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Walking Tall
A former U.S. soldier returns to his hometown to find it overrun by crime and corruption, which prompts him to clean house.
2004 · Directed by Kevin Bray · 86 min · Adventure · Drama · Action · Thriller · Screenplay in the scene database · 10 frames
Tagline
One man will stand up for what's right.
Plot
Sergeant Chris Vaughn is a former Green Beret who returns to his small hometown in Kitsap County. Looking for work, Chris finds that the local cedar mill was closed down three years earlier by its owner, Jay Hamilton, who opened a casino that now accounts for the majority of the local area's revenue. Hamilton, who was Chris's school friend, invites him to a night of fun at the casino. While checking out the VIP lounge, Chris stumbles upon his childhood friend Deni, who is now working as a stripper. He notices the craps dealer using loaded dice and demonstrates this to the patrons. When the floorman refuses to pay out, Chris instigates a fight. Although Chris beats most of the security guards, he is subdued with a cattle prod. In the basement, Hamilton's head of security, Booth, cuts Chris's torso with a utility knife and leaves him for dead.
After recovering, Chris attempts to press charges, but Sheriff Stan Watkins refuses, saying the casino is untouchable. Chris learns that his nephew Pete has overdosed on meth, which was sold to his friends by the casino security guards. Furious, Chris arrives at the casino and, using a piece of lumber as a club, destroys casino property and brutally beats the security guards. Sheriff Watkins and his deputies apprehend Chris as he drives away. In the ensuing trial, Hamilton's security and staff testify against Chris. When the judge allows Chris to present his defense, he fires his appointed attorney, whom he suspects of working for Hamilton. Chris gives a civic speech about the town's former glory and promises to clean it up if acquitted. To further emphasize his plea, Chris reveals the grotesque scars on his torso. Chris is acquitted and wins the sheriff's election.
Upon taking office, Chris summarily dismisses the entire police force and deputizes his friend Ray Templeton. Being a former drug addict, Ray teaches Chris about narcotics. Chris and Ray crack down on a supply spot and take Booth into custody. Despite stripping his truck into pieces in front of him, Booth reveals nothing. Chris assigns Ray to stand watch over his house in case Hamilton targets his family. Chris remains at the sheriff's office to supervise Booth. Deni visits him, brings him food, and reveals that she quit her job. The next morning, Watkins and his deputies arrive at Chris's office, blow up his truck, and fire upon the building with machine guns. Recognizing his dangerous predicament, Booth pleads for Chris to let him out of his cell. Chris uses the situation as leverage, and Booth reveals that the drug lab is in the cedar mill. Booth is killed immediately by the attackers' indiscriminate fire, but Chris kills the attackers with Deni's help. Chris's parents' house is also attacked, but Ray and Chris's father dispatch the gunmen.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: David Klass, David Levien, Channing Gibson, Brian Koppelman
- Cinematography: Glen MacPherson
- Edited by: George Bowers, Robert Ivison
- Music: Graeme Revell
- Production design: Brent Thomas
- Produced by: Lucas Foster, Jim Burke, Paul Schiff, David Hoberman
Cast
- Dwayne Johnson as Chris Vaughn
- Johnny Knoxville as Ray Templeton
- Neal McDonough as Jay Hamilton
- Kristen Wilson as Michelle Vaughn
- Ashley Scott as Deni
- Khleo Thomas as Pete Vaughn
- John Beasley as Chris Vaughn Sr.
- Barbara Tarbuck as Connie Vaughn
- Michael Bowen as Sheriff Stan Watkins
- Kevin Durand as Booth
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Mandeville Films, Burke/Samples/Foster Productions, WWE Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Budget: $46,000,000
- Box office: $57,223,888
- Themes: small town, martial arts, war veteran, based on true story, remake, torture, one man army, one against many, action hero
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