Switchback (1997)

An FBI agent tries to catch a serial killer who kidnapped his son.

Director:

Jeb Stuart

Writer:

Jeb Stuart

Stars:

Danny Glover, Dennis Quaid, Claudia Stedelin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claudia Stedelin	...	Missy, the Babysitter
Ian Nelson	...	Andy LaCrosse
Brent Hinkley	...	Man on Porch
R. Lee Ermey	...	Sheriff Buck Olmstead
Walton Goggins	...	Bud (as Walt Goggins)
Ted Levine	...	Deputy Nate Booker
Louis Schaefer	...	Sim
William Fichtner	...	Chief Jack McGinnis
Jared Leto	...	Lane Dixon
Robert L. Somers	...	Rancher
Lexie Stuart	...	Ranchers Daughter
Danny Glover	...	Bob Goodall
Ted Markland	...	Bartender
Gregory Scott Cummins	...	Rick
Tommy Puett	...	Ben

Storyline

F.B.I. agent Frank LaCrosse returns home to find his home has been broken into, his son is missing and Missy the babysitter is lying in a pool of her own insides. Her murder being the hallmarks of a elusive enigmatic serial killer whose slaughter spree...stretches nearly two years. Frank's desperate pursuit leads to Amarillo, Texas, where two more victims matching the killers M.O. have been found slashed to death. As Frank searches for his suspect the local Sheriff Buck Olmstead and his Deputy Nate Booker investigate the killings in-between a heated election feud, with his competition police chief Jack McGinnis. All the while drifting former doctor Lane Dixon is picked up by ex-railroad man, Bob Goodall. As a local Mechanic, Clyde 'Shorty' Callahan becomes the latest victim. Frank hopes and prays to find this sociopath before he disappears perhaps forever into the rocky mountains

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Plot Keywords:

fbi agent | serial killer | deputy | sheriff | knife held to throat | 

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Taglines:

The hunter is tracking the killer. But the killer is setting the trap.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and several views of nude pin-ups

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Going West

Filming Locations:

Redcliff, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$37,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,704,568, 2 November 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$6,482,195, 14 December 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pacific Western, Paramount Pictures, Rysher Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Frank Lacrosse (Dennis Quaid) is married in the film. She is mentioned, but is never seen nor heard from.

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Goofs

The illuminated numbers seen on the locomotives should show the locomotive number, not the train number. (It is true that there are instances where the lead locomotive number may be used as a train number, but that can't be the case here because here because the train number was known in advance. And even if it was, the train's second locomotive would still show a different number.)

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Quotes

[first lines]
Missy, the Babysitter: Whoo! There. Your folks are going to be home soon, and they're going to get me if they see you're still up.

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Connections

References Predator 2 (1990)

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Soundtracks

Bed of Roses
Written Jaime Kyle and Will Rambeaux
Performed by Faith Hill
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

A different kind of serial killer

Switchback was an enjoyable mystery/thriller with a few nice action sequences. Quaid's character seemed a bit cliche to me (like he was impersonating a dour Harrison Ford) but Glover's character was unique and interesting. This movie didn't have a lot of surprises or plot twists, but director Jeb Stuart managed to keep my interest high by using well drawn and likeable characters and by keeping a lot of balls in the air from the beginning of the movie. With the exception of the serial killer himself, the conflicting motivations of the characters played well with the story and provided plenty of tension. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the serial killer himself. This is possibly the first movie I've seen where the killer had a human face and was not a psycho mastermind genius or a low-life loner with a chip the size of Manhattan on his shoulder.