In this near-perfect suspense movie adapted from the popular 1960s television series that starred David Janssen, renowned vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) has been falsely accused and convicted--on circumstantial evidence--of his wife's (Sela Ward) murder. While Kimble is being transported to prison, another convict stabs an inattentive guard, causing a massive wreck. Kimble escapes but is hunted by tough U.S. marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). The fugitive from injustice attempts to set the record straight: He transforms himself into a jack-of-all-trades and a man of a thousand faces in a desperate attempt to uncover the truth about his wife's murder and track down the real killer. Spectacular special effects and a pulse-pounding performance by Ford turned Andrew Davis's thrilling film into a blockbuster at the box office, leading to a sequel, U.S. MARSHALS.
A doctor wrongly accused of killing his wife escapes authorities, continually eludes a zealous detective, and hunts for clues to solve his wife's murder himself in order to prove his innocence. The bizarre circumstances that led to the death only sweeten the suspense.
The FUGITIVE TV series ran from 1963 to 1967. It wasn't until the conclusion of the series in 1967 that Barry Morse's Lieutenant Gerard realized he had been chasing the wrong man.
The $2 million "dam fall," as it has aptly been called by director Andrew Davis, took two days to film and was shot by static and aerial cameras. The shot was designed and plotted by stunt coordinator Terry Leonard. The stunt was filmed at the Cheoah Dam in North Carolina. The section of tunnel that opens above the dam was removed from Chicago and placed above the dam so as to give the illusion that it had an outlet directly over top of the dam. Warner Bros. had to pay Alcoa, the dam's operators, a large fee for using the property. The Harrison Ford look-alike dummies were also expensive, ranging in price from $7,000 to $12,000 apiece. Ford apparently didn't want to have stuntmen perform in his place, so he agreed to be in the water for the survival shot that comes after the jump. There were two navy SEALs on the set as consultants.
The film's Richard Kimble was originally a fugitive fleeing Wisconsin but the film producer had to make a change when they discovered that Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty.
The final episode of THE FUGITIVE series was watched by more people than any single episode of a regular series in the history of television at the time.
The film took in $183 million at the box office.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Snap Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Andrew Davis - Director, Peter MacGregor-Scott - Producer
Making Of - 1. DERAILED: ANATOMY OF A TRAIN WRECK
2. ON THE RUN
Deleted Scenes
Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
Introduction - 1. Harrison Ford
Stars
Harrison Ford: American actor, STAR WARS series/INDIANA JONES series
Tommy Lee Jones: American Actor
Andreas Katsulas: American Supporting Actor
Jeroen Krabbe: Dutch Actor
Joe Pantoliano: American Supporting Actor
Sela Ward: American TV/Film Actress
Julianne Moore: Actress, THE HOURS, FAR FROM HEAVEN, BOOGIE NIGHTS
Daniel Roebuck: American Supporting Actor
Tom Wood:
Ron Dean: Actor
Director
Andrew Davis: Director, action thrillers, began as a Cinematographer
Producer
Arnold Kopelson: American Producer
Screenwriter
Jeb Stuart: Director
David Twohy: Director
Composer
James Newton Howard: Composer, KING KONG (2005)
Editor
Don Brochu: Editor
David Finfer: Editor
Dennis Virkler: Editor, CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK (2004)
Richard Nord: American Editor
Dov Hoenig: American Editor
Dean Goodhill: Editor, THE FUGITIVE (1993), ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (1991)
Art Director
Charles Wood: Production Designer, Art Director, MORTAL KOMBAT 2
Director of Photography
Michael Chapman: American Director Of Photography/Director
Production Designer
Dennis Washington: Production Designer
Story
David Twohy: Director
Story
Roy Huggins:
Costume Designer
Aggie Guerard Rodgers: Costume Designer
Review 1:
"...A smashing success, a juggernaut of an action-adventure saga that owes nothing to the past....Acted to steely perfection by [Ford and Jones]..."
Source: New York Times
p.C1 08/06/1993
Review 2:
"...A spectacular thriller..." - Recommended
Source: Premiere
p.141 04/01/1994
Review 3:
"For dynamite suspense loaded with thrills and wicked fun, you can't beat THE FUGITIVE..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.84 08/19/1993
Review 4:
"...A giant toy-train entertainment with all stops pulled out. A consummate nail-biter that never lags, it leaves you breathless from the chase yet anxious for the next bit of mayhem or clever plot twist..."
Source: Variety
08/02/1993
Review 5:
"...A tense, taut and expert thriller that becomes something more than that, an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.43 08/06/1993
Review 6:
"Nominated for three Academy Awards, THE FUGITIVE is one of the most exciting and thrilling action movies ever made."
Source: Widescreen Review
p.65 07/01/2006