''Run'' is a 1991 American

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Geoff Burrowes Geoff Burrowes (born 1945) is an Australian filmmaker best known for the movie ''The Man from Snowy River'' (1982) and the TV mini-series Anzacs (1985); he was a founding partner of the Burrowes Film Group.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantati ...

and starring

Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver. He is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy''. He had early success as an actor, starring in a number of fil ...

and

Kelly Preston Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress. She appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, including ''Mischief'' (1985), ''Twins'' (1988), '' ...

Plot

Boston law student and part-time mechanic Charlie Farrow (

) was asked by his boss to deliver a new Porsche from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

for a client. When he gets close to Atlantic City, the Porsche breaks down. While Charlie waits for the car to be repaired, a cab driver (who mistakes Charlie for being an Atlantic City high roller) takes him to an undercover

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

that has a bar room and kitchen, so Charlie can get something to eat. At the casino, Charlie earns the wrath of Denny Halloran (Alan C. Peterson), who takes exception to Charlie beating him at poker. In the resulting fight, Denny trips over a potted palm, accidentally hits his head on the sharp corner of a counter, and dies. Charlie is now on the spot, because Denny happens to be the son of a

mob Mob or MOB may refer to: Behavioral phenomena * Crowd * Smart mob, a temporary self-structuring social organization, coordinated through telecommunication Crime and law enforcement * American Mafia, also known as the Mob * Irish Mob, a US crimin ...

boss named Matt Halloran (

Ken Pogue Kenneth Pogue (July 26, 1934 – December 15, 2015) was a Canadian actor. Career His first motion picture role in 1973 was in '' The Neptune Factor''. He almost drowned in scuba gear. He worked on stage at the Crest Theatre, Stratford Shakespe ...

), who is the owner and despot of the casino and most of the police force, including Chief Travers and Lt. Martins who think Charlie could be innocent. Wrongfully accused of murdering Denny, Charlie finds himself on the run from both dirty cops and Matt's henchmen, all of whom want to collect the $50,000 bounty that Matt placed on Charlie. With only one ally, reluctant witness Karen Landers (

) who knows the truth and agrees to aid Charlie, Charlie finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The bodies pile up as Charlie dodges flying bullets and bowling pins, explosions from numerous assault weapons and miscellaneous shrapnel and twisted auto parts as he is pursued on a nightmare race through racetracks, amusement parks, bowling alleys and shopping malls by Matt's men, corrupt cops and Travers and Martins. After Karen is wounded and two dirty cops die chasing him Charlie surrenders himself to Travers and Martins but they are pursued by two of Matt's men, Sammy and Marv, and run off the road, Travers is killed and Martins is injured. Sammy and Marv take Charlie to Matt who tells them to kill Charlie, however, he kills Marv then Sammy by causing them to fall off of a roof. After killing Matt's other henchmen, Charlie and Matt confront each other at Matt's dog-race track. Matt dies as he is impaled by a mechanical pacer rabbit that was speeding toward him. Martins arrives after this and tells Charlie that "they sure fooled with the wrong guy", before placing a reassuring hand on Charlie's shoulder.

Cast

as Charlie Farrow *

as Karen Landers *

as Matt Halloran * A.C. Peterson as Denny Halloran * James Kidnie as Sammy * Sean McCann as Marv * Michael MacRae as Officer O'Rourke *

Tom McBeath Tom McBeath is a Canadian actor. He is the winner of three Jessie Awards best known for playing Col. Harold Maybourne on ''Stargate SG-1''. In 2017, he started playing Smithers on '' Riverdale''. Biography He appeared in an episode of ''Street ...

as Officer Smithy * Marc Strange as Chief Travers *

Christopher Lawford Christopher Kennedy Lawford (March 29, 1955 – September 4, 2018) was an American author, actor, and activist. He was a member of the prominent Kennedy family, and son of English actor Peter Lawford and Patricia Kennedy Lawford, Patricia "Pat" ...

as Lieutenant Martins * William S. Taylor as Sergeant Halsey *

Jerry Wasserman Jerry Wasserman (born November 2, 1945) is an American professor and film and television actor. Wasserman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is working on his role in ''Alien Trespass'' in post-production. He is a Professor of English and Theatr ...

as Halloran's Lieutenant * Steve Adams as Frank * Jonathan Bruce as Bill, Security Guard * Peter Williams as Cab Driver Maurice *

Lochlyn Munro Lochlyn Munro (born February 12, 1966) is a Canadian actor. His most notable film roles include ''A Night at the Roxbury'' (1998), ''Scary Movie'' (2000), ''Freddy vs. Jason'' (2003), ''White Chicks'' (2004), '' The Predator'' (2018) and ''Cosm ...

as College Buddy * Michael Rogers as Electrocuted Gunman *

Gerry Bean Gerald William Bean is a Canadian former actor who had television and film roles under the names Gerry Bean and John Oliver."North of 60 star charged with assault". ''Ottawa Citizen'', April 15, 1994. Career Bean is best known for his role as R ...

as Cop At Karen's * Garry Davey as Sergeant At Karen's * Suleka Mathew as Casino Cashier *

Babz Chula Babz Chula (born Barbara Ellen Zuckerman; circa 1946 – May 7, 2010) was an American-born Canadian actress. Chula spent her early childhood in the working-class neighbourhood of Jamaica, N.Y., but her widowed mother, Abby Zuckerman, a bookin ...

as Poker Player *

Alex Diakun Alex Diakun (born February 8, 1946) is a Canadian actor. Diakun was born in Rycroft, Alberta. He began his schooling in Chilliwack, British Columbia and finished with a BFA from the University of Alberta. Diakun has been acting for over four de ...

as Casino Maitre D'

Production

It was the second feature directed by Geoff Burrowes."If you want to do an action picture, it should be one that doesn't let up and for that reason this movie appealed to me enormously," he said. "In ''Run'', we're projecting a situation which could quite conceivably happen to any member of the audience, a situation with which they can identify through a character who is fundamentally Everyman. We pose the question, `What would happen to me if I were caught up something in which I was an outsider, where all due process fell away and I were left alone?' " Filming started in Vancouver in April 1990. Kelly Preston replaced

Tracy Pollan Tracy Jo Pollan (born June 22, 1960), is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Ellen Reed on the sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1985–1987). Early life Pollan was born on Long Island, New York, the daughter of Corinne Elaine "Corky ...

who bowed out during early filming in May. According to a publicist, "The part had evolved and both parties agreed that she was no longer right for the role. There were no awful tantrums."PRESTON REPLACES POLLAN: * EditionInwood, Damian. The Province 15 May 1990: 39.

References

External links

* * * * {{Geoff Burrowes 1991 films Hollywood Pictures films 1991 crime thriller films 1991 action thriller films Gambling films Films set in Massachusetts Films shot in Portland, Oregon American chase films American action thriller films American crime thriller films 1990s chase films Films about organized crime in the United States Films set in Atlantic City, New Jersey 1990s English-language films 1990s American films