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In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth.

Director:

F. Gary Gray
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Popularity
3,488 ( 603)
2 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Samuel L. Jackson ... Danny Roman
Kevin Spacey ... Chris Sabian
David Morse ... Adam Beck
Ron Rifkin ... Grant Frost
John Spencer ... Chief Al Travis
J.T. Walsh ... Terence Niebaum
Siobhan Fallon Hogan ... Maggie (as Siobhan Fallon)
Paul Giamatti ... Rudy
Regina Taylor ... Karen Roman
Bruce Beatty ... Markus
Michael Cudlitz ... Palermo
Carlos Gómez ... Eagle
Tim Kelleher ... Argento
Dean Norris ... Scott
Nestor Serrano ... Hellman
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Storyline

In the midst of an elaborate conspiracy, an expert negotiator is driven to the edge when he's framed for the murder of his partner, as well as embezzling money from his department's pension fund. His only chance to prove his innocence is to take hostages himself, acquire the services of another expert negotiator, and find out who's running the conspiracy before it's too late. Written by Ted Walters

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

He frees hostages for a living. Now he's taking hostages to survive. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin Spacey and J.T. Walsh appeared in "Dad (1989)" and "Outbreak (1995)." Another link in common between them both is that they played the role of John Williamson in David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross: Walsh in the original play, and Spacey in the 1992 film version. See more »

Goofs

When Roman and Sabian is browsing Niebaum's computer at his house the Address bar doesn't match the content of the other windows. The address bar says C:\niebaum\office files\ongoing investigations\*.* while the All Folders sidebar shows that C:\Office files\Accounts is selected. C:\ is labeled Niebaum, there is no C:\niebaum\ folder. While browsing A:\Ongoing Investigations the explorer window says (A:) - Office files - Ongoing Investigations which doesn't match the contents of the All Folders sidebar. Furthermore, although A: is full of documents they're marked with the windows icon, proof that no program has been assigned for opening or editing the documents as they were most likely done in haste. See more »

Quotes

Lieutenant Chris Sabian: You think killing a man gives you the right to negotiate with me?
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Alternate Versions

On newer prints of the film, including VUDU, the Warner Bros. 75 Years logo is omitted at the beginning. However, the 1992 "Distributed By Warner Bros." logo is retained at the end of the film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Kill Point: Who's Afraid of Mr. Wolf, Part 1 (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Cotton-Eye Joe
Performed by Rednex
Written by Janne Ericsson, Erkan Oban (as Øban), Pat Reiniz
Courtesy of Zomba Recording Corp.
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User Reviews

 
Edge of the seat
1 August 2009 | by SandcoolerSee all my reviews

Samuel L. Jackson is probably one of the most awesome actors that ever lived, and his pure uncut awesomeness is captured perfectly in this well thought-out thriller. He's angry. He's looking for justice. Don't get in his way. The plot moves at a breakneck pace, and the length of the running time will probably go completely unnoticed because the direction looks so compact. This movie is over two hours long? I really have a hard time believing that. It just flies by, even though most of it happens in and around one location. With a build-up this exciting, the conclusion is usually a disappointment, but even that's not the case here. This is a rush of adrenaline captured on celluloid.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 1998 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Negotiator See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,218,831, 2 August 1998

Gross USA:

$44,547,681

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$44,547,681
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
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