Gone in a Heartbeat (1996)
When teenage students kidnap Jan Hale they do not mean her any real harm - they just want enough ransom money from her husband Mark to afford a life of luxury. However, when they leave Jan handcuffed to the steering wheel of their car in the freezing cold, they are not aware that she suffers from a potentially fatal heart condition. Mark is racing against time as he and the police play a game of cat and mouse with the kidnappers, aware that he may never see his wife alive again.
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Too much of everything
Brilliant and touching
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Just saw this in Australia (Sun 21st July, 2013). Apparently the common USA title is "Gone in A Heartbeat". A good 16 year old tele-movie for a Sunday afternoon. Reasonable performances from a bunch of B-list cast members. Good storyline. The pace was, in the main, slow to moderate. Background music well chosen and well placed. The only bloke I recognised was the actor playing Mr Ross, the science teacher. The rest were really unknown. The grilling at the police station was a tad far-fetched compared to what we've become used to in ransom/kidnap genre films. A solid 8/10 over all. This was better, much better than the "filler time slot" into which it was placed between nation football offerings.
I saw this today on Lifetime Movie Network. Nice to see James Marsden! Before he became famous! James Marsden and Shane Meier basically stole the spotlight as the bad boys. They are clever, especially for high school boys, and their performers made them convincing.It's also nice to see a fictional married couple played by a real married couple. That would be Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker! Personally, I thought Michael Tucker was too over the top. I know that's how he should be, given the plot and what his character goes through, but he just came across as a grouchy old man. And Jill Eikenberry underacted. I still felt for her character, but she was very wooden. I've seen her other work,and she tends to be a lot better. Still, both actors tried, and they do have a nice chemistry. As they should, since they are married in real life! So, eight stars for the amazing plot, characters, the chemistry between the married couple, and the acting from James Marsden and Shane Meier!
The story builds around what would happen if someone planned a kidnapping in order to collect a ransom but the plan doesn't work. I thinks it was very well written and the actors that were chosen fit the characters perfectly. When I read who was starring in the movie and saw that James Marsden is in it I made a point to see it. I have liked watching his acting since I first saw him in "Boogies Diner" - 1994. Then when I watched the movie, I saw more of his better skills than just playing second bill to other well known actors. This movie really put him in the spot light. I think it was about time. Of course it was just a small step to what he is now known for as Scott Summers/Cyclops in The X-men movies. Congratulations to James for continuing to make his star shine bright.