Arlington Road (1999) User Reviews

Unpredictable...

[Thanos_Alfie · 7/10 · 5 March 2020]

"Arlington Road" is a Crime - Thriller in which we watch a man saving the life of a young boy and after meeting the boy's parents starts to suspect them believing that the aren't what they appear to be. He finds some secrets but some of them could be deadly for everyone.

I liked this movie because it had a very interesting plot with some plot twists that not only I couldn't predict but I couldn't even think. The direction which was made by Mark Pellington was exceptional and he did a very good job at it and succeeded on transferring the mystery and the agony of the main characters to the audience. The interpretations of both Tim Robbins who played as Oliver Lang and Jeff Bridges who played as Michael Faraday were simply amazing. I highly recommend everyone to watch this movie because I am sure that you won't be disappointed.

Interesting Story With Passionate Cast

[Breumaster · 8/10 · 8 February 2020]

The story starts with a shocker. A wounded boy goes down the street while blood drops drip to the asphalt. It's the most adequate beginning of a movie like this. (see synopsis). I did like screenplay and the characters, they are well written. The cast acts passionate and keeps the movie fluent. There is a twist I didn't see coming and I think the whole scenario is frightening. I was well entertained, so I recommend it.

Do You Know Those People Across The Street?

[jhclues · 8/10 · 15 August 2000]

Contrary to what you may think initially, nothing happens by coincidence on `Arlington Road.' Outstanding performances by Jeff Bridges (As Michael Faraday) and Tim Robbins (Oliver Lang) highlight this taut thriller about terrorism in America, a disturbing film instilled with a sense of loss, fear and paranoia. Director Mark Pellington perhaps does not mine this vein to the depths, but there is still a silver lining in this movie, which contains elements of two of Alfred Hitchcock's classics, `The Man Who Knew Too Much,' and `North By Northwest.' Had this film been made forty years ago, in fact, Hitchcock would have been at the helm and we would have had James Stewart instead of Bridges and Richard Widmark in place of Robbins. When Jeff Bridges stars in a thriller, you can usually bet that the project is going to be a cut above the average fare of the genre, and this one is no exception, arguably his best of it's kind since `Jagged Edge.' This is a riveting film, and the tension builds steadily throughout as we uncover, along with Faraday, the dark secrets which ultimately lead to an explosive climax. The excellent supporting cast includes Joan Cusack, Hope Davis and Robert Gossett. A trip to `Arlington Road' is a jolt to the senses and may cause you to stop and rethink a few things about your life. At the very least, you're going to want to finally meet that neighbor who moved in across the street last year. I rate this one 8/10.

Paranoia at its finest

[TC Fenstermaker · 24 August 2000]

Maybe I'm very easily amused, but I thought this was one of the best movies I've ever seen about the sinking abyss of paranoia. I think it's very difficult to make a believable movie about paranoia, and 'Arlington Road' is very believable--as least, while you're watching it.

Admittedly, after you've seen it, you'll see the holes, and how you've been manipulated--but while you're watching it, you'll be just as confused as Bridges' character, wondering, "is he right? Or just a nutcase?"

This movie operates entirely on the psychological plane. There aren't lots of cool explosions (well, OK, a few) and there isn't an expensive car being smashed every five minutes or someone's head being blown open with a handgun. Yet it leaves you breathless, panicked, scared, and disturbed. How easy is *that* to do without endless special effects?

Some have complained that the timing of Robbins' character catching Bridges red-handed over and over was lame and unbelievable. I think they've missed the point--it adds to the confusion, the paranoia, and the madness of Bridges' character, and to ours also.

In fact, the entire movie is structured this way. Just when the plot seems predictable and we think we can settle back and watch it follow a familiar formula, the rug is yanked away and we don't know what to believe. This happens not once, but constantly.

If you have to categorize it, think of it as 'The Sting', with a dastardly political agend--in other words, the gentile crime of that 1920's piece fast-forwarded into the dismal world of moral-less America, circa 1999.

The ending was extremely un-Hollywood, and left me angry, disturbed, and unsettled. And this, friends, is why Hollywood doesn't make movies like this. All anyone has complained about is how unsettling it is. Well, the next time you watch a movie end in a boring, predictable way, remember that it's probably making more money and wooing more critics and fans than 'Arlington Road'. (Reminds one of what they kept saying in 'The Player': "because *that's* reality!")

As an aside, the opening credits were the spookiest I've ever seen. They set the tone perfectly for a movie that reflects the existential, empty, lonely, scary, frightening world that may or may not be right out our very door.

If you enjoy watching a movie that will cause you to slam your fist on the arm of your chair, put you in a bad mood for the next day, make you yell at the news "YEAH RIGHT!" and wonder if you'll ever know "The Truth" about ANYTHING, this is your flick. I recommend it to anyone who wants some vinegar to balance the sugar of everything else made by Hollywood, and a reminder that things are rarely what they seem.

a decent thriller led by the amazing Jeff Bridges!

[alihandemiral · 7/10 · 24 April 2018]

Although the storyline's "coincidental" nature seems a bit sloppy, "Arlington Road" is a decent thriller with a great climax. The film gets tense twenty minutes in and the tension does not go down until the very end. Jeff Bridges' powerhouse performance as Prof. Michael Faraday and Tim Robbins' portrayal of the suspected neighbor Oliver Lang make the film even more enjoyable.

It must be one of the best conspiracy thrillers out there for the genre lovers.

Flawed but resonant film

[SKG-2 · 8/10 · 13 September 1999]

It seems like every year, there's one or two films which are far from perfect but nonetheless shake us up in ways better films don't quite do. Last year, it was BULWORTH, and this year, it's ARLINGTON ROAD. Obviously, after all that's happened this decade in America, from Waco to Oklahoma City, the time is ripe for a movie to explore the cracks in the American dream which brought about events like those. This film ultimately asks more questions than it answers, but that may just be a condition inherent to this type of film. More troubling is two things: (1) Though I agree with those(and I'll try not to give away too much here) who theorize the ending changes the whole perspective of the film, there are still too many key narrative cheats(a conversation Robbins supposedly had with Bridges' son seems unbelievable, and the traffic light scene near the end also is) to make it fully effective; (2) The film seems a little confused of what it's about; it is a study of one man's psyche, or the nation's?

Still, ARLINGTON ROAD shouldn't be dismissed. There are troubling questions explored, and you don't have to be a conspiracy nut to believe those so-called "fringe" hate groups are entering the mainstream at a frightening rate for a so-called "civilized" society. The ending is also powerful, and though I understand it, more than anything else, was responsible for the delays, I applaud whoever was in charge for not changing it(though again, how they got there is another story). Bridges' performance is another thing which makes more sense once you look back with the ending of the film in mind, and it doesn't seem like over-acting. Robbins is a little more problematic; there are scenes where he's convincing, and then scenes where he goes over-the-top and shouldn't. Hope Davis doesn't have a big part, but she injects a lot into it as usual. But the biggest surprise here is Joan Cusack. Anyone who thinks of her only as a (good)comic actress will be in for a shock; there's one scene involving her which is the scariest in the film.

Again, ultimately, while it leaves you with nagging doubts about the quality, ARLINGTON ROAD makes you think enough to recommend it.

Great ending....

[TOMASBBloodhound · 6/10 · 28 June 2012]

...... But getting there is a bumpy road. It might be easier to dismiss this plot as simply a paranoid fantasy had something like this not actually happened. Though the movie refers to an incident in St. Louis where a federal building was bombed, it clearly is based on the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City. And its up to Jeff Bridges to prevent another such incident in Arlington Road. Bridges plays a history professor at George Washington University who specializes in acts of domestic terrorism. In fact, his wife was an FBI agent killed in a botched raid on a separatist farm three years earlier. Now, a new family in his suburban neighborhood seems to have a lot of things they are hiding. The father has changed his identity and had once tried to blow up a government agency with a pipe bomb. He claims to be an architect for structures like malls, but he has all kinds of schematics in his home he will not allow anyone to see. Their oldest child almost blows his arm off with an explosive device. They lived in St. Louis when the previous bombing took place etc, etc etc. Does the family across the street have a future bombing on their agenda now that they live in the Washington D.C. area???

I can appreciate the acting, directing, and pacing of this film. It has a good cast and great production values. And the conclusion was well thought out and very, very clever. But there are just too many silly scenes and coincidences that the entire plot is built on. If you apply logic to even a couple of them, then this plot could not get from A to B. How big of a coincidence is it that Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack (the bad guys) end up moving right across the street from someone who so perfectly fits the kind of man they wish to frame? How does Bridges's grad student girlfriend just happen to be on the exact same level of the exact same shopping mall at the EXACT same time as Robbins so she can witness him up to no good? Not possible. No way. Awfully convenient that someone always seems to sneak up behind Bridges or his girlfriend just as they are about to discover something or say something important. And of course the soundtrack always provides a sharp dose strings and horns as they do. I think Ebert refers to these as "stings". And how could so much of the bombing plot be left to the actions of someone not knowingly involved in it? Would this terrorist organization really hinge everything on Bridges being able to drive his damaged vehicle through heavy security and into the targeted building? And why does Bridges's cell phone connection with his FBI friend just happen to disconnect at a time when he could logically explain everything and prevent the attack. Oh, hell. The ending is really cool, at least. The entire film is a good time capsule from a point when Americans were most frightened by domestic enemies. 6 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

The "how to" on making a good thriller.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 9/10 · 27 March 2004]

"Arlington Road" is the perfect example for how thrillers should be made.

A good story, a good atmosphere, good actors and voila! you have got a good thriller. "Arlington Road" has got it all and it's a near perfect movie that is a must see for the thriller fans.

The intense beginning sets the mood for the rest of the movie. It's atmospheric and tense right till the good ending. I'll admit that there are some slow moments and some distracting plot lines but it doesn't take away the tension or ruins the atmosphere in any kind of way.

The movie is very well casted with Jeff Bridges as the more and more paranoid getting Michael Faraday and Tim Robbins as his neighbour that he begins to suspects of being a terrorist. Both main actors pull of really well and help to created the good thriller atmosphere that this movie has.

Good thriller with a great atmosphere, story, actors and ending that will stay with you forever.

9/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Short opinion

[harshalsharmalaw · 7/10 · 30 January 2020]

This one has a twist of fate. One moment it shows that there is hope even though there is chaos all around and then there is ............................ Watch the movie now.

Dare you to sleep through this one

[rps-2 · 8/10 · 2 June 2000]

This is a nifty suspense story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I was craving some ice cream as we watched it but couldn't tear myself away until it was over. (And I love ice cream!) And the ending is, well, intriguing. It got a little silly in spots but overall it's a dandy nail biter with solid acting, great direction, creative camera work and a taut script. I gave it an 8.

Brilliant ending

[michael-kerrigan-526-124974 · 7/10 · 11 December 2019]

Brilliant ending. Thought it was a run of the mill thriller. But for a change we didn't get a Hollywood ending. Instead, we got an ending that made us reflect on earlier things in the film. Just one man responsible? Yes - we're safe now

Underplayed acting makes for a taught thriller

[PyrolyticCarbon · 8/10 · 11 July 2000]

Bridges plays the same character as always, but fits nicely into this part. Robbins plays a very back stage part for most of the film, the main concentration is on the small minded paranoia of Bridges. Brilliant film which brings home some harsh, hard truths about American society and security. An interesting storyline, which excels beyond the average Hollywood thriller, the typical guessing game of the goodies and baddies plays a secondary role to the real story. A uniquely intelligent terrorist thriller from Hollywood. Don't miss it.

Suspenseful and stylish.

[Peach-2 · 7/10 · 22 November 1999]

I enjoyed Arlington Road most of the way through. I think the thing that bothered me was how the film looked. I didn't care for the lighting in this film very much. I loved the ending which I was surprised by completely. Jeff Bridges was very good in his role and Tim Robbins was a quiet and charming bad guy. It's a good film.

Should never have been made

[patrick3201 · 3/10 · 19 May 2002]

*****PLOT SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THIS REVIEW******** ******DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM!********

In real life, successful plans (especially military ones) allow for things going wrong, things not happening in the right order, unexpected events and unreliable information. The 'Fog of War' is a major factor in any situation, even with today's technologies. Clever plans have a great amount of tolerance built-in, so they can be changed to fit current circumstances as parts of them succeed or fail, especially when you have little direct control over the situation.

Not so for Robbins' character's terrorists.

• Bridges' character beats up Robbins' badly enough so he feels comfortable leaving him alone but not so badly that he's unconscious. This is all part of the plan, we find out. How could Robbins' character rely on not being either restrained, knocked out, taken to the police or even killed by Bridges' character?

• Bridges' character spends just long enough fighting Robbins' for a bomb to be securely planted in his car, but is in a hurry enough to leave a live and unrestrained Robbins. How could Robbins' character possibly plan for this?

• Bridges' character, a civilian academic in a disturbed state of mind, has enough stunt driving skills to speed through acres of pedestrians in the middle of rush hour, so that he'll just see the noon delivery van disappearing into the FBI building. If he misses the van or arrives before it, or if the van itself isn't on time, the bomb won't get into the building.

• In real life he would have wrecked the car (and maybe damaged or set off the bomb) or been stopped by the police before he was a quarter of the way to the FBI building.

• What if Bridges had parked his car outside and gone in the building by foot?

• Bridges character HAS ALREADY PHONED the FBI building to warn them about the bomb BEFORE he sets out. Why didn't Robbins' terrorists break his mobile phone when they planted the bomb in his car?

• Why didn't the FBI building close its gates after the warning? Surely they would have at least stopped the white delivery van Bridges' character specifically tells his Agent friend to investigate.

• Why the heck is Robbins' character trying to convince the world it's the work of a crazy individual anyway? How does that draw attention to or advance his cause?

• Worst of all, why does Robbins' character embark on an elaborate six month charade of dinner parties, psychological warfare, deliberately injured children, campsite kidnappings, faked car crashes, hidden blueprints, hostage taking, phone tapping, name changes, car exchanges, etc etc? All he has to do is deliver a briefcase sized bomb fifty yards past a small checkpoint. Couldn't he have driven it himself? Couldn't he have abandoned a parked car just outside the building with a larger bomb in it instead?

No one would ever devise a plot anything like Arlington Road except a thriller writer desperate to keep the viewer amused.

This is why the film should never have been made, because it wraps a brainless mediocre piece of entertainment in the bodies of the 149 adults and 19 children who died in the Oklahoma massacre. It is exploiting a recent real-life atrocity purely for the sake of making money and selling videos. Death = $$$$.

It's obscene, and worst of all some people will think this is how terrorists operate in real life. Real terrorists leave arabic flight manuals in hire cars and tell instructors they're not interested in how to land an aircraft, but still manage to kill 3000 people in one day. That's what's really frightening.

You are all missing the point..

[broomulack · 23 March 2004]

Many of the comments I've read refer to coincidences and the like with this film. The point, and I'm surprised no one else seems to have noticed, was that these WEREN'T coincidences. These people set the guy up from the very beginning. They had him watched, and they led him with a carrot on a stick the whole way to get HIM to be the one to take the blame, the "single man" theory. If you need any proof of this, refer to the last lines of the movie, where Mrs. Lang asks "Any word yet?" and Mr. Lang answers "No, but they'll let us know.". Looking for their next victim. The fact that Bridges' wife was killed and that he is a conspiracy theory nut was the whole reason they sought him out.

Great movie, phenomenal ending.

A Good Ending

[CharltonBoy · 7/10 · 19 March 2000]

Arlington Road is an above average thriller which has its low points but is mostly entertaining. Jeff Bridges plays a teacher who begins to suspect that there is more than meets the eye to his new neighbour who is played by Tim Robbins. What i really like about this movie is that it has a great ending which really makes you think. One thing i will say is that i think the leading men should have played each others parts as i'm not sure Tim Robbins is a great bad guy. 7 out of 10

Tense, Absorbing & Well-Acted

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 9 December 2015]

This absorbing conspiracy thriller shows how one man's experiences, grief and academic preoccupations make him fearful, paranoid and emotionally unstable. It begins impressively with a really gripping opening sequence and then, after telling his story, leads to a shocking climax that vindicates his behaviour in the most tragic way possible. The expert pacing of the on-screen action contributes enormously to its tense atmosphere and Angelo Badalamenti's unsettling score complements the mood of the piece perfectly.

Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges), a history professor at George Washington University, is driving along a suburban street one day when he sees a 10-year-old boy staggering along in the middle of the road. When he catches up with him, it quickly becomes apparent that the boy is badly burned, bleeding and has a serious arm injury. Michael rushes him to the nearest hospital and after treatment the boy recovers well. His father and mother, Oliver (Tim Robbins) and Cheryl (Joan Cusack) Lang, who live in the same neighbourhood as Michael are extremely grateful and following this incident they, Michael and his girlfriend Brooke (Hope Davis) become friends.

Michael's going through a difficult time bringing up his 9-year-old son, being involved in a relatively new relationship and trying to come to terms with the death of his wife, an FBI Agent who'd been killed during an incompetently-handled raid on a location where a large quantity of guns and ammunition were reported to have been stockpiled. When he starts to doubt the veracity of some information that Oliver tells him about his background and realises that his neighbour (who's a structural engineer), lied to him about the nature of a project he's working on, Michael does some research which reveals that Oliver is using a false identity and in his youth, had been arrested for planting a bomb in a government building.

Naturally disturbed by his findings, Michael is frustrated by the reactions of Brooke and Agent Whit Carver (Robert Gossett) who was his wife's former partner in the FBI. They both seem to think he's being paranoid and rationalise his findings in different ways. Michael's passionate about the course he teaches on domestic terrorism and often expresses his scepticism about official explanations for acts of terrorism which are typically claimed to be the work of an individual. The more convinced he becomes that his neighbours are involved in something suspicious, the more determined he becomes to thwart their plans and this puts his life and the lives of everyone close to him, in great danger.

"Arlington Road" is entertaining, thought-provoking and has some interesting plot twists. Its characters are well-drawn and its cast provides some strong performances. Jeff Bridges is very natural in his portrayal of an ordinary man who starts to unravel alarmingly and Tim Robbins is utterly convincing as he combines a façade of suburban respectability with Oliver's more sinister side. Joan Cusack is also brilliantly creepy and provides one of the movie's outstanding moments when, after overhearing a telephone call made by Brooke, makes the very benign word "shopping" sound incredibly chilling.

A Good Thriller That could Have Been Better

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 3 December 2016]

"Arlington Road" is a thriller about a college professor (Jeff Bridges as Michael Faraday) who teaches about historic acts of terrorism, and his neighbor (Tim Robbins as Oliver Lang), a smiley, smarmy type who has an equally oily wife (Joan Cusack as Cheryl Lang).

Though they live across the street from each other, they never know each other until an unfortunate accident. From the moment they meet, Michael senses something is amiss. Certain facts about his neighbor don't seem to add up. Michael is a naturally inquisitive guy--perhaps a little prone to conspiracy theories--so he takes his own suspicions with a grain of salt.

The opinions about "Arlington Road" on this site range from "classic thriller" to "less than average". This is not Hitchcock or "Jaws" or "Alien", but the tension lies beneath the surface and I found the film to be riveting.

I do think some viewers will be disappointed with the ending, but it rings true. Bridges is intense and Robbins is laid back, making for a nice contrast. The director, Mark Pellington, uses some nice camera angles to convey Faraday's unbalanced perspective when his life suddenly takes a dramatic turn. But this is no classic; there are too many superior suspense films.

Its strength lies in its stars--especially Bridges--whose performances are only slightly undermined by a script that could use more depth. When the conspiracy theory becomes a truly fearful story element, the action develops and resolves too quickly (unlike, say, "North By North West").

the end of this movie!!!

[adrianus_20 · 10/10 · 16 December 2006]

Because everybody seems that the movie has no end i'll explain the end here: Farraday's neighbor - Oliver Lang IS a terrorist, and manages to blow up a entire FBI building in which Farraday is killed, by putting the bomb in the car that Farraday rents, and with which he follows the car in which he thinks that Lang has put the bomb, without knowing that the bomb is in his own rented car. Farraday realizes that the bomb is in his car, but only too late. Farraday gets blamed for setting all this by him self and Lang escapes with no one knowing that he is the guilty one and moving in another location, this seeming to be a usual way of operating for him and his wife.

A good 7.

[RatedVforVinny · 7/10 · 4 November 2018]

I really enjoyed this exciting and effective thriller. One to digest and ponder on. Very well acted and executed. Kind of grim compared to many Hollywood releases. worthy watching.

A hard core, High Octane thriller with a terrible, disturbing ending. ***1/2 out of ****

[Movie-12 · 8/10 · 9 August 1999]

ARLINGTON ROAD (1999) ***1/2

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis, Mason Gamble, and Robert Gossett Director: Mark Pellington 117 minutes Rated R (for intense violent content and some language)

By Blake French:

"Arlington Road" is this year's "Breakdown." It's filled to the rim with hard core, high octane tension and suspense-so much that it is almost hard to catch your breath throughout the movie's running period. Fueled with first rate performances and a script that is understandable and clear, this may be one of the best thrillers.

The movie starts off with a boy, named Brady Lang, who stumbles down Arlington Rd. with blood dripping from his body. Jeff Bridges, who plays Michael Faraday, a single professor who teachers a course on terrorism at a local university, observes this terrified and injured child from inside his car as he drives by. After realizing the nature of his wounds, he dashes out of his car to help. Michael rushes Brady to the nearest hospital, in result he saves his life and meets some people whom he will soon wish he would have never laid eyes on.

Wow. What an exhilarating opening scene. While it may be a little over the top, it does provide the setup needed for such the brutal, bloodthirsty film this really is. It is not a film for younger viewers, and I would check into it some more if you're faint of heart or squeamish in any way. This movie takes itself seriously for every second of the way, unlike many other "scary" movies out there today.

Brady Lang belongs to a new family down the block from the Faraday's, consisting of Oliver, the friendly dad, Cheryl, almost eccentric wife, and their children, who are very bizarre acting. Quiet and suspicious, almost as if they are holding something back. When Michael and his girlfriend, Brooke, meet the Lang's, they introduce them to his son, ask them over for dinner sometime, and look around their new house. Oliver is an architect currently working on a shopping mall somewhere out of town. But wait! When Michael was over there last he saw the blueprint to his "so called" mall, and knows that this is no mall he his constructing.

This makes Michael very wearily of his neighbors, especially when he beholds Oliver's mail and discovers that there may have been a name change sometime ago in Lang's past. He brings these things to the attention to Brooke, only to have her call him paranoid and that his occupation is getting to his head. That is also what his old buddy, FBI Agent Whit Carver, says to him when Michael asks him to do a background check on Oliver.

Things really heat up when Michael discovers the truth behind his friendly neighbor's secret identity. Movie posters and newspaper ads suggest it. Previews and reviews reveal it, and by the time the film takes an unexpected turn in the third act, the only one suspecting Oliver Lang to be just an ordinary person is Michael.

"Arlington Road" is smart enough to develop Jeff Bridge's character with feelings, flashbacks and an emotional past, rather than showing us the details of his past marriage. It is also smart enough not to develop a romantic subplot between Michael and Brooke, beyond the suggestions and interest in each other. It stays on track every inch of the way; all the scenes further the plot a little bit at a time. Leading us with a perfectly structured, flawlessly planned out thriller.

The performance by Jeff Bridges is so great and certainly Oscar worthy we actually buy into the paranoia plot and end up caring about him so much this movie's ending actually hurts to watch. It ruins the entire production. The last twenty minutes of this movie arrant just unbelievable, but the closing scene features a sense of injustice, unfairness, and is unsettling beyond comprehension. All of this and I still have not revealed the actually end to you, and will not. But I hated it, and think the majority of an audience will join me in saying as the closing credits arouse on screen their jaw dropped off their face and hit the floor.

However, I do think the film is unconventional because of the thematic structure it used for its closing and subject madder. If it would have concluded in a predictable, usual fashioned people would complain about that too. It proves how much we care about the characters. And at the same time allows us to realize that this film deserved better, somewhere down the road, it deserved to be much better.

Intense little thriller with an ending I didn't expect

[juneebuggy · 7/10 · 26 February 2015]

This was an intense little thriller, dealing with the premise that your friendly next door neighbours might also just be terrorists. Jeff Bridges plays a widowed college professor who (in a gripping opening scene) comes across a bloody 10 year old boy staggering down the middle of the street. He appears to have been in some kind of explosion and Bridges rushes him into emergency. These first 5 minutes set the tone for the rest of the movie; dark, mysterious and intense with Bridges bordering on hysteria.

The boy turns out to be his neighbours kid whom he makes friends with, but while having a beer in their living room he comes across some suspicious blueprints which sets into paranoia and soon has Bridges investigating into who these people really are. They seem normal enough, but... Tim Robbins & Joan Cusack play the neighbours, -what a great choice for the bad guys, giving solid performances and very atypical for terrorists which made them even scarier.

Bridges does a good job too, he has a lot of scenes without dialogue, just him running around figuring stuff out, freaking out, driving fast, yelling, he does a lot of yelling and running with big facial expressions.

I will say that while the whole movie was intense there were also sections that dragged, so that the pacing felt off at times.

The ending was.... unexpected to say the least. I think my exact words were "holy sh!t he ----- and that just happened, wow." Very un-Hollywood, including a scary spin regarding the angle the media takes post event. 2/6/15

Great setup but too many plot holes make the ending fall flat

[Taco_Sanchez · 6/10 · 7 September 2023]

Our film opens to a young boy who has been injured in what we are led to believe is a fireworks accident. Our hero Jeff Bridges sees the child in the street and takes him to the hospital.

We later learn that Bridges is a widower who lives across the street from the boy, and has a child of the same age. His wife was an FBI agent who was killed in a botched action. He is also a college professor who happens to teach a class on domestic terrorism. What a coincidence!

As the story progresses Bridges, who we are slowly led to believe is paranoid, starts to suspect his neighbor of not being who he says he is, only to be proven correct. Before he can fully alert his wife's former partner at the FBI, his son is kidnapped so he has to pursue things on his own...only to meet his demise and be framed for being the terrorist himself.

What started off as a pretty good movie, got pretty lazy at the end. Whether it's not alerting the distraught father of the alleged St. Louis bomber that his son maybe really was innocent or not fully confiding in his FBI friend earlier, Bridges suddenly turned dumb. So did the bombers who took a chance on having Bridges screw up their whole plot by not simply offing him, and instead framing him. The FBI would likely easily notice the Lang family connection to both bombers (they were investigated around the first bombing) which could expose the organization.

over baked

[Aronnax · 1/10 · 29 January 2003]

Man, this was one overrated movie. Found it hard to watch, and I have to include SPOILERS to say way. From the camera moves to the music to the acting, this thing was so O!V!E!R!D!O!N!E! I couldn't stand it. Jeff Bridges is one of my favorite actors, but here he's such an over the top loon that I had no sympathy for him. And I never bought that his discovery of the plot started when he saw a small part of a blueprint that's hidden under stuff on a kitchen table! He saw this for what, 4 seconds? And didn't it bug anybody that the bad guys showed up at such convenient times, as if they had ESP? Jeff reads microfilm about Tim in a library, and voila, Tim is at the library looking over Jeff's shoulder! Jeff reads Tim's old yearbook then falls asleep, and voila, he wakes up and Tim is there! Jeff's girlfriend is at some anonymous mall out in the middle of nowhere, spilling her guts to his answering machine about bad guy Tim, and voila, she turns around and Tim's wife is there! It's these logic problems and the over the top style that make this film unwatchable.