The Chase (1994 film)
Encyclopedia
The Chase is a 1994 action comedy film starring Charlie Sheen
and Kristy Swanson
. Released a few months before the real-life O. J. Simpson chase that also took place in California, the film includes Henry Rollins
as a police officer and features cameos from Ron Jeremy
and both Anthony Kiedis
and Flea
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. It references Apocalypse Now
(after the ending credits) and Convoy, and inspired the song "Charlie Sheen Vs. Henry Rollins" by Alexisonfire
.
's 1955 film The Fast and the Furious.
Twenty-eight year-old Jackson "Jack" Davis Hammond (Charlie Sheen
) is sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for armed robbery, although he is innocent, but manages to escape. To get away from the police while at a convenience store, he takes a hostage, California heiress Natalie Voss (Kristy Swanson
), the only daughter of multi-millionaire Dalton Voss (Ray Wise
). Threatening Natalie with a candy bar, posing for a gun, Jack disarms a pair of unseasoned, intervening officers. Jack takes their guns then drives off in Natalie's BMW
. The chase quickly becomes broadcast live on every TV channel, with scenes filming news coverage from helicopters, the backseat of a police car, and the pavement of the highway. Natalie eventually gets to know Jack during the chase, and later sympathizes with the "gun-wielding, cop-shooting, maniac kidnapper" by comparing her life to his and realizes their similarities despite having different backgrounds. She falls in love with him and begins to believe in him. Later they start kissing and end up having sex while Jack is driving. Jack plans on escaping into Mexico and Natalie proposes a future together.
When the cops block off the border crossing to Mexico, Jack stops before reaching the border, and releases Natalie. She reluctantly leaves and in the final confrontation with the police, Jack appears to be defiant and goes down in a blaze of glory. Moments later, however, this is revealed to be a mental projection of what would happen if he doesn't surrender. Jack surrenders but Natalie takes a television producer hostage with the gun given to her by Jack before she was surrendered to the police. Natalie blows up a nearby police helicopter, hijacks a news helicopter and escapes with Jack across the border into Mexico. The next scene reveals that after some time has passed, the pair are relaxing in freedom on a beach.
wrote at the time: " 'The Chase,' a movie named with unerring accuracy, takes place mostly in a car on a California expressway, where love blooms during a high-speed police pursuit. Once you grasp that premise, you know where the movie's going and more or less everything that is going to happen in it, so the surprise is that 'The Chase' does such a good job within its limited range." Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars.
Critic James Berardinelli
, who also gave the movie two-and-a-half stars out of four, said: "As an example of modern cinematic art, The Chase is an utter failure. As a character study, it can't get past the comic book stage. As a tightly-plotted thriller, it's missing about half the storyline. But, as a piece of unfettered, unpretentious entertainment, it hits the bullseye."
Both Ebert and Berardinelli gave particular attention and praise to the movie's criticism of the television news industry (reporters for various networks covering the chase/hostage situation perform absurd, even dangerous, stunts in order to one-up each other in pursuit of a better 'exclusive', and the networks, rather than cover the story in a professional manner, add taglines to the story like "TERROR ON THE HIGHWAY" in an obvious effort to bolster ratings.)
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
and Kristy Swanson
Kristy Swanson
Kristen Nöel "Kristy" Swanson is an American actress best known for playing Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also played Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the movie version of the V.C...
. Released a few months before the real-life O. J. Simpson chase that also took place in California, the film includes Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
as a police officer and features cameos from Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
and both Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
and Flea
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. It references Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
(after the ending credits) and Convoy, and inspired the song "Charlie Sheen Vs. Henry Rollins" by Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire was a five-piece, Juno-nominated post-hardcore band that formed in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 2001. The band consisted of George Pettit , Dallas Green , Wade MacNeil , Chris Steele , and Jordan Hastings .They describe their music as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls...
.
Plot summary
In its essentials, the plot is the same as that of Roger CormanRoger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's 1955 film The Fast and the Furious.
Twenty-eight year-old Jackson "Jack" Davis Hammond (Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
) is sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for armed robbery, although he is innocent, but manages to escape. To get away from the police while at a convenience store, he takes a hostage, California heiress Natalie Voss (Kristy Swanson
Kristy Swanson
Kristen Nöel "Kristy" Swanson is an American actress best known for playing Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also played Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the movie version of the V.C...
), the only daughter of multi-millionaire Dalton Voss (Ray Wise
Ray Wise
Raymond Nicolas "Ray" Wise is an American actor, known for his roles as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, as Leon C. Nash, right-hand henchman to villain Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction classic RoboCop, and recently as the Devil in the CW television series Reaper.-Life and career:Wise was...
). Threatening Natalie with a candy bar, posing for a gun, Jack disarms a pair of unseasoned, intervening officers. Jack takes their guns then drives off in Natalie's BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
. The chase quickly becomes broadcast live on every TV channel, with scenes filming news coverage from helicopters, the backseat of a police car, and the pavement of the highway. Natalie eventually gets to know Jack during the chase, and later sympathizes with the "gun-wielding, cop-shooting, maniac kidnapper" by comparing her life to his and realizes their similarities despite having different backgrounds. She falls in love with him and begins to believe in him. Later they start kissing and end up having sex while Jack is driving. Jack plans on escaping into Mexico and Natalie proposes a future together.
When the cops block off the border crossing to Mexico, Jack stops before reaching the border, and releases Natalie. She reluctantly leaves and in the final confrontation with the police, Jack appears to be defiant and goes down in a blaze of glory. Moments later, however, this is revealed to be a mental projection of what would happen if he doesn't surrender. Jack surrenders but Natalie takes a television producer hostage with the gun given to her by Jack before she was surrendered to the police. Natalie blows up a nearby police helicopter, hijacks a news helicopter and escapes with Jack across the border into Mexico. The next scene reveals that after some time has passed, the pair are relaxing in freedom on a beach.
Notable cast and cameos
- Charlie SheenCharlie SheenCarlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
- Jackson Hammond - Kristy SwansonKristy SwansonKristen Nöel "Kristy" Swanson is an American actress best known for playing Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also played Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the movie version of the V.C...
- Natalie Voss - Rocky CarrollRocky CarrollRoscoe "Rocky" Carroll is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Joey Emerson on the FOX comedy-drama Roc, as Dr. Keith Wilkes on the medical drama Chicago Hope, and as Leon Vance on the CBS drama NCIS and its spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:Carroll was born Roscoe Fulton Carroll...
- Byron Wilder (Channel 8 traffic reporter) - Henry RollinsHenry RollinsHenry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
- Officer Dobbs (lead chase car driver) - Josh MostelJosh MostelJoshua "Josh" Mostel is an American actor who is best known for his roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and two Adam Sandler films .-Life and career:...
- Officer Figus (lead chase car passenger) - Bree WalkerBree WalkerBree Walker is a radio talk show host, actress, and disability-rights activist, who gained fame as the first on-air American television network news anchor with ectrodactyly. Walker worked as a news anchor and/or reporter in San Diego, New York City, and Los Angeles.Walker was born in Oakland,...
- Wendy Sorenson (Channel 8 news anchor) - Ray WiseRay WiseRaymond Nicolas "Ray" Wise is an American actor, known for his roles as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks, as Leon C. Nash, right-hand henchman to villain Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction classic RoboCop, and recently as the Devil in the CW television series Reaper.-Life and career:Wise was...
- Dalton Voss - Marshall BellMarshall BellArchibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
- Ari (Hammond's attorney) - Claudia ChristianClaudia ChristianClaudia Ann Christian is an American actress, writer, singer, musician, and director, best known for her role as Commander Susan Ivanova on the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Career:...
- Yvonne Voss (Natalie's stepmother) - Natalia NogulichNatalia NogulichNatalia Nogulich is an American actress.Nogulich was born Natalija Nogulich in Chicago, Illinois, of Serbian descent. Her best-known appearances have been on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Vice Admiral/Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev...
- Frances Voss (Natalie's mother) - Cary ElwesCary ElwesIvan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
- Steve (Channel 12 news anchor) - FleaFlea (musician)Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
and Anthony KiedisAnthony KiedisAnthony Kiedis is an American vocalist/lyricist, and occasional actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his mother before moving, shortly before his 12th birthday, to Hollywood,...
- Red-blooded American monster truck driver Dale, passenger Will - Paul Dondridge - himself
- Cassian ElwesCassian ElwesCassian Elwes is an independent film producer and agent, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential people in the independent film industry.-Biography:...
- The Producer (reality cop show) - Ron JeremyRon JeremyRonald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
- Cameraman (in Ari the lawyer's office) - Scott Atkins- Cop in San Diego
Production
- The director told Henry Rollins that he was funnier than the lines written in the script. Consequently, almost all of his performance is ad libbed.
- The extensive chase and crash scenes were not filmed on a California expressway, but on a newly completed and unopened stretch of highway in Harris County, on the north side of Houston, Texas (specifically- the Hardy TollwayHardy Toll RoadThe Hardy Toll Road runs from Interstate 610, near central Houston, to Interstate 45, north of Houston just below the Harris County line. The road generally parallels Interstate 45. The portion from I-610 to Crosstimbers Road is known as Spur 548, although this is unsigned.Construction on the...
and a stretch of U.S. 290). Dozens of mature palm trees were trucked in and planted along the highway to provide southern California ambiance. - The car used by Charlie Sheen throughout most of the film is a red BMW E36 325iS (Natalie's car), however during some parts of love-making scene between him and Swanson, it is shot in a larger BMW E34 5 Series.
- The original ending had Henry Rollins ripping off Charlie Sheen's head in a seemingly single hand motion while screaming the lyrics to Rise Above, but it ended up on the cutting room floor as Rifkin felt it was "too crazy even for this crazy guy."
Critical reaction
Chicago Sun Times critic Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
wrote at the time: " 'The Chase,' a movie named with unerring accuracy, takes place mostly in a car on a California expressway, where love blooms during a high-speed police pursuit. Once you grasp that premise, you know where the movie's going and more or less everything that is going to happen in it, so the surprise is that 'The Chase' does such a good job within its limited range." Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars.
Critic James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
, who also gave the movie two-and-a-half stars out of four, said: "As an example of modern cinematic art, The Chase is an utter failure. As a character study, it can't get past the comic book stage. As a tightly-plotted thriller, it's missing about half the storyline. But, as a piece of unfettered, unpretentious entertainment, it hits the bullseye."
Both Ebert and Berardinelli gave particular attention and praise to the movie's criticism of the television news industry (reporters for various networks covering the chase/hostage situation perform absurd, even dangerous, stunts in order to one-up each other in pursuit of a better 'exclusive', and the networks, rather than cover the story in a professional manner, add taglines to the story like "TERROR ON THE HIGHWAY" in an obvious effort to bolster ratings.)
Soundtrack
It has not been confirmed that an official soundtrack was released, but this is the movie's music listing:- One DoveOne DoveOne Dove was a Scottish alternative dance music group active in the early 1990s, consisting of Dot Allison, Ian Carmichael and Jim McKinven, a former member of Altered Images.-History:...
- Breakdown (Radio Mix) - SuedeSuede (band)Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
- The Next Life - Stephen Stuart Short - Macho ManMacho Man (song)"Macho Man" is the seond single recorded by the American disco group Village People. The song "bubbled under" the charts during summer 1978 before picking up substantial airplay that August...
(written by the Village PeopleVillage PeopleVillage People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
) - Bad ReligionBad ReligionBad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
- Two Babies in the Dark - The OffspringThe OffspringThe Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
- Forever and A Day - Down By LawDown by Law (band)Down by Law is a punk rock band formed in 1989 by former All frontman Dave Smalley, who is the their only permanent member. The band has recorded 7 studio albums. They stayed on Epitaph Records until 1998 and have since switched to labels. Down by Law has never achieved substantial commercial...
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- House - RancidRancid (band)Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
- Adina - The OffspringThe OffspringThe Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
- Take It Like a Man - RancidRancid (band)Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
- The Bottle - NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
- Please Play This Song on the Radio - NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
- Warm