The Way of the Gun (2000)

Two criminal drifters without sympathy get more than they bargained for after kidnapping and holding for ransom the surrogate mother of a powerful and shady man.

Director:

Christopher McQuarrie

Writer:

Christopher McQuarrie

Stars:

Ryan Phillippe, Benicio Del Toro, Juliette Lewis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Phillippe	...	Mr. Parker
Benicio Del Toro	...	Harold Longbaugh
Juliette Lewis	...	Robin
Taye Diggs	...	Jeffers
Nicky Katt	...	Obecks
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Abner Mercer
Dylan Kussman	...	Dr. Allen Painter
Scott Wilson	...	Hale Chidduck
Kristin Lehman	...	Francesca Chidduck
James Caan	...	Joe Sarno
Henry Griffin	...	P. Whipped
Armando Guerrero	...	Federale #1 (as Mando Guerrero)
Andres Orozco	...	Federale #2
Jan Hanks	...	Receptionist (as Jan Jensen)
José Pérez	...	? (as Jose Perez)

Storyline

Two petty if violent criminals kidnap a girl being paid $1m to be a surrogate mother. As the baby is for a gangster the pair's demand for money sees several henchmen and assorted other ruthless characters head after them to Mexico. Bullets rather than talking are always going to settle this one.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | money | kidnapping | pregnant woman | truck stop | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence/gore, language and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nicky Katt (Obecks) did most of his own stunt driving.

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Goofs

When Longabaugh shoots the first Federale with the sniper rifle, the sonic crack of the bullet is heard, and the impact is seen, before the report of the rifle is audible, indicating a range of over 700 yards, far beyond the range of Jeffers' pistol. Yet Jeffers is able to put down effectively accurate suppressive fire at that range.

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Quotes

Joe Sarno: I promise you a day of reckoning that you won't live long enough to never forget.

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Crazy Credits

Towards the end of the credits: For Arly Thomsen you speak the truth Arly was the Key Grip for this and many other films.

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Alternate Versions

In Germany, a FSK-16 version was released and was cut. An FSK-18 uncut version was also released.

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Connections

References Serpico (1973)

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Soundtracks

Rip This Joint
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Performed by The Rolling Stones

User Reviews

I thought it was great

I can only comment negatively about one scene in the movie. I thought the movie was extremely effective in building up the intensity of certain scenes, however they used probably their most dramatic and climatic orchestra number for a scene where they simply dumped bags of money into a truck and drove off. My girlfriend and I stood confused as the music built up and built up, then finally climaxed. Didn't make a bit of sense to either of us.

With that said- I thought this movie was outstanding. Benicio Del Toro has this presence about him that radiates "coolness", and Ryan Phillippe did a remarkable job as well with his role. There were scenes in which hardly any dialogue was spoken, yet whole paragraphs were spoken through facial expressions. Thats a testament to the abilities of the actors right there. The double meaning of the game of hearts explanation was fascinating and fun to decipher.

Plots twists galore, not a single one of them predictable. The terminology was all new to me (i.e. bagman/dejudication I think it was...) and it made me feel like I was actually participating in the movie.

This is a thinkers movie, and some people may not be in the mood for that. The entirely creative car chase scenes and shoot out sequences are enough to satisfy the most mindless action fan, however.

This movie is just cool.

Details

Official Sites:

Vidio [Indonesia]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 September 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Way of the Gun

Filming Locations:

Abandoned Gas Station, Skull Valley, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,150,979, 10 September 2000

Gross USA:

$6,055,661

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,200,972

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment, Aqaba Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1