coined the term 'cyberspace' in his 1984 novel Neuromancer.

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Goofs

When Angela gets off the elevator at Cathedral, we clearly see the number 20 posted on the elevator door frame, indicating that she is on the 20th floor. A few minutes later, it becomes clear that she is on the 5th floor, when Ruth calls for security after Angela copies the disk.

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Quotes

Devlin: What were you trying to do? Save the world?
Angela: No. Not the world, just myself.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy! (1998)

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Soundtracks

A Whiter Shade of Pale
Written by Keith Reid, Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher (uncredited)
Performed by Annie Lennox
Courtesy of BMG Records (UK) Ltd./Arista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

A great techno thriller of the 90s

"The Net" is a great movie, still very watchable to this day. The story line can get confusing, but that is where Rewatching comes in. Some movies are like that, you have to Rewatch to understand the plot fully.

Even though the technology compared to today seems stale back then, it still somehow works out because technology is constantly becoming advanced.

We see "Angela Bennett"'s life go into turmoil after getting her hands on computer information. We see that she is a clever tech nerd, but is very naive on the social aspect which resulted in her almost getting killed on holiday.

"The Net" is a fast-paced riveting hi-tech thriller. Sandra Bullock carries the entire movie on her back very well. She is a strong main lead and the supporting characters are also very good in their roles. I'd say the only other main character is "Jack Devlin" (Played by Jeremy Northam) he is also good in his role.

"The Net" is a cat and mouse game/clear my name/bring justice type of thriller. I would put this next to another brilliant movie of this genre - "AntiTrust", although it is not as well known as "The Net" it is just as good.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

28 July 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Net

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Convention Center - 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,037,745, 30 July 1995

Gross USA:

$50,727,965

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$110,627,965

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Winkler Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1