CHRISTMAS RUSH (BREAKAWAY)
US, 2002, 100 minutes, Colour.
Dean Cain, Erika Eleniak, Eric Roberts.
Directed by Charles Robert Carner.
Christmas Rush is a clone of Die Hard. It is really Die Hard in a suburban shopping mall - in Chicago on Christmas Eve.
The film achieves what it sets out to do, copying the various conventions of the genre of the robbery enclosed in a public building. Dean Cain has a stronger role than usual as the lieutenant, on leave because of departmental jealousies, who encounters the robber whom he knows from the past. Erika Eleniak is his wife, who works in the mall, and who with some others becomes a hostage - as well as collaborating with her husband to foil the criminals. Eric Roberts is the chief criminal.
There is a subplot about children, illness and music, motivation for the robbery. There are some relentlessly bad characters - including a double-crossing partner for Dean Cain. There is the expected action – and everything put together and to rights at the end for a happy Christmas.
The film was written and directed by Charles Robert Carner who directed such telemovies as Vanishing Point, The Fixer, Red Water as well as the film, Judas.
1. The popularity of this kind of telemovie? The genre of the big robbery, the siege, hostages, heroic police? The Die Hard tradition?
2. The Christmas setting, the Christmas mood, decorations, the malls? The realism of the use of the shopping mall, the shops, behind the scenes? The background of homes, schools, concerts? Musical score?
3. The play of Christmas Rush in the title? The alternate title, Breakaway?
4. The focus on Morgan, as a policeman, seeing him in action, the set-up at the beginning, the shoot-out? The deaths? The reaction of the authorities? His suspension? At home? His being irritable? His relationship with his children? Love for his wife? His exasperation and her being hurt? His wanting to make things right – going to the mall with the flowers?
5. Cat Morgan, at home, the children, her understanding of her husband, going to the concert, the music? Meeting Scalzetti, his child and the illness, the music? Morgan and Scalzetti and their past? The warning about not going back to robberies?
6. Scalzetti, as father, his concern about his child, the illness, the need for money for the operation, the transplant? His deciding to do another robbery? The plan, his description, rounding up
the members of the team?
7. The members of the team, the brothers, their effectiveness, ineffectiveness? Their greed? Following Scalzetti? In the mall, the violence, Morgan getting the best of them, the deaths? The phone communication? Scalzetti and his frustrations? Getting the money, moving it? The confrontations with Morgan, taking the hostages, Scalzetti taking a violent stance? The build-up the shoot-outs, the threats to Cat? The arrival of Rich, his not having got the rest of the police, the double
cross, his greed? The inevitable confrontations, shoot-outs, deaths? Scalzetti's death - and asking Morgan to look after his son?
8. Morgan, using his wits, seeing Scalzetti, realising what was happening? The confrontation with various members of the team, the shoot-outs? His wife being hostage, their communication, the dangers? Her using the gun? His reaction to Rich's betrayal? The temptation to take the money, his integrity?
9. The action sequences, interest, excitement? The plausibility of the plot? Expecting to get away with so much money? The motivations? The ending, Christmas, the celebration, the family together?
