''The Sunchaser'' (marketed simply as ''Sunchaser'' in promotional material) is a 1996

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

film directed by

Michael Cimino Michael Antonio Cimino ( , ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. He achieved fame as the director of ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture and ...

, written by Charles Leavitt and starring

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...

and Jon Seda. It was director Cimino's last feature-length film. It was selected to compete for the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

at the 49th Cannes Film Festival.

Plot

Brandon "Blue" Monroe, a 16-year-old half-

Navajo The Navajo or Diné are an Indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Their traditional language is Diné bizaad, a Southern Athabascan language. The states with the largest Diné populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (1 ...

gang member from East L.A., is serving time in prison for murdering his abusive stepfather. On an annual medical visit, Blue is told by Dr. Michael Reynolds, a wealthy, materialistic

oncologist Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''� ...

with a wife and daughter, that he is dying of abdominal cancer and has very little time left to live. Convinced that he can heal if he gets to a

medicine man A medicine man (from Ojibwe ''mashkikiiwinini'') or medicine woman (from Ojibwe ''mashkikiiwininiikwe'') is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Each culture has its own name i ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

he knew when he was 8, Blue kidnaps Michael, holding him at gunpoint, and forces him to drive them to a nearby garage where they switch cars. Blue seeks to fin
Dibé Nitsaa
(one of the six mountain lakes sacred to the Navajo people), said to heal the wounds of anyone who swims in its waters. Michael, however, bemoans his capture to Blue, seeking help to anyone who he comes across and complaining that he is missing out on a dinner engagement for promotion as head of the oncology department. The two men are instantly at odds with each other, separated by their education, class, race, and two very different world views. Michael believes that modern medicine has all the answers to whatever ails human beings, while Blue believes in Native American

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

which honors the spirit world, sacred places, and

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

. En route to Arizona, Michael and Blue have a rough encounter with a group of bikers in a small town, and a chase pursues. Later, Michael is bitten by a

rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genus, genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting sm ...

but is quickly treated for it by Blue, without medical equipment. Back in Los Angeles, Mrs. Reynolds elicits a police manhunt, and the authorities then attempt to track the two men on their eastward journey. As Michael grows closer to his abductor, he comes to terms with a harbored childhood secret that had haunted him; he was forced to take the life of his older brother, who was on his death bed and had asked a young Michael to

pull the plug Huntingtons are a Punk rock, punk band from Baltimore, Maryland which formed in 1994 in the Maryland and Delaware area by Cliff Powell (a.k.a. Cliffy Huntington), Mike Holt (a.k.a. Mikey Huntington) and Mike Pierce (a.k.a. Mikee Huntington). Th ...

. As Blue's condition worsens, Michael resorts to illegal means to obtain the needed medicine by breaking into a hospital in Flagstaff. The next morning, the two enter the Navajo reservation, but spot a police cruiser parked ahead of them. To escape, Michael drives off the main road and blends in with a

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

herd A herd is a social group of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with this is called '' herding''. These animals are known as gregarious animals. The term ''herd'' ...

, becoming unnoticed in the

dust Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...

kickup. Eluding the authorities and finally committed to helping Blue on his quest, Michael manages to whisk Blue up the mountain. Meanwhile, a police helicopter spots their car parked nearby. Reaching the top, Blue is reunited with the medicine man, who directs him to the lake. Michael and Blue embrace, and the two part ways. As the helicopter spots Michael, Blue runs toward the lake, before mystically disappearing into its waters. Back in L.A., Michael, escorted by the police and wearing handcuffs, is reunited with his family.

Cast

as Michael Reynolds * Jon Seda as Brandon "Blue" Monroe *

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...

as Renata Baumbauer * Alexandra Tydings as Victoria Reynolds * Matt Mulhern as Chip Byrnes * Talisa Soto as Navajo Woman * Richard Bauer as Dr. Bradford * Victor Aaron as Webster Skyhorse * Lawrence Pressman as FBI Agent-in-Charge Collier * Michael O'Neill as FBI Agent Moreland * Harry Carey Jr. as Cashier * Carmen Dell'Orefice as Arabella * Brooke Ashley as Calantha Reynolds * Andrea Roth as Head Nurse * Bob Minor as Deputy Lynch * Brett Harrelson as Younger Highway Patrol Officer *

Andy Berman Andrew Mark Berman (born February 24, 1968) is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his role as Dib Membrane in ''Invader Zim'', Dennis in '' The Jamie Foxx Show'' (1996-1997), Chuck in '' The Wonder ...

as Person in Oncology * Linda M. Duenas as Hot Mexican Waitress

Production

In 1994, Cimino was approached by

Regency Enterprises New Regency Productions is an American-British-Luxembourgish entertainment company formed by Arnon Milchan. It was founded in 1991 as the successor to Regency International Pictures (formerly known as Embassy International Pictures N.V.). His ...

producer

Arnon Milchan Arnon Milchan (; December 6, 1944) is an Israeli billionaire businessman, film producer and former spy. He has been involved in over 130 full-length motion pictures and is the founder of production company Regency Enterprises. Regency's film cre ...

to direct ''The Sunchaser'', a script by Charles Leavitt that had been offered previously to

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...

and

Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...

. Taking creative liberties with the screenplay, Cimino spent several months researching the gang culture of Los Angeles. Cimino, Michael (director) (2005). "Commentary by Director Michael Cimino". Year of the Dragon'' Region 1 DVD">Year of the Dragon (film)">Year of the Dragon'' Region 1 DVD

Turner Entertainment Co Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters * Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for tur ...

. In December, it was announced

would star and the film was called ''The Sun Chasers''. Parts of the film were shot in

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...

, the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...

, Zion National Park,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

and

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. To give authenticity to the dialogue, Cimino had several

advisors on set at all times, including actor Leon Skyhorse Thomas, who gave input on the scenes between Harrelson and Jon Seda.

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. ( ; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former professional Boxing, boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading actor, leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. In a Mickey Rourke filmogra ...

, a collaborator and friend of Cimino's, believed the director "snapped" sometime during the making of ''The Sunchaser''. "Michael is the sort of person that if you take away his money he short-circuits," Rourke said. "He is a man of honor."Garbarino, Steve (March 2002)
"Michael Cimino's Final Cut"
'' Vanity Fair'' (499): pp. 232-235+250-252. Retrieved 2010-08-27. Filming was deliberately done with little publicity to avoid media scrutinty. "We feel we have a big surprise in our pocket," said Milchan. "Woody is a great actor and he and Michael really clicked."

Post-production

Although Cimino was not granted

final cut privilege Final cut privilege (also known as ''final cutting authority'') is the right or entitlement of an individual to determine the final version of a motion picture for distribution and exhibition. The final cut on a film can be held by film studios, ...

, the producers did not interfere with the editing. Pablo Ferro, the film's main title designer, recommended Joe D'Augustine after the original editor was fired. D'Augustine recalled his first meeting with Cimino: "It was kind of eerie, freaky. I was led into this dark editing room with black velvet curtains and there was this guy hunched over. They bring me into, like, his chamber, as if he was the Pope. Everyone was speaking in hushed tones. He had something covering his face, a handkerchief. He kept his face covered. And nobody was allowed to take his picture ..Welcome to Ciminoville." Eventually, he began to like working with Cimino; "He was a genius. I wanted to be his friend," said D'Augustine. "We're sitting there watching the movie, looking for places to add sound effects. We get to the scene where the kid is on the phone, calling 911, shouting, 'There's a guy here with a gun.' I said, 'Do want to put in their side of the conversation?' Michael says, 'I don't know what they'd say,' and then he picks up the phone and dials 911. He says, 'There's a man here with a gun, a very large one,' and then he hands the phone to the sound guy so he can write down what they say."

Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, a ...

was originally slated to compose the music for the film, however, creative differences between him and Cimino led to Nitzsche's replacement by Maurice Jarre. Jarre was chosen on the basis of his scores for

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...

epics such as '' Lawrence of Arabia'' and '' Doctor Zhivago'', which Cimino loved. He once said that his favorite part of making a film was watching the recording of the soundtrack over the film:

"Suddenly you see this music come on the screen and you think for the first time: ''I really made a movie. My God, it looks like a movie up there!'' And it's like, you feel like you're about 12, and it's the first time it occurs to you that you've done a movie ..It's sublime. Really sublime moment. The best moment in movies I think."

In the end credits, Cimino dedicates the film "To Hal", referencing fellow director

Hal Ashby William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an Cinema of the United States, American film Film director, director and Film editing, editor. His work exemplified the countercultural attitude of the era. He directed wide-rangi ...

, who himself refused medical treatment for, and died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

. Coincidentally, on his deathbed, Ashby had still believed he could pull through and pondered making a film with similar themes of ''The Sunchaser'', dealing with how he had miraculously cheated death.

Release

The film had its world premiere in France where it was entered into competition at the

1996 Cannes Film Festival The 49th Cannes Film Festival took place from 9 to 20 May 1996. American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola served as jury president for the main competition. Sabine Azéma hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. British filmmaker Mike Leigh wo ...

for the

Palme D'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

."Festival de Cannes: Sunchaser"
festival-cannes.com. 1996. Retrieved 2009-09-19. A theatrical release was intended, but the film fared so poorly with test audiences that it went straight to video in the United States. According to composer Maurice Jarre, the film was blocked from receiving the Special Jury Prize by

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

, who was head of the jury that year:

"Everybody from the Cannes organization loved the film and they wanted to give it ''Le Prix du Jury'', but Francis Ford Coppola disliked Cimino and so the prize was given to another film."

Critical reception

The film received largely negative reviews.

Todd McCarthy Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...

of '' Variety'' wrote, "Michael Cimino's return to filmmaking after a six-year layoff is a conceptually bold tale marked, in its execution, both by visceral intensity and dramatic sloppiness." Jo-Ann Pittman wrote in ''Film Directors'' that ''The Sunchaser'' had "a predictable and often laughable script. Not good considering it is a drama. The characters are stereotypical and the story again lacks direction. It attempts to handle too many stories at one time. The

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

mystical healing waters are cliche as is the kidnapper/victim story."Pittman, Jo Ann (September 21, 1999). "Michael Cimino". ''Film Directors''.

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...

gave the film one and a half stars: "Misbegotten mess tries to touch all trendy bases, scrambling American Indian mysticism, 'New Age' theories and buddy-movie clichés into the format of a road movie." Kevin Thomas of ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' gave ''The Sunchaser'' one of its few positive notices. While noting the predictability of the script, Thomas added, "Yet all that's so familiar in Charles Leavitt's script has been given a fresh, brisk spin by the sheer audacity and force of Cimino's style and by an incisive, wide-ranging performance by Harrelson..." On review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, ''The Sunchaser'' has a "rotten" approval rating of 17% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/10.

Notes

References

External links

* *
''The Sunchaser''
a
Unofficial French website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunchaser, The 1996 crime drama films 1996 films American crime drama films American road movies Films about Native Americans Films directed by Michael Cimino Films scored by Maurice Jarre Regency Enterprises films Films produced by Arnon Milchan 1990s English-language films 1990s American films Films shot in Utah English-language crime drama films Warner Bros. films