Narrow Margin (1990)

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writers (WGA):

Martin Goldsmith (earlier story) &
Jack Leonard (earlier story) ...

Release Date:

21 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes the difference between life and death can be a Narrow Margin

Plot:

A woman secretly witnesses the murder of her blind date for the evening by a top Mafia boss. She immediately...

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Murder | Train | District Attorney | Blind Date

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Robert Caulfield
Anne Archer	...	Carol Hunnicut
James Sikking	...	Nelson (as James B. Sikking)
J.T. Walsh	...	Michael Tarlow
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Sergeant Dominick Benti
Susan Hogan	...	Kathryn Weller
Nigel Bennett	...	Jack Wootton
J.A. Preston	...	Martin Larner
B.A. 'Smitty' Smith	...	Keller
Codie Lucas Wilbee	...	Nicholas
Barbara Russell	...	Nicholas' Mother (as Barbara E. Russell)
Antony Holland	...	Elderly Man
Doreen Ramos	...	Elderly Woman
Kevin McNulty	...	James Dahlbeck
Andrew Rhodes	...	Sgt. Nigro

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Carolco Pictures

Trivia:

The cabin featured in the first act was specifically built for the movie. Peter Hyams decided to build it on top of a mountain in that particular spot while it was still covered in winter snow. When the snow melted it turned out that the spot was actually a dump and it took a short while to clear it out.

Goofs:

Continuity: The lamp shot out by the bullet is soon repaired.

Quotes:

[in helicopter above mountains]
Caulfield: Why does he have to fly so low?
Sergeant Dominick Benti: We're not low. The ground's high.

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Narrow Margin (1952)

Excellent thinking man's action movie.

Very suspenseful movie for someone who has moved beyond Steven Segal and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Requires a certain number of neurons to be firing at the same time to really enjoy it. Gene Hackman's performance has been under appreciated. It exceeds his portrayal of Popeye Doyle in The French Connection and its sequel. This character is tough, but a lot more likable. The repartee between his character and the assassin is excellent, but as I said previously, does require some finesse.