STRIKING DISTANCE

US, 1993, 102 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, Tom Sizemore, Brion James, Robert Pastorelli, Timothy Basfield, John Mahoney, Andre Braugher, Tom Atkins.
Directed by Rowdy Herrington.

Striking Distance is a Bruce Willis vehicle of the mid-90s. Having established himself as a star of action shows with Die Hard and its sequel, Bruce Willis appeared in several films like this, police shows, mysterious killers, chases and shoot-outs. Striking distance is a generic kind of name for this kind of film.

The film is well done, Rowdy Herrington having an ability with this kind of rowdy film, for example Road House, Gladiator (not the Russell Crowe version but a film about a fighter starring Cuba Gooding).

The setting is Pittsburgh and Herrington, who comes from Pittsburgh, uses the town and its rivers to full effect. The cast is strong, led by Bruce Willis with John Mahoney as his father, Sarah Jessica Parker as the love interest with character actors like Dennis Farina, Tom Sizemore and Robert Pastorelli as a family of cops.

This is the kind of film that action audiences like, some themes about police work, families, investigations of police corruption as well as plenty of action.

1. The impact of the film? Title? Action show, Bruce Willis style?

2. The Pittsburgh setting, homes and the police precincts, the rivers, the barges? Road chases, river chases? The musical score?

3. The familiarity with the police investigation genre, the work of the police, suspects, clashes at the precinct, suspicions, Internal Affairs investigation? The genre of the serial killer, the mystery, the brutality towards women, torture, the solution of the mystery?

4. Father and son, Tom and Vince? The generations of police in the family? Vince Hardy and his work as police chief? The relationship with the Ditillo family, cousins? Jimmy Ditillo as his former partner, the giving of evidence against Jimmy, the allegations of excessive violence? The serial killer, the pursuit of the killer, Tom and Vince and their participating in the chase (and their light-hearted chatter during it)? The crash, Tom being injured, finding his father dead, shot? No killer?

5. The accusation against the vagrant, Kesser, as the serial killer, his being charged?

6. Tom, his character, commitment to police work, his relationship with the other members of the force? His love for his father? Relationship with his father as sketched during the chase? His regaining consciousness and his shock to find his father dead?

7. Jimmy Ditillo, his being condemned, possibility of going to prison, diving into the river from the bridge? The irony that he did not die?

8. The passing of time, Tom and his unreliability, his drinking, his being part of the river rescue patrol rather than on the side? None of the Ditillos now being in charge, Nick Ditillo? Jimmy Ditillo's brother Danny, returning from California, joining the force?

9. Further killings, Tom Hardy and his opinion about the continuity of the serial killer and Kesser not being the killer? The reaction of Nick Ditillo and the others? Their giving him a new partner?

10. Jo Christman, working with Tom, the incident with the gunmen, the hijacking of the barge, his action, her admiration?

11. Further killings, an ex-girlfriend of Tom? The brutality of the killer phoning him, the screams of the woman before she was killed?

12. Tom, Jo and the relationship, going to the dance, his being ignored by the police, Danny and his drunkenness, fighting? Tom and Jo and their relationship? The irony of her being Internal Affairs investigator, Emily Harper? His being part of her commission? Her testifying in favour of Tom, his not being reprimanded?

13. The killer, the abduction of Emily? The killer at the Ditillos', the cabin by the river, the memories of he and his cousins playing there in the past?

14. Danny, knocked out and handcuffed, Jimmy Ditillo alive, wanting to kill Tom, Danny and Emily? Nick and his arrival, the revelation that he had accidentally shot Vince Hardy, letting Jimmy escape? His being killed by Nick?

15. Tom, getting loose from his bonds but still handcuffed, the pursuit, the drama of the chase along the river, his confrontation of Jimmy, Jimmy drowning?

16. Tom and his ability to have a new phase of his life, the relationship with Jo, his work in the police force?

17. The film as a satisfying look at police work, serial killers? A murder mystery?