Don't Say a Word

For the Sonata Arctica EP, see Don't Say a Word (EP).

Don't Say a Word
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gary Fleder
Produced by	Arnon Milchan Arnold Kopelson Anne Kopelson
Written by	Andrew Klavan Anthony Peckham
Starring	Michael Douglas Brittany Murphy Sean Bean Guy Torry Jennifer Esposito Famke Janssen Oliver Platt
Music by	Mark Isham
Cinematography	Amir Mokri
Editing by	Armen Minasian William Steinkamp
Studio	Regency Enterprises Village Roadshow Pictures
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	September 28, 2001 (2001-09-28)
Running time	113 minutes
Country	United States Australia
Language	English Italian
Budget	$50 million
Box office	$100,020,092

Don't Say a Word is a 2001 psychological thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy and Sean Bean based on the novel of the same title by Andrew Klavan. Don't Say a Word was directed by Gary Fleder and written by Anthony Peckham and Patrick Smith Kelly.

Plot

In 1991, a gang of thieves steal a rare $10 million gem, but in the process, two of the gang double cross their leader, Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and take off with the precious stone.

Ten years later, on the day before Thanksgiving, prominent private practice Manhattan child psychiatrist, Dr. Nathan R. Conrad (Michael Douglas), is invited by his friend and former colleague, Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt), to examine a disturbed young lady named Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy) at the state sanatorium.

Having been released from prison on November 4, Patrick and the remaining gang members break into an apartment, which overviews Nathan's apartment, including his wife Aggie (Famke Janssen) and daughter Jessie (Skye McCole Bartusiak). That evening, Patrick kidnaps the psychiatrist's daughter as a means of forcing him to acquire a 6 digit number from Elisabeth's memory.

As Nathan visits Elisabeth, she is reluctant at first but he gains her trust later - especially when he reveals his daughter was kidnapped and will be killed if he doesn't get the number they want. Dr. Sachs admits to Nathan that the gang who kidnapped Jessie also kidnapped his girlfriend to force him to acquire the number from Elisabeth. Louis Sachs is then visited by Detective Sandra Cassidy who reveals to him that his girlfriend has been found dead.

Meanwhile, Aggie hears Jessie's voice and realizes the kidnappers reside in the apartment nearby. The kidnappers send one of them to kill Aggie while the others escape with Jessie, but Aggie sets an ambush and kills him.

After Nathan takes Elisabeth out of the sanatorium, she begins to remember past events. It is revealed that Elisabeth's dad was a member of the gang that committed the robbery ten years ago and he double crossed them and took the stolen gem. However, other members of the gang later found him and ordered him to reveal where he had hidden the gem, pushing him in front of the train in the subway. The gang members were arrested immediately after that and Elisabeth escapes with her doll, where the gem was hidden. She also remembers that the required number 815508 is the number of her father's grave at the Hart Island and her doll has been placed by her in the coffin ,she was stowing away on a boat that was taking her father's coffin for burial in Potter's field on Hart Island the grave digger's helped her put the doll Mischka inside.

Nathan and Elisabeth steal the boat to reach the Hart Island. The gang members trace them down and demand that he give them the number they want. Elisabeth reveals the number and Patrick orders his companion to dig the coffin out. He finds the doll and the gem hidden inside it. He then decides to kill Nathan and Elisabeth but Detective Cassidy arrives before he can shoot them. Patrick's companion is shot by Cassidy but Patrick manages to wound her. Nathan uses the mess, takes the gem from Patrick and throws it to the excavation. Patrick goes to recover the gem but Nathan triggers the mechanism which covers Patrick with earth, burying him alive. He is then reunited with his wife and daughter, and Elisabeth it is implied goes to live with the Conrad's.

Cast

• Michael Douglas as Dr. Nathan R. Conrad
• Brittany Murphy as Elisabeth Burrows
• Sean Bean as Patrick Koster
• Skye McCole Bartusiak as Jessie Conrad
• Guy Torry as Dolen
• Jennifer Esposito as Det. Sandra Cassidy
• Shawn Doyle as Russel Maddox
• Victor Argo as Sydney Simon
• Conrad Goode as Max Dunlevy
• Paul Schulze as Jake
• Lance Reddick as Arnie
• Famke Janssen as Agatha "Aggie" Conrad
• Oliver Platt as Dr. Louis Sachs
• Aidan Devine as Leon Edward Croft
• Alex Campbell as Jonathan
• Philip DeWilde as Intern
• Sam Montesano as Frankie
• Arlene Duncan as Aide
• Judy Sinclair as Zelda Sinclair
• Larry Block as Doorman
• David Warshofsky as Ryan
• Darren Frost as Janitor
• Philip Williams as Large Cop
• Louis Vanaria as Cop at Scene
• Daniel Kash as Detective Garcia
• Lucie Laurier as Vanessa
• Isabella Fink as 8 Year Old Elisabeth
• Ray Iannicelli as Man at Marina
• Colm Magner as Cop #1
• Cyrus Farmer as Officer #1
• Martin Roach as Transit Cop
• Patricia Mauceri as Sofia

Soundtrack

The film's musical score was composed by Mark Isham. The soundtrack contains eight songs from various scenes, including the Heist, the Kidnapping and the horrific events at the Subway.^[1]

Some of the music in the film includes the following songs and performers:

1. Funky Cold Medina by Tone Loc
2. 5 By Steve by Steve Weisberg
3. Fee Fie Foo by Louis Prima
4. Promises by India.Arie
5. Pride & Joy by Marvin Gaye
6. Dream a Little, Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald
7. Pink Toenails by Martie Maguire and Laura Lynch, sung by Skye McCole Bartusiak

See also

• Hart Island, New York

References

1. ^ Original Score at Amazon.co.uk

External links

• Don't Say a Word at the Internet Movie Database