The Relic (film)

: "This article is about a movie. For other uses, please see Relic (disambiguation)".Infobox Film
name = The Relic

|thumb|right|200px|"The Relic" movie poster
caption = movie poster
director = Peter Hyams
producer = Gale Anne Hurd
Sam Mercer
writer = Douglas Preston (novel)
Lincoln Child (novel)
Amy Holden Jones (screenplay)
John Raffo (screenplay)
Rick Jaffa (screenplay)
Amanda Silver (screenplay)
starring = Penelope Ann Miller
Tom Sizemore
Linda Hunt
James Whitmore
music = John Debney
cinematography = Peter Hyams
editing = Steven Kemper
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = 10 January, 1997
runtime = 110 min
rating = R
country = USA
awards =
language = English
budget = $40,000,000
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0120004

"The Relic" (1997), is a film starring Tom Sizemore, Penelope Ann Miller and Linda Hunt. This Peter Hyams-directed feature is based on the best selling novel of the same name and "Reliquary" which was released in 1998, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It is rated R for monster violence and gore and for language.

Taglines

*"There are secrets better left unknown and treasures better left undiscovered... In 1995, an expedition found something that turns myths into nightmares. Something that gives shape to fear, and form to evil. Something as powerful as it is deadly... They should never have seen it. They should never have touched it. And then—They did the unthinkable. THEY BROUGHT IT BACK."
*"The next evolution in terror."
*"What terrifies you...?"

ynopsis

A researcher at the Field Museum of Chicago returns from South America with some crates containing his findings. When the crates arrive at the museum without the owner there appears to be very little inside. However, police discover gruesome murders on the cargo ship that brought the crates to the US and then another murder in the museum itself. Investigating the murders is Lt. Vincent D'Agosta who enlists the help of Dr. Margo Green at the museum—she has taken an interest in the contents of her colleague's crates. Unknown to both there is a large creature roaming the museum which is gearing itself up for a benefit reception which the city's mayor is to attend.

Cast

*Penelope Ann Miller — Dr. Margo Green
*Tom Sizemore — Lt. Vincent D'Agosta
*Linda Hunt — Dr. Ann Cuthbert
*James Whitmore — Dr. Albert Frock
*Clayton Rohner — Det. Hollingsworth
*Chi Moui Lo — Dr. Greg Lee
*Thomas Ryan — Tom Parkinson
*Francis X. McCarthy — Mr. Blaisedale
*Constance Towers — Mrs. Blaisedale
*John Kapelos — McNully
*Don Harvey — Spota
*Dave Graubart — Eugene

Production

The novel was adapted into screenplay form by Amy Holden Jones (who wrote the screenplay for "Indecent Proposal"). Producer Gale Anne Hurd commissioned Jones to do a rewrite with three other screenwriters in order to produce a shorter, more compact version of the script. ^{[citation needed]} Many characters were removed and or merged with others. The book's location was changed due to the American Museum of Natural History being unavailable and so the production was moved to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Reaction

Despite garnering multiple genre awards, and getting some appraisal from critics, the movie didn't fare so well financially at the box office. According to the cover it was given "two thumbs up" by Siskel and Ebert. Awards included the Stockholm Film and Fantasy Awards and a nomination for the lead actor Tom Sizemore at Boston. However, "The Relic" has found an audience as a cult hit. Leonard Maltin give it 2½ out of 4 stars and stated, "Yes, it's "ALIEN in a museum," but not bad. The monster, done both "live" and by computer graphics is especially impressive, but the explanation for it is laughable."

External links

*imdb title|id=0120004|title=The Relic

Box Office Leaders USA
before = Michael
date = January 12
year = 1997
after = Beverly Hills Ninja