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:

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

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris turned down the offer to direct.

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Goofs

Peter Cochran's digital watch has a visible display in shots where it is too far away to read it and is blank in shots where you can clearly read the display.

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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

Featured in Honest Trailers: Mission Impossible (2015)

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Soundtracks

Car Wash
From the Universal Film Car Wash (1976)
Written by Norman Whitfield
Performed by Rose Royce
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Many problems

Three young petty delinquents Julie (Claire Danes), Pete (Giovanni Ribisi), and Linc (Omar Epps) are recruited by detective Greer (Dennis Farina) to work undercover where cops can't normally go. They are sent in to a club to investigate. When they find Greer murdered, they set off to find his murderer even though they are ostracized by most of the police. Meanwhile Billy (Josh Brolin) from the club is interested in Julie.

The lighting is way too dark for most of the movie. I understand the underground sensibility of their investigation. However it makes it hard to watch. Ribisi is good playing the jokey jittery guy. Epps is way too stiff of an actor. Danes is probably miscast here. I've never seen the TV show, and the movie is probably trying to copy Peggy Lipton. It seems better if they go more white trash for the role like a Juliette Lewis kind. Dane is way too nice and sweet. I don't know what the original TV show is like. So it's hard for me to compare and judge the movie. There is some good music but by itself, the movie is kind of boring.