I loved this movie!

I assume anyone reading this has seen the film by now, but if not, then – Spoiler Alert! I enjoyed this movie the first time it saw it back when it was first released. I remembered that it was good, but forgot the details. Now, after seeing many films between then and now, I viewed it again - with a more experienced eye. I can’t believe that they made a movie that good in l996 that is still so fantastic, even now. I noticed more details this time and enjoyed it even more. Much more.

They had characters that you cared about and others that they made sure you really hated. Geena Davis/Samatha Cane/ Charlie Baltimore was fantastic in her metamorphosis between personalities. I thought it was nothing short of fantastic. When David Morse was doing the water-torturing thing, Samantha Cane, stated she didn’t tell anyone anything. She was fearful. But, the next time she came up from the water, her facial expression changed, and, Charlie Baltimore came out, when she told him (With authority) “THIS ISN’T OVER YET!” This, even though she was still tied to the water wheel and knew that he intended to drown her on the next trip under water. It was almost as if Charlie came out when Samantha needed her, like when she and Mitch met who they thought was "Mr. Waldman" at the train station. Remember, Charlie emerged and made a beautiful move to save them both.


We, the viewers, were in her head with her as she remembered more and more through flashbacks. She had selective amnesia and remembered the right things at the right times. For example, she was shocked by the high powered rifle in it’s disassembled state in the bottom of the suitcase, but it was, to my mind, beautiful, the way she remembered how to assemble it in the exact proper sequence (some pieces had to be pushed in and then turned)(she clicked each piece into place with authority), which Samatha Cane would never be capable of doing.

The screenplay was so well thought out. Some scenes were so brilliantly shocking that they surprised the characters themselves. Geena Davis’ clever speed skating scene left Samuel L. Jackson’s eyes as big as saucers (He did have some weak dialogue in this film but it was more than compensated for by the rest of the action and dialogue). An expletive from him at that point - just after her "Hockey stop" - would have been appropriate! That was my reaction.

And how about the humorous scene when Geena Davis caught little Raymond smoking (again). He knew her as the meek Ms. Cane, but she was heavily armed and in her Charlie Baltimore mode. Did she shock him or what? I loved this movie!