Beyond Borders (2003)

The world's cruelty is confronted with the love of two different people who tries to save mankind from poverty and war.

Director:

Martin Campbell

Writer:

Caspian Tredwell-Owen

Stars:

Clive Owen, Angelina Jolie, Linus Roache

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angelina Jolie	...	Sarah Jordan
Clive Owen	...	Nick Callahan
Teri Polo	...	Charlotte Jordan
Linus Roache	...	Henry Bauford
Noah Emmerich	...	Elliott Hauser
Yorick van Wageningen	...	Steiger
Timothy West	...	Lawrence Bauford
Kate Trotter	...	Mrs. Bauford
Jonathan Higgins	...	Philip (as Johnathan Higgins)
John Gausden	...	Jimmy Bauford
Isabelle Horler	...	Anna Bauford
Iain Lee	...	Master of Ceremonies
Keelan Anthony	...	Jojo (as Keelan Anthony Ray Forsythe)
John Bourgeois	...	Rolly
Kalyane Tea	...	Steiger's Girlfriend

Storyline

Beyond Borders is an epic tale of the turbulent romance between two star-crossed lovers set against the backdrop of the world's most dangerous hot spots. Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie stars as Sarah Jordan, an American living in London in 1984. She is married to Henry Bauford son of a wealthy British industrialist, when she encounters Nick Callahan a renegade doctor, whose impassioned plea for help to support his relief efforts in war-torn Africa moves her deeply. As a result, Sarah embarks upon a journey of discovery that leads to danger, heartbreak and romance in the far corners of the world.

---

Plot Keywords:

eating one's tongue | central intelligence agency | dead boy | grave digging | painkiller | 

---

Taglines:

Where hope survives.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and war-related violence

Details

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English Amharic Khmer German Chechen

Release Date:

24 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Más allá de las fronteras

Filming Locations:

Charlevoix Region, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,076,402, 26 October 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$4,426,297, 23 November 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandalay Pictures, CP Medien AG, Camelot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Martin Campbell cast Clive Owen because he was unknown in the US at the time. It made the character of Dr Nick Callahan seem more real, and a more famous actor would have detracted from that. He didn't even need to screentest. Campbell knew Owen was right after just meeting him.

---

Goofs

The scar on Nick's face switches from cheek to cheek throughout the last half of the movie.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Sarah Jordan: I wonder, do we all know where we belong? And if we do, in our hearts, why do we so often do nothing about it? There must be more to this life, a purpose for us all, a place to belong. You were my home. I knew from the moment I met you, that night, so many years ago.

---

Crazy Credits

This film is dedicated to all relief workers and the millions of people who are victims of war and persecution. They continue to inspire us all with their courage and will to survive.

---

Connections

References St. Elsewhere (1982)

---

Soundtracks

All I Want
Written and Performed by Peter Beckett and Steve Plunkett
Performed by DNA

User Reviews

Sad but as realistic as can be

I didn't even know about this movie until I chanced upon a trailer of it and then realised it hadn't even made it to the cinemas. I wondered why so I searched on IMDb, most comments are mixed but I reckoned I should give the movie a watch but couldn't get hold of the DVD until now. Only then did I know why it never made it to the box office nor even near any cinemas in certain countries.

Let's face it - we go to the cinemas to forget our problems and not be reminded of them which is precisely the reason why movies like these don't make any money but others do. Most movies about injustice and persecution always have the good guys win in the end but this movie doesn't. In fact, we're introduced to the startling reality of the lives of volunteer workers and what they have to go through with all their good intentions in place. We are also introduced and/or reminded of the ugly side of humanity as to why certain countries will never be able to have peace because people are just too selfish fighting out their own agendas to spare any thought for another person.

Clive Owen was superb in this movie and whilst I would've liked to see him paired up with Catherine-Zeta Jones (the original choice for the female lead), Angelina Jolie was pretty decent as well. It could've been worst coz the behind-the-scenes commentary said their original male lead was Kevin Costner. No offence but I don't think he would've pulled it off. He's too 'The Bodyguard' if you know what I mean.

The love story is just a sub-plot and was so subtly done and there are no mushy lovey-dovey sequences to make your eyes roll. It's just a simple story about two people bonded by their common passion but whilst one chooses to act it out whole-heartedly, the other keeps a silent but burning fire for it. Now, that's love!

One commentator here said that this movie doesn't do any justice for the refugees and the victims but I must say that no movie can. Even if you do visit these places to see for yourself what really goes on, you have a choice - you can leave whilst these people don't so unless you are in that exact same position, I think nobody should ever try to comment about it because it's something I don't think none of us in developed countries can ever truly understand. Besides, this movie is about the volunteer workers and what they have to go through and the love story between the two leads as the backdrop to distract us from the painful realities depicted in the movie. I don't really agree with some inaccurate plots in certain movies but I don't know the 110% truth about this movie so I just accept it and then find out more about it if I want to. It's something you can't expect from movies anyway coz movies are not supposed to educate but just to entertain and maybe enlighten us a little. You want a 100% accurate show, then go watch National Geographic.

All in all, the filmmakers of Beyond Borders deserve some credit for trying to tell a story different from the rest of the junk playing in the cinemas nowadays. Some of you might have felt they didn't really succeed but I still think they gave it their best shot. Now, you have to give them at least that!