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Nick of Time
An ordinary man is suddenly forced into a plot to kill a politician in exchange for his kidnapped daughter's freedom.
1995 · Directed by John Badham · 89 min · Thriller · Crime · Action · Screenplay in the scene database · 5 frames
Tagline
Ninety minutes. Six bullets. No choice.
Plot
Gene Watson, a mild-mannered accountant, arrives with his daughter Lynn at Union Station in Los Angeles. As Gene is using a payphone, two mysterious strangers in suits, known only as Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones, survey the station and discuss a yet-to-be-elaborated scheme. Noticing Gene retaliate against a skater who was harassing his daughter, Smith and Jones set their sights on him. Showing a badge, the two strangers convince Gene that they are police officers and whisk both father and daughter into a van without justification. Once inside, Gene begins to notice things are not right and gets nervous, but Smith subsequently pistol whips him in the knee. Smith then informs Gene that they will kill his daughter by 1:30 p.m. unless he murders a woman depicted in a photograph. He soon learns that the woman is Eleanor Grant, the governor of California.
At the Bonaventure Hotel, where a campaign appearance is scheduled, Gene makes several attempts to warn people about his situation. Smith consistently follows and harasses him, viciously beating him whenever he does not make a move. Gene manages to find a young campaign assistant, Krista Brooks, who believes his story and encourages him to report the matter to the governor's husband, Brendan Grant. Once in his suite, however, Brendan and a campaign lobbyist appear to disbelieve the story. Smith shows up in the room and fatally shoots Krista. Gene attacks Smith, but Smith overpowers him and chokes him unconscious. Gene wakes up and finds nearly everyone on the campaign, including the governor's staff and husband, is involved in the plot, with an unnamed lobbyist masterminding it all in revenge for the governor not carrying out her campaign promises to his interests.
Gene eventually finds shoe shiner named Huey and tries to tell him about the plot against the governor. While he initially does not believe Gene's story, Smith talks to Gene about the plot, believing Huey to be completely deaf, as his sign states he's a disabled Army veteran. Huey reluctantly helps Gene get to Grant's suite so he can warn her of the conspiracy. Although skeptical at first of his story, she later notices Brendan act suspiciously about Krista's whereabouts and realizes Gene is telling the truth. Being hastened by her husband to make a speech, the governor greets supporters in a ballroom when Gene takes out the gun, points it at a projector room where Smith is watching him, and shoots at the window. This unleashes a panic in the ballroom, causing a stampede and brief shootout between Gene and security staff. Thinking that his wife is dead, Brendan openly gloats about the plot's success, only to find out in horror that she had heard everything, confirming her suspicions about him.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Patrick Sheane Duncan
- Cinematography: Roy H. Wagner
- Edited by: Kevin Stitt, Frank Morriss
- Music: Arthur B. Rubinstein
- Production design: Philip Harrison
- Produced by: John Badham
Cast
- Johnny Depp as Gene Watson
- Courtney Chase as Lynn Watson
- Charles S. Dutton as Hucy
- Christopher Walken as Mr. Smith
- Roma Maffia as Ms. Jones
- Peter Strauss as Brendan Grant
- Gloria Reuben as Krista Brooks
- Marsha Mason as Gov. Eleanor Grant
- Miguel Nájera as Franco (Governor's Bodyguard)
- Bill Smitrovich as Officer Trust
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Paramount Pictures
- Budget: $33,000,000
- Box office: $8,175,346
- Themes: assassination, politics, los angeles, california
More by John Badham
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