Bounce (2000)

A man switches plane tickets with another man who dies in that plane in a crash. The man falls in love with the deceased one's wife.

Director:

Don Roos

Writer:

Don Roos

Stars:

Ben Affleck, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natasha Henstridge

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Affleck	...	Buddy Amaral
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Abby Janello
Natasha Henstridge	...	Mimi Prager
Edward Edwards	...	Ron Wachter
Jennifer Grey	...	Janice Guerrero
Tony Goldwyn	...	Greg Janello
Lisa Carpenter-Prewitt	...	Carol Wilson
Lisa Joyner	...	T.V. Announcer
Richard Saxton	...	CNN Reporter
Caroline Aaron	...	Donna
David Dorfman	...	Joey Janello
Alex D. Linz	...	Scott Janello
Juan Garcia	...	Kevin Walters (as Juan García)
Mary Ellen Lyon	...	Ellen Seitz
Joe Morton	...	Jim Willer

Storyline

Buddy (Affleck) has just signed an airline in Chicago as a big client, but is ironically delayed at the airport waiting for a flight to LA on that same airline. He meets fellow passenger Greg, who opts to be bumped, even though it means missing an activity with his older son. When the flight gets resumed, Buddy thinks he's doing a good deed by swapping tickets with Greg so he can get home to his son. Sadly, the flight crashes. Buddy conspires with his friend, the ticket agent that night, to take his name off the passenger list and put Greg's on. Once he's back in LA, his new client dictates that the company run a series of feel-good ads about the crash. Buddy feels very hypocritical, and completely loses it when the commercials win a Cleo. After going through re-hab, he decides he needs to check on Greg's widow. But he doesn't plan on falling in love with her.

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Plot Keywords:

homosexual confidant | airplane ticket | drug and alcohol rehab center | organ transplant | reference to david crosby | 

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Taglines:

Two strangers fell in love. One knew it wasn't by chance.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language and sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un vuelco del corazón

Filming Locations:

Dodger Stadium - 1000 Vin Scully Avenue, Chavez Ravine, Elysian Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,423,716, 19 November 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$36,779,296, 7 January 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tony Goldwyn (Greg) and Alex D. Linz (Scott) provided voices for Tarzan in Tarzan (1999).

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Goofs

When Abby and Buddy are in Buddy's office lobby (waiting to meet Jim for the first time), Abby's jacket collar is alternately in and out between shots.

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Quotes

Buddy Amaral: The drinking wasn't the worst part. It was the thinking that I was such hot stuff. You know, I've always been one of those people, born salesman, closer, people person. I wasn't, not by a long shot. It's like how everyone thinks that they have a good sense of humor, good taste, or that they're a good driver. I'd be driving along and I'd happen to look up in the rear view mirror, there'd be all these bloody people and crashed cars in the street and I'd think, "Jesus, there's a lot of bad drivers...

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Connections

References Johnny Bravo (1997)

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Soundtracks

Central Reservation (The Then Again Version)
Written by Beth Orton
Performed by Beth Orton
Courtesy of BMG Records (UK) Ltd./Arista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

excellent romantic drama

`Bounce' is an utterly winning romantic drama, replete with an intriguing storyline, believable characters and honest emotions.

Ben Affleck stars as Buddy Amaral, an arrogant hotshot advertising exec, who, in a rare moment of kindness, offers his seat on an airplane to a young writer desperate to get home to his wife and kids for the holidays. When the man dies in a plane crash, Buddy is suddenly sent on a mission of soul-searching, trying to sort out the complex emotions he is now forced to deal with. When drinking provides no solution, he feels himself compelled to seek out the man's widow, Abby, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and their two young boys. Buddy keeps his connection with them a secret as he begins to fall in love with Abby and to become a part of their wounded family.

In its bare-boned detailing, the plot may smack a bit of incredibility and contrivance. But thanks to expert writing and directing by Don Ross, every detail in the film feels just right. Take the opening scene, for instance. Ross gives the chance encounter between the two strangers who will be forever tied together by fate the loose, casual, and offhanded quality one finds in real life. Nothing in this film ever seems forced, least of all the romantic feelings these two hurt, vulnerable and attractive people feel for one another. In fact, it is the complexity of the characters that helps `Bounce' to rise above the superficiality of most films in this genre. In addition to Buddy's character-building, we see Abby trying desperately to overcome the bewildering tragedy that has befallen her, unsure of how to deal with her own feelings of loss, guilt and anger that inevitable arise from such a situation.

Affleck and Paltrow bring such an air of thoughtfulness and maturity to their roles that we find ourselves genuinely caught up in their predicament and rooting them on all the way. It's nice for a change to see a romantic film truly centered on a pair of likable grownups as opposed to the superannuated adolescents we usually find in films of this type. Here are flawed, often weak, individuals who nevertheless contain cores of genuine goodness and innate warmheartedness.

The movie also achieves additional depth and weight in its exploration of the vagaries of fate as many of the characters examine the `what if' scenarios that haunt anyone caught up in a situation like this one.

`Bounce' is well written, directed and acted. Even those who don't normally go for love stories should definitely check it out.