Someone to Watch Over Me | |
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Directed by | Ridley Scott |
Written by | Howard Franklin |
Produced by | Thierry de Ganay Mimi Polk Gitlin Harold Schneider |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Steven B. Poster |
Edited by | Claire Simpson |
Music by | Michael Kamen |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $12.8 million[1] |
Box office | $10,278,549[2] |
Someone to Watch Over Me is a 1987 romance crime thriller film starring Tom Berenger and Mimi Rogers and directed by Ridley Scott. The film's soundtrack includes the George and Ira Gershwin song from which the film takes its title, here sung by Sting, and Vangelis' "Memories of Green", originally from Scott's Blade Runner.
Socialite Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) attends a party and art show sponsored by one of her oldest friends, Winn Hockings (Mark Moses). Accompanying her is her straitlaced boyfriend, Neil Steinhart (John Rubinstein). In another part of town, there is another party, this one for newly appointed NYPD detective Mike Keegan (Tom Berenger).
Winn is accosted by a former partner, Joey Venza (Andreas Katsulas), who is angry because Winn had not come to him to borrow money for his new art studio. After a short argument, he stabs Winn to death. Claire witnesses the killing as she steps out of the elevator; she screams and is spotted by Venza. He pursues her, but she manages to get back into the elevator just in time.
The police are called in and the new detective Keegan is there. He is a married man, but immediately falls for Claire. Along with fellow cops, he is assigned to protect Claire until she can make a positive ID of Venza (once he is arrested) and testify in court.
Keegan is determined to protect Claire and goes to extremes to do so. Venza makes numerous threats and attempts on her life, nearly succeeding at one point. Keegan and his wife Ellie (Lorraine Bracco) separate over his involvement in the case. He and Claire acknowledge their love but Keegan cannot bring himself to simply abandon his family.
At the end, Venza, who draws out Keegan by taking his son hostage, is shot by Ellie and killed. Claire breaks up with her staid boyfriend and intends to go to Europe to get over Keegan, who returns to his wife and son.
Scott made the film following Legend which had been a notable box office failure. In July 1986 Alan Ladd Jr announced the film would be made for MGM.[3] By September the project had shifted to Columbia where David Puttnam, who produced Scott's debut feature, was head of production.[4] Tom Berenger was cast on the strength of his performance in Platoon.
Someone to Watch Over Me was released in the United States on October 9, 1987, and in the Philippines on February 11, 1988.[5] It was the first film green lit by Puttnam to be released - but by the time it was released Puttnam has resigned.[6]
Someone to Watch Over Me earned positive reviews from critics, and it currently holds a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews with the consensus stating: "Its plot is sometimes hard to swallow, but some fine acting and director Ridley Scott's stylish visual flair make Someone to Watch Over Me an engaging police thriller".
Someone to Watch Over Me was a box office disappointment despite positive reviews, bringing in a total of $10,278,549 in a limited run at the theater.[7][8]
The film did better on VHS.[9] Shout Factory released it on Blu-ray under their Shout Select banner on March 12, 2019.
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