The Peacemaker (1997)

A US Army colonel and a civilian woman supervising him must track down stolen Russian nuclear weapons before they're used by terrorists.

Director:

Mimi Leder

Writers:

Leslie Cockburn (article) (as Leslie Redlich Cockburn), Andrew Cockburn (article)

Stars:

George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iures

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Lt. Col. Thomas Devoe
Nicole Kidman	...	Dr. Julia Kelly
Marcel Iures	...	Dusan Gavrich
Aleksandr Baluev	...	General Aleksandr Kodoroff (as Alexander Baluev)
Rene Medvesek	...	Vlado Mirich
Gary Werntz	...	Terry Hamilton
Randall Batinkoff	...	Ken
Jim Haynie	...	General Garnett
Alexander Strobele	...	Dietrich Schuhmacher
Holt McCallany	...	Mark Appleton
Michael Boatman	...	CPN Beach
Joan Copeland	...	Senator Helen Bevens
Carlos Gómez	...	Santiago
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Dimitri Vertikoff
Slavko Juraga	...	Stevo

Storyline

Two trains crash somewhere in Russia, one carrying a nuclear payload. A nuclear explosion follows the crash and the world is on alert... However, White House nuclear expert Dr. Julia Kelly doesn't think it was an accident... Special Operations Intelligence Officer Colonel Thomas Devoe doesn't think so either... Together they must unravel a conspiracy that goes from Europe to New York, to stop a terrorist who has no demands...

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Plot Keywords:

time bomb | army colonel | nuclear weapon | train | nuclear explosion | 

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Taglines:

This is not a test.

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian Serbian Bosnian Croatian Polish

Release Date:

26 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

El pacificador

Filming Locations:

Cremosne, Slovakia

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,311,939, 28 September 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$41,263,140

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$110,463,140

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Annette Bening was originally considered for the female lead.

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Goofs

The Colonel kills the wayward lieutenant in the tunnel by firing a pistol first into his abdomen and then with a coup de grace, apparently to the head. However, despite the fact that a gunshot averages 150-180 decibels, no one flinches despite what would have been a massive roar amplified by the echoes from the tunnel.

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Quotes

Julia: Where the hell is my military liason?
Devoe: Colonel Thomas Devoe reporting as ordered, ma'am. I'm sorry about in there, sometimes my enthusiasm gets the better of me.
Julia: No problem. Would you like some coffee?
Devoe: I'd love some.
Julia: It's over there.

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Alternate Versions

TBS and TNT broadcasts eliminate all references to CNN, including putting a colored square over the CNN logo when it appears on screen.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Peacemaker/Soul Food/The Edge/The Ice Storm/The Assignment (1997)

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Soundtracks

FUGUE
(from UNACCOMPANIED VIOLIN SONATA NO. 1, BWV. 1001)
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

New-killer power...

The newspapers and the t.v. movie reviewers didn't give this a very favorable rating. As I had heard from someone else that I knew who saw this, didn't seem too impressed either. But as I live and learn, I realize that I have to be the one inevitably who says, "I like it, or it's a waste of time." You ultimately judge what's worth your time right? I saw this, I wish that I saw it in the theater, at any rate, I saw the characters of (Clooney) Col. Thomas Devoe and the very sweet and ever so lovely Nicole kid man's Dr.Kelly as being the type of characters that could keep me in an interested and ever curious state. Which for me, is exactly what I look for in a film.

I enjoyed the search and out of country 'trauma', that happens when in a foreign land at times, kind of like the terror that over-took the characters in "Clear And Present Danger". Although these two are different 'flavors' there seems to be a parallel in the action and the characters engrossment of their duty.

As such, I liked how Clooney seemed as Devoe and his mode of operation. I usually don't see a lot of female directors that really bring it home with an action persona, but Mimi Leder has done that to a very satisfying extent.

George Clooney and Nicole Kidman carry out a great working 'chemistry' that I found not only watchable, but believable.

I recommend this action adventure/thriller quest for all fans of the like and the two. Enjoy. (***)