Lightning Jack

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lightning Jack
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Simon Wincer
Produced by	Greg Coote Paul Hogan Simon Wincer
Written by	Paul Hogan
Starring	Paul Hogan Cuba Gooding Jr. Beverly D'Angelo
Music by	Bruce Rowland
Cinematography	David Eggby
Editing by	O. Nicholas Brown
Distributed by	Savoy Pictures
Release date(s)	March 11, 1994
Running time	98 min.
Country	United States Australia
Language	English
IMDb profile

Lightning Jack is a 1994 western film written by and starring Paul Hogan, as well as Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beverly D'Angelo.

[edit] Plot

Paul Hogan plays Lightning Jack Kane, an Australian outlaw who is continuously annoyed at not being recognised as an outlaw, partially due to his lackluster and occasionally completely failed robberies. Whilst attempting a robbery, he takes mute Ben Doyle (Cuba Gooding Jr.) as a hostage. He later discovers that, tired of never been treated with respect due to his disability, Ben wishes to join him.

Jack attempts to teaches Ben how to shoot a gun and rob banks, with his first attempt at "on-the-job" training ending with Ben shooting himself in the foot. Across the course of the training, they pay occasional visits to saloons where Jack shows Ben the truth about adult life, including helping him to lose his virginity. However, the true nature of the saloon visits is for Jack to make contact with showgirl Lana Castel (Beverly D'Angelo), who, unbeknownst to Jack, is madly in love with him.

When Ben's training is complete, the pair learn of a bank which is said to be the hardest in the country to rob, the entire town armed and ready to protect it. Jack sees this as the test he has been waiting for, and together they hatch a plan to rob it. Everything seems to be going smoothly and they are set to begin, until Jack discovers that a rival gang of outlaws is also planning to rob the bank. He is prepared to give up when Ben has a plan of his own.

Ben silently tips off the townspeople, who quickly swarm the bank with the rival outlaws inside. The gang are arrested and the entire town celebrates, allowing Jack and Ben to slip unnoticed into the bank and swiftly strip it clean. Before leaving, Jack jumps into the celebrations, ensuring that his grinning face appears at the top of the town photo. By the time the true robbery is discovered, the pair - and Lana - are gone, with a bounty of thousands on their heads and all of America searching for them - the life that Jack had always wanted.