Bird on a Wire (film)

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Bird on a Wire
Bird on a wire poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Badham
Produced by Rob Cohen
Written by Louis Venosta
David Seltzer
Starring Mel Gibson
Goldie Hawn
David Carradine
Bill Duke
Stephen Tobolowsky
Music by Hans Zimmer
Cinematography Robert Primes
Editing by Frank Morriss
Dallas Puett
Studio Interscope Communications
The Badham/Cohen Group
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) May 18, 1990
Running time 110 minutes
Language English
Budget $20 million
Box office $138,697,012

Bird on a Wire is a 1990 action comedy film starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, directed by John Badham, and shot mainly in British Columbia, Canada.[1] The title refers to the Leonard Cohen song "Bird on the Wire". The alley motorcycle chase scene was filmed in Victoria, BC's Chinatown, in Fan Tan Alley.

Contents

Plot [edit]

Rick Jarmin (Mel Gibson) helped convict a drug-dealing FBI agent named Eugene Sorenson (David Carradine) and was placed in the witness protection program. Fifteen years later his former fiancée Marianne Graves (Goldie Hawn) crosses paths with him at a gas station in Detroit, Michigan. Rick refuses to recognize Marianne as the witness protection program does not allow contact with people from the witness' previous life. If she recognizes him it may lead to Sorenson finding and killing him.

Sorenson has been let out of jail after serving his sentence, and with his partner Albert Diggs (Bill Duke) they are out to kill Rick in order to smooth the passage of their latest deal with some Columbian drug dealers. Marianne has blown Rick's cover and he makes a frantic call to his relocation officer for a new identity, only to discover that his old contact has retired.

His new contact, Joe Weyburn (Stephen Tobolowsky), is in league with Diggs and Sorenson. Just as Marianne prepares to confront Rick they are surprised by Sorenson and Diggs, who show up at the gas station with guns blazing.

They kill Rick's kindly old boss at the gas station, pinning the murder on Rick and Marianne who are forced to go on the run. The climax of the film takes place at a zoo, where Sorenson and his men get killed by different animals. Meanwhile, Rick, who suffered a gunshot wound, makes a promise to Marianne that he wants to marry her. In the end, he does and the two of them enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean.

Cast [edit]

Reception [edit]

The movie gained a mixed to negative reception.[2][3][4][5] Bird on a Wire currently holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews.

Box office [edit]

Bird on a Wire debuted at #1 at the box office.[6] The film went on to gross over $138.6 million worldwide.

References [edit]

  1. ^ Thompson-Nicola Film Commission
  2. ^ "Bird on a Wire". Variety. 1989-12-31. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  3. ^ "Bird on a Wire". Washington Post. 1990-05-18. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  4. ^ "Bird on a Wire". Entertainment Weekly. 1990-05-18. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  5. ^ "Bird on a Wire". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  6. ^ Broeske, Pat H. (1990-06-04). "Total Recall' Totally Dominates Box Office Movies: Film starring Schwarzenegger posts one of the top 10 biggest three-day openings ever.". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 

External links [edit]