HARD RAIN
US, 1998, 96 minutes, Colour.
Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver, Edward Asner.
Directed by Mikael Salomon.
A combination of heist thriller and disaster spectacle, the action takes place over several hours during which rain pours down, an armoured car is robbed, criminals pursue the hero, the police are ambiguous and a dam bursts, all in 96 minutes.
Special effects are effective, especially with all the action at night and in pouring rain. The cast have to wade, row, swim and dive almost as much as those in Titanic. The action is taut and well edited. It all makes for an entertaining thriller. Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater are strong leads and the screenplay is by Graham Yost who wrote Speed and Broken Arrow and knows his stuff. Action in the rain.
1.An entertaining action thriller? Heist? Disaster film? An entertaining combination?
2.The Indiana town, only at night? The town and the evacuation, the mayor leaving? The police in charge and evacuating people? The old couple who stayed? The van, the security, the money? Being caught by the flood? The basis for action drama? The musical score?
3.The title, the emphasis on the rain, the flooding, the dam and the release of the water, the overflow? The town gradually being submerged? People and their deaths in the hard rain?
4.The set-up, Tom and Uncle Charlie and their getting the money, driving the van, caught by the rain? The confrontation with the criminals, Charlie ringing for the National Guard? The confrontation, the shoot-out – and Charlie’s death? The irony of Jim revealing to Tom that Uncle Charlie had been part of the plan?
5.Tom, his past life, the opportunity for a job, relying on Uncle Charlie, their arguing? Charlie’s death? Tom and his taking the money, getting into the town, hiding it in the cemetery? The pursuit in the boat through the offices? His taking refuge in the church, Karen hitting him over the head? The sheriff and his arrest, interrogation? His being put in the cell – and locked there? The rising water, his devices for keeping alive, inability to get the key? Karen coming and saving him? The deal with the sheriff? The pursuit by Jim and his gang? Meeting the old couple and their giving them the boat? The action in the cemetery, in the church? The betrayal by the sheriff? Jim and his men being killed? Jim helping Tom? Rescuing Karen and shooting the banister to free her? The final confrontation, the shoot-out, the death of the police. Allowing Jim to get away with the money, his telling lies to the authorities? A future with Karen? Typical heroics from the almost anti-hero?
6.The sheriff, his men, his ridiculing the slow-witted men? Evacuating the town? His hostility towards the mayor? His grudges, going about the money, the decision to take the money for himself, to get the support of his men? The confrontation with Phil? The confrontation with Jim, the shoot-outs, the pursuits? The final confrontation with Tom – the shooting? The deaths of the other men – trying to escape? Phil and his help, telling Tom where Karen lived in order to save her?
7.The gang, Jim as leader, Kenny and his erratic behaviour, the shooting – and his being electrocuted, Jim reassuring him as he died? Mr Mehlor? and his place in the group? Ray? The taking of the money, the shooting, the pursuit of Tom? The boats, the rising water? The deaths, Jim’s survival, in the cemetery, getting the money, confronting the sheriff? His final escape?
8.The sketch of Mr and Mrs Sears, his low-key style, her continually carping at him, their not wanting to leave, the boat, their being stranded in the tree – and her relying on her husband?
9.The popularity of this kind of action adventure? The heist and the pursuit? In the context of spectacular special effects for the rain and the flooding?
