The Bone Collector (1999)

A quadriplegic ex-homicide detective and his partner try to track down a serial killer who is terrorizing New York City.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Jeffery Deaver (book), Jeremy Iacone (screenplay)

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Lincoln Rhyme
Angelina Jolie	...	Amelia Donaghy
Queen Latifah	...	Thelma
Michael Rooker	...	Captain Howard Cheney
Michael McGlone	...	Detective Kenny Solomon (as Mike McGlone)
Luis Guzmán	...	Eddie Ortiz (as Luis Guzman)
Leland Orser	...	Richard Thompson
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Dr. Barry Lehman
Bobby Cannavale	...	Amelia's Boyfriend
Ed O'Neill	...	Detective Paulie Sellitto
Richard Zeman	...	Lt. Carl Hanson
Olivia Birkelund	...	Lindsay Rubin
Gary Swanson	...	Alan Rubin
James Bulleit	...	Train Engineer (as Jim Bulleit)
Frank Fontaine	...	Grandfather

Storyline

Quadripeligic ex-cop Lincoln Rhyme was looking forward to his assisted suicide when he got the news: some sicko was abducting people in a taxi and leaving them to die in particularly sadistic ways. With time counting down between each abduction and possible death, Rhyme recruits rather-unwilling Amelia Donaghy, haunted by her cop father's suicide and thinking she's next, into working the crime scenes to track down the killer.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal investigation | usa | united states | quadriplegic | new york city | 

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Taglines:

Two cops on the trail of a brutal killer. They must see as one, they must act as one, they must think as one, before the next victim falls.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violent content including grisly images, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Interesting note: Even though they are in NYC Eddie Ortiz is wearing a Chicago Cubs baseball cap.

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Goofs

(at around 39 mins) When the murderer is to turn the steam-pipe he just unbolts the valve flange and then push it to turn it. this is impossible to do, besides you can see the pipe elbow is bolted on the pipe that continuing out of the picture.

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Quotes

Captain Howard Cheney: You the one who stopped the train?
Amelia: Yes, sir. I thought it would disturb physical evidence.
Captain Howard Cheney: So, why not shut down Grand Central while you're at it, hmm, Patrolman Donahue? Is that right?
Amelia: Donaghy.
Captain Howard Cheney: A rookie, I take it?
Amelia: No, sir.
Captain Howard Cheney: Pretty dumb.

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Alternate Versions

An alternative ending was shot where Thelma survives and can be seen at the Christmas party. This was not used because it was deemed too unbelievable.

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Connections

Featured in 73rd Golden Globe Awards (2016)

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Soundtracks

McKenzie
Written by Craig Armstrong, Marius De Vries
Performed by Craig Armstrong
Courtesy of Virgin Records Limited/Melankolic

User Reviews

my opinion may not be shared with most critics, but I liked this movie

I am fully aware of the fact that most film critics here in the United States did not approve very highly of the 1999 Denzel Washington film "The Bone Collector". But despite the fact that only twenty-eight percent of them would agree with me, I think that "The Bone Collector" is a well-made mystery thriller with solid performances, especially toward Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, a good plot, great tension, and a well-executed story.

Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington plays a quadriplegic detective who is asked to help with an investigation dealing with a serial killer operating in New York. He appoints a rather reluctant female detective played by Angelina Jolie to lead the investigation outside his hospital room since he cannot walk himself. He communicates with her through radio, giving her hints and tactics as they try to figure out who the killer is, who he will strike next, and how they can stop him.

Yes, this plot is one that has been reused many times and this yet another case. But just because you reuse a plot does not mean the end product is going to be horrible and not entertaining. I myself enjoyed "The Bone Collector" and did not find one scene where I was bored, even though I had a pretty good idea on what was going to happen next. It gets a strong rating for its performances, action scenes, and good general entertainment value.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bone Collector

Filming Locations:

380 Lafayette Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$73,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,712,020, 7 November 1999

Gross USA:

$66,518,655

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$151,493,655

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1