Changing Lanes

Changing Lanes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roger Michell
Produced by	Scott Rudin Scott Aversano
Written by	Chap Taylor Michael Tolkin
Starring	Ben Affleck Samuel L. Jackson Toni Collette Sydney Pollack William Hurt Amanda Peet
Music by	David Arnold
Cinematography	Salvatore Totino
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	April 12, 2002
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$45 million
Box office	$94,935,764

Changing Lanes is a 2002 drama-thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson.^[1] It was released on April 12, 2002 in North America by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

A successful New York attorney, Gavin Banek, is in a rush to file a power of appointment, which will prove a dead man signed his foundation over to Banek's law firm. He has a collision with another car, belonging to an insurance salesman, Doyle Gipson, who is also in a rush to a hearing to try to gain custody of his children and to prevent his estranged wife from taking them to Oregon. Banek tries to brush Gipson off with a blank check thereby disobeying the law. After Gipson refuses to accept the check and voices his desire to "do the right thing", that is, filing a police report and insurance claim, Banek strands Gipson, telling him, "better luck next time". After arriving to the court late, Gipson learns that it proceeded without him and that it didn't go in his favor.

Unfortunately for Banek, he dropped the crucial power of appointment file at the scene of the accident, and the judge gives him until the end of the day to re-obtain the papers and present them. Gipson, who took the papers, has no intention of returning them, and in desperation, Banek goes to someone skilled with computers and gets him to switch off Gipson's credit. Gipson needed credit for a loan so he could buy a house for his family, and he becomes further enraged, determined to make life difficult for Banek.

Both men continue to do morally reprehensible things in an attempt to one-up each other, and eventually they begin to question their actions. Though it is made clear that Banek and Gipson are radically different, they both have an angry, vengeful streak, each capable of abandoning his morals just to punish the other. The film ends with both men having a new outlook on life, concentrating on ethics and the moral implications of their actions. Ultimately the two men apologize to each other and Gipson returns the file, but it looks to be too late for both of what they were trying to do. Banek ends up using the file to force his boss to do the right thing and plans to represent Gipson pro bono so he can get the house he wants. Banek also visits Gipson's wife to explain everything to her, knowing he owes Gipson that much. The movie ends with Gipson's wife and children smiling at him from across the street, indicating a possible reconciliation or at the very least some kind of arrangement between the two in the future.

Themes

Several themes are explored. A recurring instance is irony, a good example being the two students whom Banek interviews apparently for roles of articled clerkship with the firm, fresh out of law school. The young man especially says he would like to be a lawyer because he believes people are by nature good, and that conflict arises from historical forces, the law being there as a "buffer", him believing strongly in fairness and justice. He is given the role by Banek, who invites him to see for himself just how the law is in practice. The audience is left wondering how very different the two characters' days would have been had only Banek cared to ask Gipson where he was going that morning, that is the same place as he, to give him a friendly lift.

Reception

The movie was a box-office success, with a budget of $45,000,000, it grossed $66,818,548 in the United States and $28,117,216 elsewhere, with a total gross of $94,935,764.^[2].

Critical Reception

The film received favorable reviews from critics. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 77% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 149 reviews, with an average score of 7/10.^[3] Metacritic gave it an average score of 69 out of 100 from the 36 reviews it collected.^[4]

References

1. ^ Full cast and crew for Changing Lanes (2002). IMDb. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
2. ^ Changing Lanes (2002). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
3. ^ Changing Lanes Movie Reviews, Pictures. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
4. ^ Changing Lanes Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic

External links

• Official website
• Changing Lanes at the Internet Movie Database
• Changing Lanes at Rotten Tomatoes
• Changing Lanes at Metacritic
• Changing Lanes at Box Office Mojo