Safe House (1998)

A psychological thriller; Mace Sowell, an ex-intelligence operative and whose past government activities catches up with him, faces his own mortality, in the shape of the onset of ... See full summary »

Director:

Eric Steven Stahl

Writers:

Eric Steven Stahl (story), John Schalter (story)

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Hector Elizondo

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Patrick Stewart	...	Mace Sowell
Kimberly Williams-Paisley	...	Andi Travers (as Kimberly Williams)
Hector Elizondo	...	Dr. Simon
Joy Kilpatrick	...	Michelle Sowell-Ross
Craig Shoemaker	...	Stuart Bittenbinder
James Harlow	...	Marc Ross
Richard Livingston	...	Admiral Thomas Michelmore
Julia Vera	...	Teresa
Brenda James	...	Asthma Girl Interviewee (as Brenda Klemme)
Robert Lee Barry	...	Rocket Scientist Interviewee
Scott Zacky	...	Wise Guy Interviewee
Wayne Demaline	...	'Butch' The Redneck Interviewee
Hank Garrett	...	Hitman / Postman

Storyline

A psychological thriller; Mace Sowell, an ex-intelligence operative and whose past government activities catches up with him, faces his own mortality, in the shape of the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Holding the electronic key to secret information which implicates a Presidential front-runner, Mace struggles for his life while battling the debilitating effects of the disease.

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Plot Keywords:

alzheimer's disease | die hard scenario | shot to death | death | hand to hand combat | 

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Taglines:

The less you know, the safer you are.

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az otthon biztonsága

Company Credits

Production Co:

Benjamin Productions,Filmquest Pictures,Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hank Garrett, who plays the mailman whose pen runs out of ink, played essentially the same role in Three Days of the Condor (1975).

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Goofs

When Mace is cooking you can see the markers on the floor in one shot.

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Quotes

Mace: What sort of name is 'Andi' for a girl?
Andi: It's short for Andrea. What sort of name is 'Mace'?
Mace: It's short for 'in your face'!

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Connections

Features The Pink Panther (1993)

User Reviews

Some movies are epics, this one's a short story

I will start by admitting that I'm a Star Trek fan, and in particular a Next Gen fan. So yes, I have a bias towards liking Stewart, although I think most can agree he is a skilled actor.

That concession aside, and as my summary suggests, this is not an epic movie, just a short story. I loved the set design, which was quite clever; where most movies tend to create the impression of big houses and locales, this one manages to create the impression of close spaces, as appropriate for a fortress in suburbia.

You will continue to guess at whether or not Stewart's paranoia is justified or just symptoms of Alzheimer's until the very end. Stewart is well fitted for the part, or at the very least he was convincing to me. I think this particular says something since I'm used to seeing him as Captain Picard.

I wouldn't try to sell this off as an accurate portrayal of how DIA operatives act when they retire. I wouldn't know anything about that. I don't even know if there is such a thing as the DIA.

What I will say is that the movie is best taken as a diversion, a fun romp that keeps you interested, but it doesn't grip you like an epic. Perhaps rightly so, since the subject matter doesn't fit an epic movie anyway.

As a final note, I still don't see anything wrong with genre mixing. Why can't you have a drama that's funny, or a comedy with serious action, or whatever it is you want to blend? If it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't, and it works for me here. (See as an example "The Big Hit," which the writer called a "hip-hop comic Hong Kong action movie") This movie is a small little tidbit, to be taken and enjoyed as such. 8/10