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Actors: Russell Crowe, Meg Ryan, David Morse, David Caruso
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Proof of Life |
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Peter Bowman (David Morse) and his wife, Alice (Meg Ryan) have spent years living in third world countries. At first, Alice loved it and immersed herself in the different cultures, trying to learn the language and anything else she could about the people she was living among. But she is starting to resent their life. Peter is an engineer, building a dam in the (fictional) country of Tecala in South America. He is running into a lot of problems on the site and just doesn't have time to deal with Alice and her insecurities at that time. Their relationship is stretched to the breaking point and seems ready to snap at any moment when the unthinkable happens and Peter is kidnapped off of a busy street by a group of guerillas in broad daylight.
Panic stricken, Alice immediately turns to Peter's corporation to help and they send in Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), an ex-soldier turned kidnap & ransom negotiator for a global firm that collects a commission for rescued hostages. Terry immediately takes charge of the situation and gives Alice hope that her husband will soon return to her. However, Terry has barely started working on the case when he is pulled. Turns out Peter's company was trying to cut costs so they cut the hostage insurance. With no means to pay Terry's exorbitant fee, Alice is left on her own. Burned out and disillusioned, Terry just wants a well-deserved break, but he cannot leave Alice to fight for her husband on her own, so he returns and takes the case for nothing.
Terry's hopes for a quick resolution are now gone because he doesn't have a corporation's money to rely upon. Instead, he has to rely on whatever cash Alice and Peter's family can raise and deal with the kidnappers on his own. As Alice and Terry struggle to come up with a plan to get Peter back safely, Peter is fighting just to stay alive. He is forced to hike over barren vistas and eventually ends up in a small encampment where other wealthy hostages are kept awaiting their paid ransoms. As the weeks stretch into months, Peter almost gives up hope of ever being rescued, his worn picture of Alice his only lifeline. Back in the city, Alice is desperately trying to fight her attraction to Terry and feeling guilty about it, especially with Peter's life on the line...
--Debbie, Resident Scholar
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A woman's husband is working in South America to build a dam. While there he is kidnapped by a terrorist group and held for ransom. His wife then hires a private investigator to help rescue her husband and to destroy the terrorists.
--Jack Bauer, Resident Scholar
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Crowe is called to negotiate for the release of Morse, the husband of Meg Ryan. During this time, Crowe falls in love with Ryan and conflict ensues regarding the rescue operation.
--Brian Oliver, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Proof of Life |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 26.7%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 36.7%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 36.7%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1980's-1999
Spying & Terrorists
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- terrorist kidnappers
Romance
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- ample bosom & buttocks (woman)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- a criminal organization
Age:
- 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Hispanic/Latinoa
Setting
The Americas (not US):
Yes
The Americas:
- South
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
Mountains:
- climbing on trails
- climbing with ropes
Forest?
Yes
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
- prison
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- non-gory references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
How many deaths in film?
- 8 or more
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 2 (a little)
Kind of violence:
- mission to rescue
- hand to hand
- guns
- knives
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Debbie
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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