Panic (2000)

Alex, a hit man, tries to get out of the family business, but his father won't let him do so. While seeking the help of a therapist, he meets a sexually charged 23-year-old woman with whom he falls in love.

Director:

Henry Bromell

Writer:

Henry Bromell

Stars:

William H. Macy, Neve Campbell, John Ritter

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William H. Macy	...	Alex
John Ritter	...	Dr. Josh Parks
Neve Campbell	...	Sarah Cassidy
Donald Sutherland	...	Michael
Tracey Ullman	...	Martha
Barbara Bain	...	Deidre
David Dorfman	...	Sammy
Tina Lifford	...	Dr. Leavitt
Bix Barnaba	...	Louie
Nicholle Tom	...	Tracy
Thomas Curtis	...	Alex - Age 7
Andrea Baker	...	Candice (as Andrea Taylor)
Steven Moreno	...	Sean (as Steve Moreno)
Erica Ortega	...	Rachel
Greg Pitts	...	Alex - Age 20

Storyline

Alex, a sad-eyed mournful man, goes into psychotherapy: he discloses he's a hit man. He also tells the doctor, after a few sessions, that he's attracted to a young woman he's met in the waiting room. She's Sarah, 23, quick, edgy, and perhaps attracted to him as well. But he's married, the dutiful father of a young precocious boy, so Sarah brushes him off. In flashbacks we see him get his start as a killer, at his father's prompting: it's the family business. Dad gives Alex his next assignment: to kill the therapist. Alex keeps returning to Sarah, calling her, stopping by her apartment, as he decides what to do about the hit, his father, his marriage, and his malaise.

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Plot Keywords:

family business | love | marriage | flashback | utah teapot | 

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Taglines:

A Story of Family, Lust, Murder ...and Other Midlife Crises

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and elements of violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2001 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Pánico

Filming Locations:

Huntington Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$779,137

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment, Mad Chance, The Vault

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was initially meant to be a TV film for HBO before hitting the big screens.

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Quotes

Sarah Cassidy: [Alex has shown up at her doorstep] What do you want?
Alex: You.
Sarah Cassidy: And then?... Then? After you have me, what then?
Alex: I don't know.
Sarah Cassidy: You don't know much, do ya'?
Alex: No, I guess not.
Sarah Cassidy: So your plan is, you have me, you ravish me, you bury your pathetic middle-aged pain in me, and then you say thanks... or maybe you don't... and you leave, and I never see you again? Or, I see you again and again, because I make you feel better, and you can't stand not feeling better. Either way, you finally get your shit together...
[...]

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Connections

References Running Scared (1986)

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Soundtracks

HSML Cha Cha Cha #1
Written by Michel Rubini
Published by HSML Publishing and Fribble Music

User Reviews

Moody, slick, and seductive.

"Panic" is a captivating, blurred-genre film about a brooding and conflicted middle aged hitman's reconciliation of infatuation with a younger uninhibited hairstylist, his love of wife and son, his duty to his employer/father with his own identity. Although the film has a nebulous purpose and an ambiguous ending, it is a superb production in almost all aspects. The characters' clarity and sincerity in such an improbable story may both fascinate and annoy audiences.