Con Air

Con Air
Con Air

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Simon West
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Written by Scott Rosenberg
Starring Nicolas Cage
John Cusack
John Malkovich
Monica Potter
Ving Rhames
Mykelti Williamson
Nick Chinlund
Rachel Ticotin
Steve Buscemi
Music by Mark Mancina
Trevor Rabin
Cinematography David Tattersall
Editing by Chris Lebenzon
Steve Mirkovic
Glen Scantlebury
Studio Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s) June 6, 1997 (1997-06-06)
Running time 115 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $75 million
Box office $224,012,234

Con Air is an Academy Award-nominated 1997 American action-thriller film directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich. The film borrows its title from the nickname of the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System.

The film featured the hit single "How Do I Live", performed by Trisha Yearwood for the movie but originally recorded by LeAnn Rimes.

Contents

Plot

Former Army Ranger Cameron Poe is sentenced to a maximum-security federal penitentiary for using excessive force and killing a drunk man who had been attempting to assault his pregnant wife Tricia. Eight years later, Poe is paroled on good behavior, and eager to see his daughter Casey whom he has never met. Poe is arranged to be flown back home to Alabama on the C-123 "Jailbird" where he will be released on landing; several other prisoners, including his diabetic cellmate and friend Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell and the criminal mastermind Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, are also being flown to be transferred to a new Supermax prison. DEA Agent Duncan Malloy wishes to bring aboard one of his Agents, Willie Sims, as a prisoner to coax more information out of drug lord Francisco Cindino before he is incarcerated. Vince Larkin, the U.S. Marshal overseeing the transfer, agrees to it, but is utterly unaware that Malloy has armed Sims with a gun.

Shortly after takeoff, a prisoner named "Pinball" Parker incites a riot spearheaded by Grissom that allows them to overpower the guards and pilots and take over the plane; Sims is killed when he attempts to stop Grissom. Grissom orders the plane to continue to Carson City for a scheduled prisoner transfer, where they would offload the guards and pilots disguised as prisoners, aided by the poor visibility from an ongoing dust-storm. Though he could have left the plane during the transfer, Poe feigns cooperation with Grissom but leaves a recording device from Sims' body on one of the guards being offloaded. Among the new prisoners boarding the plane are Cindino, who masterminded their escape, their new pilot Swamp Thing and serial killer Garland Greene, who even has the respect of Cyrus.

Grissom orders Swamp Thing to remove the transponder and has Pinball plant it on another plane. Moments before the plane takes off, the guards discover the clue Poe left behind, and alert Malloy and Larkin. Malloy sets off immediately to follow the transponder but soon discovers the deception. Meanwhile, Pinball was unable to make it aboard the plane on time, and his body has become lodged in the landing gear as the aircraft takes off when the security forces are alerted. Poe secretly writes a message to Larkin explaining Grissom's plan on Pinball's shirt and pushes the body out, where it lands in the middle of Fresno, California. Larkin calls for the National Guard to Lerner Airfield, an abandoned Air Force base in the desert, while using Malloy's sportscar to beat the Jailbird there.

The Jailbird lands at Lerner but overshoots the runway after nearly hitting a tour plane and grounds itself in the sand. Seeing no evidence of Cindino's plane, Grissom orders the prisoners to dig the Jailbird free. Meanwhile, Poe, seeking an insulin shot for Baby-O, meets Larkin and the two run down their respective situations. Larkin proceeds to find Cindino boarding his private jet with his men and manages to disable the jet before it leaves. Grissom discovers Cindino's treachery and kills him by blowing up his private jet. Johnny 23 has already spotted National Guard troops heading toward the airfield and Grissom arms the prisoners with rifles and shotguns from the plane's weapons locker after discovering Billy Bedlam's dead body and arranges to lure the troops into a death trap, but Larkin protects the troops during the gun battle by using a bulldozer as a make-shift shield. Grissom and the remaining prisoners return to the Jailbird and take off before Poe is able to escape with Baby-O and a female guard, Sally Bishop.

Grissom soon discovers Poe's true identity and prepares to kill him after shooting Baby-O. Malloy, having tracked down the plane, opens fire on it and disables one of the engines. With Cyrus and the others distracted shooting from the plane's ramp, Poe gains control of the cockpit. When Larkin tells Malloy about Poe's identity as a parolee, Malloy orders not to fire. They both order the plane to land at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas but since they are low on fuel, they are forced to crash land in The Strip.

The landing injures the inmates while causing massive destruction along the Strip until it comes to a halt at the lobby of the Sands Hotel. Amid the chaos, Poe is thanked by both Baby-O and Sally for his help. Grissom, Diamond Dog and Swamp Thing escape on a fire truck. Larkin and Poe notice them trying to flee, hop on motorcycles and pursue them, eventually killing all three escapees. Finally, Poe is able to meet Tricia and Casey who have been brought by Larkin to meet him. Cameron Poe then reunites with his loving wife and daughter.

All of the convicts are now dead or recaptured, except for Garland Greene having escaped and survived the crash unharmed, who is shown playing craps and sipping margaritas in a casino.

Cast

  • Nicolas Cage as Cameron Poe - a paroled ex-convict and former Army Ranger, he was convicted of killing a man who verbally abused his wife and attacked Poe, catching a ride home aboard the Jailbird from San Quentin to Alabama where he will be reunited with his family.
  • John Cusack as US Marshal Vince Larkin - Chief Marshal looking to take back the Jailbird with Poe's help. Presented as intelligent and fairly liberal for his position, he later forms an alliance with Poe to stop the rest of the criminals.
  • John Malkovich as Cyrus Grissom' - known as "Cyrus the Virus" or "The Virus". A cunning, intelligent criminal who has spent 25 of his 39 years in the prison system for robbery, murder, kidnapping and extortion. Grissom earned a Bachelor's Degree and a Juris Doctor while incarcerated, despite claims to have "killed more people than cancer." He murdered 11 prisoners, caused 3 riots and escaped twice.
  • Ving Rhames as Nathan Jones - known as "Diamond Dog". A black militant leader imprisoned for murdering NRA members. Acts as Cyrus' second-in-command during the uprising. While in prison, he wrote a critically acclaimed book titled Reflections in a Diamond Eye, lauded by reviewers as "a wakeup call for the black community." He does not like or trust Grissom, and plans to kill him once they've fully escaped.
  • Mykelti Williamson as Mike O'Dell - known as "Baby-O". Poe's nonviolent, diabetic cellmate who is transferring between prisons and is a steadfast friend. His insulin shots were to be administered during the flight but the injection needles were crushed during the prisoners' uprising, leaving him weak and forcing Poe to stay on board to protect him.
  • Nick Chinlund as William Bedford - known as "Billy Bedlam". A mass murderer who is serving eight consecutive life sentences for the murder of his adulterous wife's entire family and classified as a "separatee" inmate along with Grissom, Jones and Greene.
  • Steve Buscemi as Garland Greene - known as "The Marietta Mangler". A soft-spoken serial killer who is feared by the other inmates and revered by Grissom. He has murdered 30 people and once drove through three states wearing the head of a girl as a hat. He is imprisoned under the highest security measures, including extreme body restraints and a Hannibal Lecter-style mask.
  • Danny Trejo as Johnny Baca - known as "Johnny-23". A serial rapist who derives his nickname from his number of convicted rapes which he tracks via a tattoo on his arm, although he claims to be responsible for hundreds more.
  • M. C. Gainey as "Swamp Thing" - a Vietnam War veteran and drug smuggler whose pilot expertise is sought after and used to fly the Jailbird to replace the original pilot, following its takeover and his subsequent transfer to the plane while in Carson City.
  • Jesse Borrego as Francisco Cindino - the heir of a Colombian drug cartel family financing Grissom's escape.
  • Dave Chappelle as Joe Parker - known as "Pinball". A drug addict, arsonist and inmate responsible for distracting the guards, allowing Grissom and Jones the opportunity to initiate the uprising.
  • Renoly Santiago as Ramon Martinez - known as "Sally Can't Dance". A transvestite inmate who appears sexually subservient to his fellow detainees. Credited under the name "Renoly".
  • Colm Meaney as DEA Agent Duncan Malloy - An overzealous agent who finds himself immediately at odds with Larkin, whom he antagonizes.
  • Rachel Ticotin as Guard Sally Bishop - a female prison guard transporting Poe and O'Dell, who remains protected by Poe during the inmates' takeover of the plane.
  • Steve Eastin as Guard Falzon - the lead guard on the plane, who is saved by Poe (whom he had previously dubbed trailer trash), who plants Sims' tape recorder on him to alert the Carson City authorities.
  • José Zúñiga as DEA Agent Willie Sims - an undercover agent who is posing as an inmate to interrogate Cindino about the family drug business.
  • Brendan Kelly as Conrad - one of the convicts from Carson City.
  • Conrad Goode as "Viking" - a dimwitted Aryan convict from Carson City.
  • Kevin Gage as Billy Joe - the man whom Cameron kills at the beginning. (Uncredited)
  • Monica Potter as Tricia Poe - Cameron's wife.
  • Landry Allbright as Casey Poe - Cameron's 8-year-old daughter, whom he meets for the first time after the plane crash.
  • Bunny as The Bunnaeh - A stuffed animal Cameron Poe promises to his 8 year old daughter. Its well being is put in danger throughout the movie only to be saved by Poe on numerous occasions.

Production

On the DVD commentary of Chappelle's Show, Dave Chappelle states that he improvised most of his lines in this film. Jerry Bruckheimer wanted to cut the final scene of Greene at the craps table in Las Vegas and end the film with the heartfelt family reunion. The screenwriters convinced Bruckheimer to include the scene and in test screenings audiences loved it, thus it stayed.

The areas used in filming are Ogden Airport where the exchange of prisoners is seen. Wendover Airport is used in the flying scenes and taxi scenes for the aircraft which is now used as an attraction to visitors. It is used as the stand in for the fictional Lerner Airfield even the old swimming pool in the base where Garland Greene is seen talking with a girl and the boneyard scenes were filmed in one area of it. Most of the interiors of the plane were filmed in a soundstage. The Las Vegas scenes were filmed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino where the plane's left wing hits the Fender Stratocaster sign. This is also where its premiere was held. The crash site was filmed in the Sands Hotel before its demolition on November 26, 1996. The 2nd Street Tunnel in L.A. was used for the tunnel chase scene near the end of the film.

On August 29, 1996, Phillip Swartz, a welder employed by a special effects company, was crushed to death when a cargo plane to be used in the film fell on him.[1]

Crash site of the C-123 from Con Air, Mount Healy, Denali National Park, Alaska

The Jailbird airplane used during flight scenes in the film had a series of owners, both military and private. In December 2003 it was sold to All West Freight Inc. in Delta Junction, Alaska. On August 1, 2010 the plane was destroyed when it crashed into Mount Healy within Denali National Park in Alaska. The three member flight crew was killed during the crash.[2][3][4][5]

The plane used for the taxi scenes was donated to the Wendover Airfield by the filmmakers after filming and is currently on display at the ramp. It now serves as an attraction for visitors.

Reception

The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Song and Best Sound (Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Art Rochester), losing to Titanic in both categories.[6] It was also declared by the Golden Raspberry Awards as having the "Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property" of any film in 1997.

The film received mixed reviews with 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 34 out of 60 critics giving it a positive review with an average rating of 5.7/10.[7] However, amongst top reviewers, the film has a positive 86% rating.[8] Roger Ebert awarded three out of four stars, saying it "moves smoothly and with visual style and verbal wit."[9]

The film grossed $101,117,573 in North America and $122,894,661 in other territories, totaling $224,012,234 worldwide.[10] The film won the Golden Raspberry Award for 'Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property". "How Do I Live" was nominated for both an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Razzie for Worst Original Song, but won neither.

The film is extensively parodied in Homestuck, particularly the ending scene, with several characters developing obsessions with Nicolas Cage's character, Cameron Poe. Acting out the ending scene has become a running gag within the comic.

Soundtrack

Con Air
Soundtrack album by Trevor Rabin, Mark Mancina
Released June 17, 1997
Genre Soundtrack
Label Hollywood Records

The soundtrack album omits two songs featured in the film: "How Do I Live", written by Diane Warren and performed by Trisha Yearwood and "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

  1. "Con Air Theme" – 1:34
  2. "Trisha" – 1:04
  3. "Carson City" – 3:05
  4. "Lear Crash" – 4:44
  5. "Lerner Landing" – 3:28
  6. "Romantic Chaos" – 1:23
  7. "The Takeover" – 3:52
  8. "The Discharge" – 1:09
  9. "Jailbirds" – :59
  10. "Cons Check Out Lerner" – 1:56
  11. "Poe Saves Cops" – 2:25
  12. "The Fight" – :23
  13. "Battle In The Boneyard" – 7:41
  14. "Poe Meets Larkin" – 1:16
  15. "Bedlam Larkin" – :49
  16. "Fire Truck Chase" – 4:22
  17. "Overture" – 4:19

See also

References

  1. ^ "Plane Crushes Worker on Disney Film Set". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1996. Archived from the original on June 26, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5zigMppbK. Retrieved June 26, 2011. 
  2. ^ "Authorities identify victims of Alaska "Con Air"-movie plane crash". BNO News. http://wireupdate.com/wires/8300/authorities-identify-victims-of-alaska-con-air-movie-plane-crash/. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  3. ^ "C-123 Providers starring in "Con Air"". oldwings.nl. http://www.oldwings.nl/content/con_air/con_air.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-02. 
  4. ^ "Federal investigators arrive at Denali crash site; victims identified". newsminer.com. 2010-08-02. http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/8980392/article-Federal-investigators-arrive-at-Denali-crash-site--victims-identified?instance=home_news_window_left_top_1. 
  5. ^ "Probe starts into deadly crash at Denali". adn.com. 2010-08-02. http://www.adn.com/2010/08/02/1392511/probe-starts-into-deadly-crash.html. 
  6. ^ "The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/70th-winners.html. Retrieved 2011-11-19. 
  7. ^ "Con Air (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/con_air/. Retrieved December 29, 2009. 
  8. ^ "Con Air Cream of the Crop(1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/con_air/?critic=creamcrop#contentReviews. Retrieved December 29, 2009. 
  9. ^ "Con Air Roger Ebert Review". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970606/REVIEWS/706060303/1023. Retrieved February 24, 2010. 
  10. ^ "Con Air (1997)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=conair.htm. Retrieved December 29, 2009. 

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