Mad City
1997 · Movie · PG-13 · 114 min · ★ 6.3 · 41% critics
After losing his job, a desperate museum guard returns to demand it back at gunpoint, turning a tense standoff into a hostage crisis. As police surround the building, a struggling TV reporter seizes the moment, and the situation spirals into a ratings-fueled media frenzy that blurs the line between news and spectacle.
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Details
- Years
- 1997
- Release date
- 1997-11-07
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Critic score
- 41/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.3/10 (366 votes)
- Budget
- $50,000,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a tense, talky hostage drama that critiques how news coverage can inflame a crisis, in the vein of What Lies Beneath’s suspenseful pressure; not for you if you need subtle characters or fresh plotting.
Pros: timely media satire; tense hostage setup; strong star power | Cons: thin character depth; familiar story beats; uneven performances
Themes
- journalist
- hostage
- museum
Cast & crew
John Travolta
as Sam Baily
Dustin Hoffman
as Max Brackett
Mia Kirshner
as Laurie Callahan
Alan Alda
as Kevin Hollander
Robert Prosky
as Lou Potts
Blythe Danner
as Mrs. Banks
William Atherton
as Dohlen
Ted Levine
as Lemke
- MJ
Milton Davis Jr.
as The Kids
Bill Nunn
as Cliff Williams
Directed by Costa-Gavras