The Package (1989)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writer (WGA):

John Bishop (written by)

Release Date:

25 August 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He's one man racing against time to stop the most explosive conspiracy in history.

Plot:

Johnny Gallagher, a sergeant, is sent with a prisoner from Germany. The prisoner escapes in the men's...

Plot Keywords:

Prisoner | Sergeant | Airport | Ex Wife | Escape

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Sgt. Johnny Gallagher
Joanna Cassidy	...	Eileen Gallagher
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Thomas Boyette
John Heard	...	Col. Glen Whitacre
Dennis Franz	...	Lt. Milan Delich
Pam Grier	...	Ruth Butler
Kevin Crowley	...	Walter Henke
Ron Dean	...	Karl Richards
Nathan Davis	...	Soviet Press Secretary
Chelcie Ross	...	Gen. Hopkins
Joe Greco	...	Gen. Carlson
Ike Pappas	...	Himself
Marco St. John	...	Marth
Reni Santoni	...	Chicago Police Lieutenant
Michael Skewes	...	MP

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Astrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Australia:M | USA:R (certificate #29795) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Although the story is set in various places around the world, nearly all of the film (including scenes set in Washington and Germany) were filmed in the area of the director's home town, Chicago.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Reni Santoni is credited as a Chicago Police Lieutenant, but just before he arrests Gallagher, the rank on his cap piece is clearly that of "Captain".

Quotes:

Lt. Milan Delich: [putting his sleeping child down on a couch] I've gotta stop feeding that kid.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Intimate Portrait: Pam Grier" (1999)

Soundtrack:

I Don't Know

Outstanding, Intelligent, Under-appreciated

The end of the Cold War and the toppling of the Berlin Wall made this film outdated almost before it was released. Nevertheless, it remains one of the best conspiracy mystery/thrillers ever made. The plot is amazingly intricate, but by the finish everything is tied up neatly, with no loose ends, a rarity for this type of story.

Gene Hackman is at his no-nonsense best as Johnny Gallagher, a career military man caught up in a complex assassination scheme. As the events unfold, he becomes more and more personally involved, which serves to ratchet up the tension for the audience. His relationships with his ex-wife Eileen (Joanna Cassidy) and the 'package' of the title, a prisoner that Johnny is assigned to escort into the U.S. from Berlin (played by Tommy Lee Jones in top form), are what really elevate "The Package" into the first rank of suspense dramas. The scenes featuring Hackman and Jones together are wonderful examples of understatement, as the larger political conflict becomes a personal one. Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) turns up in a great supporting role.

"The Package" maintains an entertaining balance between action movie excitement and character-driven drama. The political background may be out of date, but the fine acting and writing deliver a story that is still compelling.

EDIT by author, 08.30.2006 Note: I saw this film during its original theatrical run. Events at that time (late 80's) moved so rapidly, the political situation had changed significantly between the start of production and its release. It was meant to be occurring in the present, not designed as a period piece. That is what I mean by outdated, which in no way detracted from the film's quality, or my enjoyment of it.