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:

african american | framed for murder | villain | car accident | fbi agent | 

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Taglines:

The hunter becomes the hunted.

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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:

Zig Zag

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

The film was originally intended to be released during Christmas 1996, under the films' original title, "Going West In America". But, because it wasn't ready in time for a release, the studio pushed it out to 1997 for a summer release, then delayed it again until Halloween 1997, due to the abundance in action-thrillers.

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Goofs

At the car garage, we see a calendar for February 1996. Every day on the calendar is listed as falling on the wrong weekday to what they really did. For example, February 5 1996 was a Monday, on the calendar it is listed as falling on a Tuesday.

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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

Featured in At the Movies: Gattaca/The House of Yes/A Life Less Ordinary/FairyTale: A True Story/Sunday (1997)

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Soundtracks

All for the Love of Sunshine
Written by Mike Curb, Lalo Schifrin, and Harley Hatcher
Performed by Hank Williams Jr. (as Hank Williams, Jr.) with The Mike Curb Congregation
Courtesy of Mercury Nashville Records
By arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

A solid thriller

I was surprised by this film quite a bit. I thought it would be another mediocre paint-by-the-number genre piece. To my amazement Switchback is a taut and suspenseful film. Its fun to see Danny Glover cast against type. By no means a masterpiece, but well worth watching by thriller fans