The Mod Squad (1999)

Three minor delinquints (Danes, Ribisi, and Epps) are recruited by a cop (Farina) working undercover to bust a cop/drug ring. When the officer who recruited them is killed, they go above ... See full summary »

Director:

Scott Silver

Writers:

Buddy Ruskin (characters), Stephen Kay

Stars:

Claire Danes, Omar Epps, Giovanni Ribisi

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claire Danes	...	Julie
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Pete
Omar Epps	...	Linc
Dennis Farina	...	Greer
Josh Brolin	...	Billy
Steve Harris	...	Briggs
Richard Jenkins	...	Mothershed
Larry Brandenburg	...	Eckford
Lionel Mark Smith	...	Lanier
Sam McMurray	...	Tricky
Michael O'Neill	...	Greene
Stephen Kay	...	Bald Dude (as Stephen T. Kay)
Bodhi Elfman	...	Gilbert - Skinny Freak (as Bodhi Pine Elfman)
Holmes Osborne	...	Mr. Cochrane
Dey Young	...	Mrs. Cochrane

Storyline

Three minor delinquints (Danes, Ribisi, and Epps) are recruited by a cop (Farina) working undercover to bust a cop/drug ring. When the officer who recruited them is killed, they go above and beyond the call of duty to solve the murder; and bust the drug ring. Suffering the jibes, and ridicule of fellow officers; they struggle to save their names, and that of their deceased benefactor.

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Plot Keywords:

drug ring | drugs | murder | undercover | based on cult favorite | 

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Taglines:

They did the crime, They paid the time, Now they're...undercover?

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, violence and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brigade spéciale

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,064,716, 28 March 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,260,050, 27 June 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Milla Jovovich were among the actresses considered for the role of Julie Barnes.

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Goofs

Near the end, Peter Cochran and Julie Barnes jump out of a moving vehicle that crashes into an almost empty warehouse. After it crashes through one wall, you can hear tires screeching as if someone had slammed on the brakes. However, no one was in the vehicle to do so.

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Quotes

[Julie hits Pete across the head]
Julie: Nice job.
Pete: Okay, I really did not like that at all, all right? Let me just explain somethin'. I was blending.
Julie: You just blended your ass right out of the club, man
Pete: Oh, come on! They're gonna let me back in the club.
Julie: Oh no, I believe the words were "you're gone for-f*cking-ever." Greer's gonna kick your ass
Pete: Hey you know what? Eat me.
Julie: Come on. Lets go. You wanna lose another fight, Petey?
Pete: No. Who was the guy that you were talkin' to all night?
Julie: What guy?
[...]

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Connections

References Ghostbusters (1984)

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Soundtracks

Everything Is Everything
Written by Lauryn Hill
Performed by Lauryn Hill
Courtesy of Ruffhouse Records/Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A tedious exercise

I'm not one of those folks who bemoans everytime a film based on an old TV show comes out. Rather, I usually run out and see it (If I had watched the show) and try to get nostalgic. But if anyone feels like running down films based on old shows, this is exhibit A (So you can actually say something more than just "McHale's Navy"). "Mod Squad" is dreary, tiring, and lethargic. At least the original series was angst riddled long before anyone knew teens could be so glum, making it groundbreaking. This is just tedious. Claire Danes is nice to look at, but does nothing else but mood swing and sneak around spying on the baddies. Giovanni Ribisi's acting extent in this flick is that Droopy the Dog look for an hour and forty five minutes. And Omar Epps looks like he wants to flee the set, but the script's chlostraphobia has trapped him. Sure, the production is nice, with the now seemingly obligitory "rave" nightclub opening action sequence and shootouts galore. Oh, and the kids yell and get mad at each other and their superiors a lot too. It's kind of like deciding to use the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine to go on a family vacation to Hollywood with your teenage kids who you and your spouse know need heavy therapy and prescription drugs. I really wanted to like this movie, and there were promising moments, but the next scene would suck the life out of it. You can knock another Spelling remake, "Charlie's Angels", all you want, but at least that film knew it wanted to have fun with itself. "The Mod Squad" makes you wonder where the inspiration from the original series went.