Shattered (film)
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| Shattered | |
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| Directed by | Wolfgang Petersen |
| Written by | Wolfgang Petersen Richard Neely (novel) |
| Starring | Tom Berenger Bob Hoskins Greta Scacchi Joanne Whalley Corbin Bernsen |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
| Cinematography | László Kovács |
| Editing by | Glenn Farr Hannes Nikel |
| Distributed by | MGM/UA |
| Release date(s) | October 11, 1991 |
| Running time | 98 min |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Shattered is a 1991 neo-noir/psychological thriller starring Tom Berenger, Greta Scacchi, Bob Hoskins, Joanne Whalley, Corbin Bernsen and Scott Getlin.
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[edit] Plot Synopsis
[edit] Promotional Synopsis from the Distributor
An expensive sports car plummets off a cliff, crashing into twisted wreckage on the rocks far below. A man lies in a hospital bed, his face a bloody mass, completely disfigured by the shattered glass and metal. His mind is an amnesic blank of all personal memories. Day by day, as the doctors work to reconstruct his face, wealth and powerful architect Dan Merrick (Tom Berenger) struggles to reconstruct his life.
At first, Merrick must rely completely on the guidance of his loving wife Judith (Greta Scacchi, Presumed Innocent) and a few close friends. But soon he becomes aware that each is painting a contrasting picture of him and his former life. Strange flashes of nightmarish and erotic memories also begain to surface for Merrick — both terrifying him and intriguing him.
Merrick enlists the help of private investigator Gus Klein (Bob Hoskins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and the two begin the dangerous and frightening trip into his past. As they delve deeper and deeper into the mystery, they find the way strewn with massive corruption, adulterous passions and deadly lovers. The climax is a shocking and horrifying truth.
[edit] Plot synopsis
A Hitchcockian thriller directed and written for the screen by Wolfgang Petersen, Shattered stars Tom Berenger as Dan Merrick, a man who at the film's start gets himself into a horrible car wreck off a mountain road. The impact causes brain damage within Merrick, which results in complete amnesia. After undergoing surgery to repair his disfigured face, Merrick tries to reintegrate himself back into his normal life. However, flashbacks of events he can't remember keep coming into his mind and leads him to a dark secret no one wants him to know. Filled with twists and turns, the film is remeniscent of the classic noir films of the 40s. Its surprise revelation at the film's climax has given the film a cult status amongst viewers.
[edit] Cast
- Tom Berenger as Dan Merrick
- Greta Scacchi as Judith Merrick
- Bob Hoskins as Gus Klien
- Joanne Whalley as Jenny Scott
- Corbin Bernsen as Jeb Scott
- Scott Getlin as Jack Stanton
[edit] Critical Reception
- The film's twist ending has caused a division among the responses given by critics. Several critics find the revelation too ridiculous to accept, while others find it inventive and clever. Roger Ebert falls into the former category, stating that the film's resolution is "inconceivably implausible," and that the "screenplay is too clever by half." However, he goes onto say that this quality "is always sort of fun." [1] About.com falls into the later category, calling the finale "a killer twist ending!" [2] and the Washington Post says, "It would be disastrous to even hint at the movie's denouement; a critic could get lynched for giving away an ending as shockingly unexpected as the one here. Let's just say that it blows the top of your head off."[3] Despite this division, critics generally hold the film's surprise denouncement as unexpected and startling, though whether it is too clever for its own good is debatable and left up to the viewer.
[edit] Technical Notes
- Awards: Deauville Film Festival - Nominated - Critics Award.
- Film Locations:
- Oregon: Nehalem, Tillamook County; Oswald West State Park; Neahkahnie Mountain.
- California: Mount Tamalpais State Park, Marin County; City and County of San Francisco; Sausalito, Marin County. [4]
- Release Date: October 11, 1991
- Box Office:
- Opening Weekend: $3,457,105 (1,286 theaters, $2,688 average) [5]
- Total Gross: $11,511,031
- Songs Used:
- Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues
- Hacienda Source by Ashley Irwin
[edit] Trivia
- The video cassette box for the movie "Shattered" can be seen in the movie The Ring (2002), specifically in the scene at the log cabin.
- Plastic surgeon George Herbert Semel, M.D., not only served as a medical adviser on the film, but also played the plastic surgeon. [6]
- Nineteen stunt people were utilized in the film's stunt work.[7]
[edit] Technical Goofs
- Continuity: When Merrick examines the chemicals container on the shipwreck it remains bright inside even after he removes the flashlight.
- Continuity: At the end of the movie, Gus is completely dry despite having been underwater only a few minutes earlier.
- Continuity: During the chase in the woods, the right front hubcap comes off the Dodge, but but it is there in the next shot.
- Plot Hole: Spoiler Warning! It turns out that Dan Merrick is actually Jack Stanton after a whole lot of reconstructive surgery to make him look like Dan Merrick. Everything is believable except that he has Dan Merrick's voice as well. He should have Jack Stanton's voice. Some may argue that this is explained when Judith says on the phone that his voice "is sexier than ever," or that the two people had similar voices.
