Masterminds (1997 film)

Last updated

Masterminds
Masterminds (1997 film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Roger Christian
Screenplay byFloyd Byars
Story byFloyd Byars
Alex Siskin
Chris Black
Produced byFloyd Byars
Robert Dudelson
Starring
CinematographyNic Morris
Edited by Robin Russell
Music by Anthony Marinelli
Production
company
Pacific Motion Pictures [1]
Distributed by Columbia Pictures [1]
Release date
  • 22 August 1997 (1997-08-22)
Running time
105 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,890,472 [3]

Masterminds is a 1997 American action comedy film directed by Roger Christian, written by Floyd Byers and starring Patrick Stewart, Vincent Kartheiser, Brenda Fricker, Brad Whitford, and Matt Craven. [4] It tells the story of a computer engineering prodigy who matches wits with a security consultant who has taken over his stepsister's school that he used to go to as a ransom is demanded for their release.

Contents

The film was met with mixed reviews with some praise towards Stewart's performance.

Plot

Oswald "Ozzie" Paxton (Vincent Kartheiser) is a computer engineering prodigy and expert hacker whose actions often have his father Jake (Matt Craven) threatening to send him to military school if he does not shape up. One day, he begins an unauthorized download of a soon-to-be-released movie. His download is interrupted when his younger stepsister Melissa Randall (Katie Stuart) enters his room without permission. The resulting squabble between them results in Jake and Melissa's mother Helen (Annabelle Gurwitch) intervening. In the process, Jake discovers the illicit download and Helen punishes Ozzie, making him take Melissa to her private school Shady Glen.

He takes her there by skateboard where they run into Principal Claire Maloney (Brenda Fricker) and security consultant Rafe Bentley (Patrick Stewart) where it was revealed that Maloney previously expelled Ozzie which she explained to Bentley why security measures were taken after the "science room burnout" that Ozzie caused. Before he can get out of the school, Bentley and his crew of "security guards" use a variety of firearms and tranquilizer dart guns to subdue several staff members, lock down the school, and hold the children hostage. Bentley has planned stages of a ransom scheme involving their parents' corporations. Ozzie attempts to alert Melissa to the danger. She does not believe him and he is subsequently chased by one of the gunmen. Using a bunsen burner and a vial of acid, he is able to subdue his pursuer. He subsequently begins wreaking havoc with Bentley's computerized security system.

The police make several attempts to breach the school's perimeter only to run into automatic gunfire, rocket launchers, and mines. As a concession, Bentley releases most of the children, but keeps the ten richest like Melissa and demands a very large ransom for their return. Ozzie locates ten of the eleven children and rescues them, but Melissa has been taken by Bentley. He then places an improvised time bomb at the bottom of the school's indoor pool. He attempts to stop the ransom payment, but finds out too late that the man designated to deliver it named Foster Deroy (Michael McRae) was actually Bentley's confederate. Bentley ties Ozzie to a chair and leaves with his men, keeping Melissa as an insurance policy. They intend to escape through the sewer pipes using ATVs.

While Ozzie is struggling to free himself, the bomb explodes, flooding the school's lower levels and neutralizing nearly everyone there. Ozzie and his friend K-Dog (Jon Abrahams) seize an abandoned ATV and pursue Bentley. They rescue Melissa, but Bentley escapes with the ransom. However, Ozzie is able to blow the whistle on Deroy with a little help from Maloney who also witnessed Rafe's actions. Through his cellphone, the police trace Rafe's employer to the CEO of a rival corporation named Larry Millard (Jim Byrnes), who masterminded the plot so that the money used for the bidding would be given to terrorists so he could win a bidding war against the corporation run by Miles Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) that is employing Jake.

Soon afterward, Bentley sees a light at the end of the tunnel only to discover that the light leads to a sewage reclamation plant. The money begins to sink into the sewage as police officers arrive to arrest him.

Cast

Production

On site locations included Hatley Castle in Colwood, British Columbia, as well as locations in Victoria and Vancouver. While on-site filming took place in British Columbia, Canada, studio filming took place in Shepperton Studios in England. [5]

Performance

In a release from Studio Briefing, Masterminds was listed as a box office flop for the Labor Day box office weekend, grossing only $1.8 million. [3]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 19% based on reviews from 16 critics. [6]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times panned the film, saying "all of the pieces have been assembled from better films, but then there are few worse films to borrow from" but had some praise for Stewart "the sole remaining interest comes from the presence of Stewart." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rene Russo</span> American actress and model (born 1954)

Rene Marie Russo is an American actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model in the 1970s, appearing on magazine covers such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy Major League, and rose to international prominence in a number of thrillers and action films throughout the 1990s, including Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), In the Line of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1995), Get Shorty (1995), Ransom (1996), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).

<i>Mastermind</i> (British game show) British quiz show

Mastermind is a British television quiz show for the BBC, currently presented by Clive Myrie. Its creator, Bill Wright, drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The show features an intimidating setting and challenging questions. Four contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Korman</span> Canadian American author (born 1963)

Gordon Korman is a Canadian American author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Malina</span> American film and stage actor (born 1966)

Joshua Charles Malina is an American film and stage actor known for playing Will Bailey on the NBC drama The West Wing, Jeremy Goodwin on Sports Night, US Attorney General David Rosen on Scandal, and Caltech President Siebert on The Big Bang Theory.

<i>American Dragon: Jake Long</i> American animated television series (2005–2007)

American Dragon: Jake Long, or simply American Dragon, is an American animated television series. It was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, created by Jeff Goode and co-developed by Eddie Guzelian and Matt Negrete. It premiered on Disney Channel on January 21, 2005, and ended on September 1, 2007. Fifty-two episodes were produced.

<i>Diagnosis: Murder</i> American action-mystery-comedy-medical crime drama television series (1993–2001)

Diagnosis: Murder is an American action-comedy-mystery-medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective played by Van Dyke's real-life son Barry. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman, became a series of three television films, and then a weekly television series that debuted on CBS on October 29, 1993. Joyce Burditt wrote the episode in Jake and the Fatman and is listed here as the creator of the spin off series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Cannavale</span> American actor (born 1970)

Bobby Cannavale is an American actor. A native of New Jersey, Cannavale gained a reputation after working in the industry for both his character actor roles and his leading man roles on stage and screen. His breakthrough came with the leading role as FDNY Paramedic Roberto "Bobby" Caffey in the NBC series Third Watch which he played from 1999 to 2001.

<i>A Time to Kill</i> (1996 film) 1996 film by Joel Schumacher

A Time to Kill is a 1996 American legal drama film. It is based on John Grisham's 1989 novel of the same name. Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Kevin Spacey star with Donald and Kiefer Sutherland appearing in supporting roles. The film received mixed to positive reviews and was a commercial success, making $152 million at the worldwide box office. It is the second of two films based on Grisham's novels directed by Joel Schumacher, with the other being The Client released two years prior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Thieriot</span> American actor (born 1988)

Maximillion Drake Thieriot is an American actor and director. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film Catch That Kid. Thieriot has since appeared in the action comedy The Pacifier (2005), the mystery comedy Nancy Drew (2007), the sci-fi Jumper (2008), the erotic thriller Chloe (2009), the supernatural horror My Soul to Take (2010), the drama Disconnect (2012), the psychological horror-thriller House at the End of the Street (2012), and the action-thriller Point Break (2015).

<i>Jumping Ship</i> American TV series or program

Jumping Ship is the 2001 sequel to the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie, Horse Sense. It stars brothers Joey Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence, and Andy Lawrence. The film was directed by Michael Lange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Spotnitz</span> American television writer and executive producer

Frank Charles Spotnitz is an American television screenwriter and executive producer, best known for his work on The X-Files and The Man in the High Castle. Spotnitz is also the chief executive officer and founder of Big Light Productions, a London- and Paris-based production company, which specializes in international television series, including drama, comedy and documentaries. Spotnitz's career includes creating, writing and producing series with networks, cable, streaming and other broadcast platforms around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Mantzoukas</span> American actor and comedian

Jason Mantzoukas is an American actor, comedian, writer and podcaster. He is best known for his recurring role as Rafi in the FX comedy series The League, and as one of the three co-hosts of the podcast How Did This Get Made? alongside Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael.

<i>X+Y</i> 2014 film directed by Morgan Matthews

X+Y, released in the US as A Brilliant Young Mind, is a 2014 British drama film directed by Morgan Matthews and starring Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins.

<i>Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children</i> (film) 2016 fantasy film

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a 2016 fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and written by Jane Goldman, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs. The film stars Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, Ella Purnell, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Thesongadayproject was created by the American singer-songwriter, Zachary Scot Johnson, in September 2012. The first day, featured a cover version of Donovan's "Catch The Wind". Johnson set out with a goal to record a song a day, every day, for as long as he could. As of April, 2022, Johnson has uploaded over 3, 500 songs, spanning over nine full years, and has accumulated over 41 million views.

<i>Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life</i> (film) 2016 American family comedy film

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a 2016 American live-action/animated family comedy film directed by Steve Carr and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Kara Holden, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts. The film stars Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle, Isabela Merced, Retta, Thomas Barbusca, Andy Daly, and Adam Pally. It follows Rafael "Rafe" Khatchadorian (Gluck), a middle school student who sets out to break every one of the many rules made by his domineering principal (Daly).

<i>The Most Hated Woman in America</i> 2017 film by Tommy OHaver

The Most Hated Woman in America is an American biographical drama film directed by Tommy O'Haver and written by O'Haver and Irene Turner. It stars Melissa Leo as Madalyn Murray O'Hair.

<i>Captive State</i> 2019 American film by Rupert Wyatt

Captive State is a 2019 American science fiction thriller film directed by Rupert Wyatt and co-written by Wyatt and Erica Beeney. The film stars John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Colson Baker, and Vera Farmiga, and follows a young man who participates in a conspiracy to rebel against an alien race that had invaded Earth and forced strict martial law on all humans almost a decade prior. It was released in the United States on March 15, 2019, by Focus Features. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb, grossing just $8 million against its $25 million budget.

<i>Game Over, Man!</i> 2018 American film

Game Over, Man! is a 2018 American action comedy film directed by Kyle Newacheck, written by Anders Holm, and starring Holm, Adam DeVine, and Blake Anderson, all of whom previously collaborated on the sitcom Workaholics. It follows three down-on-their-luck housekeepers who must save the day when the Los Angeles hotel where they work is taken hostage. The film was released on March 23, 2018 on Netflix, but was panned by critics.

References

  1. 1 2 "Masterminds". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "Masterminds (1997)". BBFC. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Masterminds (1997) - Financial Information". The Numbers .
  4. ↑ Masterminds at IMDb
  5. ↑ "Masterminds Filming Locations". IMDb .
  6. ↑ Masterminds at Rotten Tomatoes
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (22 August 1997). "Masterminds". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 1 April 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.