Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Desperate Measures

  • 19981998
  • RR
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,383
47
Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton in Desperate Measures (1998)
ActionCrimeDrama
Frank Conner is an honest police officer who desperately needs to save his son's life. However, after losing all hope, he finds out that a criminal Peter McCabe in jail is his only savior.Frank Conner is an honest police officer who desperately needs to save his son's life. However, after losing all hope, he finds out that a criminal Peter McCabe in jail is his only savior.Frank Conner is an honest police officer who desperately needs to save his son's life. However, after losing all hope, he finds out that a criminal Peter McCabe in jail is his only savior.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
10,383
47
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Writer
      • David Klass
    • Stars
      • Michael Keaton
      • Andy Garcia
      • Brian Cox
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Writer
      • David Klass
    • Stars
      • Michael Keaton
      • Andy Garcia
      • Brian Cox
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 89User reviews
    • 54Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Desperate Measures
    Trailer 2:06
    Desperate Measures

    Photos36

    Andy Garcia stars as Frank Conner
    Frank & Samantha
    Frank & Peter
    Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Samantha Hawkins
    Frank & Peter
    Frank & Matt
    Andy Garcia stars as Frank Conner
    Michael Keaton stars as Peter McCabe
    Michael Keaton stars as Peter McCabe
    Director Barbet Schroeder
    Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton in Desperate Measures (1998)
    Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton in Desperate Measures (1998)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Keaton
    Michael Keaton
    • Peter McCabe
    Andy Garcia
    Andy Garcia
    • Frank Conner
    Brian Cox
    Brian Cox
    • Captain Jeremiah Cassidy
    Marcia Gay Harden
    Marcia Gay Harden
    • Dr. Samantha Hawkins
    Erik King
    Erik King
    • Nate Oliver
    Efrain Figueroa
    Efrain Figueroa
    • Vargas
    Joseph Cross
    Joseph Cross
    • Matthew Conner
    Janel Moloney
    Janel Moloney
    • Sarah Davis
    Richard Riehle
    Richard Riehle
    • Ed Fayne
    Tracey Walter
    Tracey Walter
    • Medical Inmate
    Peter Weireter
    • SWAT Team Commander
    Keith Diamond
    Keith Diamond
    • Derrick Wilson
    Steve Park
    Steve Park
    • Dr. Gosha
    Steven Schub
    Steven Schub
    • SWAT in Airduct
    Neal Matarazzo
    Neal Matarazzo
    • Cell Guard
    Dennis Cockrum
    Dennis Cockrum
    • Pelican Bay Head Guard
    Charles Noland
    Charles Noland
    • Cigarette Guard
    Randy Thompson
    Randy Thompson
    • Library Guard
    • Director
      • Barbet Schroeder
    • Writer
      • David Klass
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    One Good Cop
    5.8
    One Good Cop
    Pacific Heights
    6.4
    Pacific Heights
    The Paper
    6.6
    The Paper
    The Dream Team
    6.5
    The Dream Team
    Multiplicity
    6.1
    Multiplicity
    Desperate Measures
    5.9
    Desperate Measures
    Blown Away
    6.2
    Blown Away
    Quicksand
    5.2
    Quicksand
    La Virgen de los Sicarios
    6.7
    La Virgen de los Sicarios
    Unlawful Entry
    6.3
    Unlawful Entry
    Extreme Measures
    6.2
    Extreme Measures
    Switchback
    6.4
    Switchback

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Michael Bay was originally set to direct, but pulled out to do The Rock (1996).
    • Goofs
      Near the end of the movie, McCabe is pouring liquid cyclopropane on the floor, from a metal container. As a basic fact of thermodynamics, this action will not only freeze the container valve (thus disabling it), but also the container itself would become so cold that he won't even be able to hold it.
    • Quotes

      Peter McCabe: You have to appreciate the irony. After all these years of being locked up, I'm given the opportunity to kill again. A cop's kid, too, and all I have to do is sit right here.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Green Fog (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      PROUD MARY
      Written by John Fogerty (as John C. Fogerty)

      Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival

    User reviews89

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Garcia and Keaton are perfectly matched.
    Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia are perfectly matched in this generally absorbing action thriller; you can sense right away that they had great chemistry working together, and they manage to create two characters more three-dimensional than the ones typically found in the genre. The film does have some plot holes (okay, Garcia can't kill Keaton. But why can't he shoot him in the leg or something?), and the last 20 minutes are pretty overblown, but the concept is thought-provoking and the filmmakers deserve credit for avoiding a cliched moralistic conclusion; indeed, the final scene of the film is very amusing. (**1/2)
    helpful•36
    8
    • gridoon
    • Jun 20, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 30, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Son umut
    • Filming locations
      • San Bernardino International Airport - 294 S. Leland Norton Way, San Bernardino, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Mandalay Entertainment
      • Eaglepoint
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $50,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,806,137
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,833,412
      • Feb 1, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,806,137
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Andy Garcia and Michael Keaton in Desperate Measures (1998)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Desperate Measures (1998) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.