Panic Room (2002)

A divorced woman and her diabetic daughter take refuge in their newly-purchased house's safe room, when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.

Director:

David Fincher

Writer:

David Koepp

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker

1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jodie Foster	...	Meg Altman
Kristen Stewart	...	Sarah Altman
Forest Whitaker	...	Burnham
Dwight Yoakam	...	Raoul
Jared Leto	...	Junior
Patrick Bauchau	...	Stephen Altman
Ann Magnuson	...	Lydia Lynch
Ian Buchanan	...	Evan Kurlander
Andrew Kevin Walker	...	Sleepy Neighbor
Paul Schulze	...	Officer Keeney
Mel Rodriguez	...	Officer Morales
Richard Conant	...	SWAT Cop
Paul Simon	...	SWAT Cop
Victor Thrash	...	SWAT Cop
Ken Turner	...	SWAT Cop

Storyline

Recently divorced Meg Altman and her daughter Sarah have bought a new home in New York. On their tour around the mansion, they come across the panic room. A room so secure, that no one can get in. When three burglars break in, Meg makes a move to the panic room. But all her troubles don't stop there. The criminals know where she is, and what they require the most in the house is in that very room.

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Plot Keywords:

panic | panic room | cat and mouse | secret room | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

What do you do when your hiding place is their destination?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

A rather disturbing shot that was never filmed involved Raoul's mangled fingers being seen inside the panic room door, and falling out when it opened.

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Goofs

No way a guy could be hit by a sledgehammer directly in the head and be anything but critically injured.

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Quotes

Burnham: Do you need this?
[Sarah nods yes]
Burnham: Can you do it yourself?
[Sarah nods no]
Burnham: What happens if you don't get it?
Sarah: [weak whispering] Coma. Die.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are amazingly realistic in that they cast shadows and are reflected on the surrounding glass buildings.

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Alternate Versions

The film's VHS & HDTV release presented the film open-matte, at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, meaning there is more picture at the top and bottom of the frame than on DVD, which presents the original theatrical aspect ratio (2.39:1).

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Connections

Referenced in Weird Movies with Mark: Twilight (2012)

User Reviews

Well acted action-thriller, weak conclusion

David Fincher directs this cleverly conceived thriller about a mother and daughter trapped inside a panic room by three criminals. The film is well-paced and the camera work is slick. The film does well in exploring the confines of the house. Jodie Foster is effective and maintains a high intensity throughout. Kristen Stewart is decent as her daughter. Forest Whitaker plays a slightly sympathetic criminal and does well. Unfortunately, after an engrossing game of cat and mouse, the conclusion is weak. Staple clichés crop up and the film goes for a crowd-pleasing finale that doesn't quite feel right. Still watchable.

Overall 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Safe Room

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios - 1600 Rosecrans Avenue, Manhattan Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$48,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,056,751, 31 March 2002

Gross USA:

$96,397,334

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$197,079,546

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Hofflund/Polone, Indelible Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1