The Gingerbread Man (1998)

A lawyer uses his power to help his lover put her father behind bars, but when he escapes, they are all in danger.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

John Grisham (story), Clyde Hayes (screenplay) (as Al Hayes)

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Embeth Davidtz, Robert Downey Jr.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kenneth Branagh	...	Rick Magruder
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mallory Doss
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Clyde Pell
Daryl Hannah	...	Lois Harlan
Robert Duvall	...	Dixon Doss
Tom Berenger	...	Pete Randle
Famke Janssen	...	Leeanne Magruder
Clyde Hayes	...	Carl Alden
Mae Whitman	...	Libby Magruder
Jesse James	...	Jeff Magruder
Troy Byer	...	Konnie Dugan (as Troy Beyer)
Julia Ryder Perce	...	Cassandra (as Julia R. Perce)
Danny Darst	...	Sheriff Hope
Sonny Seiler	...	Phillip Dunson
Walter Hartridge	...	Edmund Hess

Storyline

Lawyer Rick Magruder has a one-night-stand affair with caterer Mallory Doss. He becomes hooked on her, and when he learns her nut-case father Dixon is threatening her, he puts the weight of his law firm behind Mallory, has Dixon arrested and subpoenas her ex-husband Pete to testify against Dixon in court. Dixon is sent to an asylum, but escapes from there and the lives of many people are in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

killing a pet | full frontal female nudity | barefoot woman | one night stand | lawyer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality, violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gingerbread Man

Filming Locations:

Guyton, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$118,278, 25 January 1998

Gross USA:

$1,677,131

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,677,131

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enchanter Entertainment, Island Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before Robert Altman and Embeth Davidtz came on to direct and play the female lead in the movie, respectively, John Dahl and Annette Bening were due to take on these roles.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, as Rick returns to Savannah, Georgia from a trial in Jacksonville, Florida, he crosses the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. The bridge spans the Savannah River and is located north of the city. Jacksonville, of course, is located south of Savannah, and Rick would have to go way out of his way to cross the bridge as he enters Savannah.

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Quotes

Pete Randle: I wouldn't spare a drop of piss on her if she was burnin' to death.
Rick Magruder: Yeah, we're aware of your urinary problems, sir.

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Connections

Featured in Altman (2014)

User Reviews

Waterlogged

******SPOILERS****** Film Noir type movie set in Savannah Georgia that tries hard to stay afloat but it's waterlogged plot sinks it in the last fifteen minutes.

"The Gingerbread Man" is not at all a boring or bad movie it really holds your attention and you want it to deliver the goods via a surprise and film noir like ending. The movie like "Hurricane Geraldo" that lashes the Georgian coast during the entire film instead just sinks under it's wind swept waves.

"Gingerbread Man" has all the right ingredients for a film noir classic. It's directed by legendary director Robert Altman but it's story gets so muddled and confused that by the end instead of packing a wallop it just fizzles out like a balloon with a hole in it.

The chance meeting and later relationship between Rick Magruder, Kenneth Branagh, and Mallory Doss, Embeth Davidtz, at the start of the film is incredibly unconvincing and contrived that you can easily sense that Rick is being set up to be used for some unknown purpose. You can see Mallory constantly staring and trying to get close to Rick at the party before they meet outside in the rain.

Mollary's crazy and religious father Dixon Doss, Robert Duvall, who is being manipulated to be the villain in the film also doesn't seem at all that convincing of a being a heavy. If anything Dixon seems to be more normal then most of the people in the movie, like he so perfectly made clear to the court at his sanity hearing. And it doesn't surprise anyone that he like Rick is being set up for some reason known only by the villain or villains in the film.

Kenneth Branagh is very good as the person who's being used to unwittingly do the dirty work to clear the way for a 10-15 million dollar grab of fifteen acres of valuable black walnut trees. So is Robert Duvall as the person who they belong to and are the main reason for the crimes being committed in the film.

Besides the top stars in the movie there are also very good performances by Tom Berenger, Pete Randel, as Mallory's ex-husband and Famke Janssen, Leeanne, as Rick's ex-wife as well as Daryl Hannah, Louis Harlan, as Rick's law partner. Robert Downey Jr.,Clyde Pell, sparkles is a small but important role as the detective that works for Rick's law office. Still the illogical and contrived ending in the movie as well as some of the sub-plots that lead to it wastes their efforts and spoils what could have been a very good crime/mystery film.