Ransom (1996 film)

Plot

While millionaire airline magnate Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean is kidnapped and taken to an apartment by Maris Conner, a caterer working for the Mullens; brothers Clark and Cubby Barnes; and tech expert Miles Roberts. Jimmy Shaker, an NYPD detective who is Maris's boyfriend, leads the operation.

The kidnappers send Tom and Kate a video of Sean demanding $2 million. Tom calls the FBI, who operate from his NYC penthouse under Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins.

Tom agrees to the FBI's plan for delivering the ransom. Receiving a phone call from Shaker, who electronically disguises his voice, Tom follows his instructions. He meets Cubby in a New Jersey quarry but refuses to hand over the money when Cubby does not give him the kidnapper's promised directions to Sean.

During the ensuing fight, the FBI shoots Cubby, who dies before revealing Sean's location. Tom realizes the kidnapper has no intention of returning Sean alive. Appearing on television, he presents the money with a warning he would not only refuse to pay the kidnappers, but offers the ransom money as a bounty on the kidnapper, dead or alive. Tom promises to withdraw the bounty and drop all charges only if the kidnapper returns Sean alive and unharmed. With a target on their back, Maris and Clark consider killing Sean and burying the body, but Shaker threatens them and orders them to stay the course.

Shaker lures Kate to a meeting where he assaults her and presents Sean's blood-stained T-shirt as a warning to pay the ransom, but Tom responds by doubling the bounty to $4 million. Shaker calls him to give him one final warning to pay, but he still refuses. After a heated argument, Shaker fires a gunshot in a wall after Tom hears Sean scream for help, leading Sean's parents to believe he is dead.

Clark and Miles attempt to abandon the plan and flee, but Shaker, still determined to claim the ransom, requests police backup, claiming to have found the kidnappers, then kills both men. When Maris shoots him in the arm from behind, he kills her as well. The NYPD arrives to find Shaker with a badly beaten Sean, bound and eyes duct-taped over, while believing Shaker rescued Sean. Tom and Kate reunite with their son, while Shaker is hospitalized.

Shaker arrives at Tom's penthouse to claim the reward. However, both Sean and Tom recognize his voice and expressions as the kidnapper. Exposed, Shaker plans to kill everyone in the apartment if Tom attempts a double cross, but Tom persuades him to accompany him to the bank to get the money and leave peacefully. On the way, Tom discreetly alerts Hawkins, and the police and FBI converge on Tom and Shaker outside the bank.

As soon as Tom and Shaker exit the bank, two police officers attempt to detain Shaker, who shoots them. Tom knocks him to the ground, they struggle and hurl each other through a store window. Tom holds Shaker at gunpoint as the police and Hawkins arrive.

In desperation, Shaker draws another gun from his ankle-holster but is shot dead by Tom and Hawkins. Police rush in to arrest Tom, but Hawkins orders them to stand down. Tom is allowed to leave the scene with Kate.

Cast

• Mel Gibson as Tom Mullen, a wealthy airline magnate determined to save his son
• Rene Russo as Kate Mullen, Tom's wife
• Gary Sinise as Jimmy Shaker, a corrupt NYPD detective who is the mastermind of the kidnapping
• Delroy Lindo as Lonnie Hawkins, an FBI Special Agent tasked with saving Sean
• Lili Taylor as Maris Conner, a caterer working for the Mullens and kidnapper dating Shaker
• Liev Schreiber as Clark Barnes, one of the kidnappers working for Shaker and Cubby's brother
• Evan Handler as Miles Roberts, Shaker's tech guy
• Donnie Wahlberg as "Cubby" Barnes, one of the kidnappers working for Shaker and Clark's brother
• Brawley Nolte as Sean Mullen, Tom & Kate's son who was kidnapped
• Dan Hedaya as Jackie Brown, an union machinist imprisoned after being involved in one Tom's business scandals
• Paul Guilfoyle as FBI Director Stan Wallace
• Michael Gaston as Agent Jack Sickler
• José Zuniga as David Torres, Tom's right-hand man
• Nancy Ticotin as Agent Kimba Welch
• John Ortiz as Roberto
• David Vadim as an NYPD Officer

Reception

Box office

For its opening weekend, Ransom collected a total gross of $34.2 million, beating out Romeo + Juliet and Set It Off to secure the number one spot. Upon its debut, it had the second-highest opening weekend for a Disney film, behind The Lion King, as well as the company's largest live-action opening weekend, surpassing the previous record held by The Rock five months earlier. The film held the latter record until the opening of Armageddon in July 1998. Ransom also achieved the third-highest November opening weekend, after Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Interview with the Vampire. It would hold the record for having the highest opening weekend for a Ron Howard film for four years until 2000 when it was taken by How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Although it was overtaken by Space Jam in its second weekend, Ransom would still make $22.3 million and outgross newcomer The Mirror Has Two Faces.{{cite news |last=Elber |first=Lynn |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkshire-eagle-bugs-jordan-nab-box/158561101/ |title=Bugs, Jordan nab box office prize |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106222758/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkshire-eagle-bugs-jordan-nab-box/158561101/ |date=November 20, 1996 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |archive-date=November 6, 2024 |page=32 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=The Berkshire Eagle |via=Newspapers.com |url-status=live}}

During its theatrical run, Ransom earned $136.4 million domestically and $309.5 million worldwide, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 1996.

Critical response

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.

Critic Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four and wrote, "Gibson gives an interesting performance, showing a man trying to think his way out of a crisis, and Sinise makes a good foil: Here are two smart men playing a game with deadly stakes."

Awards and nominations

1997 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

• Won – Top Box Office Film 1997 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (Saturn Awards)
• Nominated – Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film 1997 Golden Globe Awards
• Nominated – Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama – Mel Gibson 1997 Image Awards
• Nominated – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Delroy Lindo 1997 Young Artist Awards
• Nominated - Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actor – Brawley Nolte

References

References

1. "Ransom (1996)". [[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]].
2. "Imagine Entertainment Ransom".
3. "Ransom". The-Numbers.com.
4. "Ransom". [[Box Office Mojo]].
5. (21 April 2020). "10 Best Ron Howard Movies, Ranked (According To Rotten Tomatoes)".
6. (November 12, 1996). "'Ransom' takes in $34.2 million". [[The Tampa Tribune]].
7. (11 November 1996). "$35 Million Paid for 'Ransom's' Weekend".
8. Hindes, Andrew. (July 6, 1998). "B.O. kicked in the asteroid". [[Variety (magazine).
9. (11 November 1996). "Ransom' captures U.S. box office". [[United Press International]].
10. "Box Office: Grinch Steals Holiday Hearts". [[American Broadcasting Company.
11. "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
12. link. (2012-10-08 Roger Ebert, Retrieved 2010-08-02)
13. . (1996-12-19). ["GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS"](https://variety.com/1996/scene/vpage/golden-globe-nominations-2-1117436552/). *[[Variety (magazine)*.