Plot
Kevin Bacon's character, Joe Hickey, is a man who is apparently in the business of kidnapping rich people's children for ransom with his wife Cheryl (Courtney Love) and cousin Marvin as his accomplices. A typically happy family whose father/husband, Will Jennings (Stuart Townsend), is a research physician who has just had his big career break by patenting a new anesthetic drug. The mother/wife, Karen Jennings (Charlize Theron) is a stay at home mother who used to be a nurse.The couple's daughter Abby (Dakota Fanning) is kidnapped by Hickey and Marvin. Meanwhile Cheryl keeps Will at gunpoint and tells him about his daughter's kidnapping after he just gets out of a ceremony in which he is honored for his career. The movie then follows the tense situation lived by the couple, separated by the bandits and kept in the dark as to what the outcome to their predicament is to be. The situation is worsened by a health problem of the child (severe asthma) about which the kidnappers were uninformed.
[edit] Cast
- Charlize Theron (Karen Jennings)
- Stuart Townsend (Dr. Will Jennings)
- Kevin Bacon (Joe Hickey)
- Courtney Love (Cheryl Hickey)
- Dakota Fanning (Abby Jennings)
- Pruitt Taylor Vince (Marvin)
- Colleen Camp (Joan Evans)
- Steve Rankin (Hank Ferris)
- Gary Chalk (Agent Chalmers)
- Jodie Markell (Mary McDill)
- Brigitte Svörwald (Angie McCoole)
- Matt Koby (Peter McDill)
- Gerry Becker (Dr. Stein)
- Andrew Airlie (Holden)
- Randi Lynne (Hotel Operator)
- J.B. Bivens (Gray Davidson)
Differences from the book
- In the book, Joe wanted revenge because Will had "killed" his mother, whereas in the movie version Joe wanted revenge because he thought that Will had killed his child.
- In the book, Abby has diabetes, whereas in the movie, she suffers from asthma.
- In the book, Joe's cousin's name is Huey, whereas in the movie, his name is Marvin.
