Flatliners (1990)

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer (WGA):

Peter Filardi (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Some lines shouldn't be crossed.

Plot:

Medical students bring themselves near death; their experiment begins to go awry.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Medical | Medical Student | Afterlife | Nightmare

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Kiefer Sutherland	...	Nelson
Julia Roberts	...	Dr. Rachel Mannus
Kevin Bacon	...	David Labraccio
William Baldwin	...	Dr. Joe Hurley
Oliver Platt	...	Randy Steckle
Kimberly Scott	...	Winnie Hicks
Joshua Rudoy	...	Billy Mahoney
Benjamin Mouton	...	Rachel's Father
Aeryk Egan	...	Young Nelson
Kesha Reed	...	Young Winnie
Hope Davis	...	Anne Coldren
Jim Ortlieb	...	Uncle Dave
John Duda	...	Young David (as John Joseph Duda)
Megan Stewart	...	Playground Kid
Tressa Thomas	...	Playground Kid

Runtime:

115 min | Finland:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | CDS (digital 35 mm prints) | Dolby (analog 35 mm prints)

Certification:

West Germany:16 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (TV rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #30218)

Filming Locations:

Bensenville, Illinois, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

When David Labraccio (Kevin Bacon) goes to visit Winnie Hicks ('Kimberly Scott') to "atone" for taunting her, he mentions that they both went to "S.B. Butler" school as kids to remind her who he was. Writer Peter Filardi included this as a nod to his hometown in southeastern Connecticut, where there is a real "S.B. Butler" elementary school, near downtown Mystic, CT.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Joe walks home (after the scene when David visits his old schoolyard), along with the guys carrying the big posters, the steadicam operator and the focus puller are reflected in a store window of the house.

Quotes:

Joe Hurley: I don't know. Not thinking about the past or the future. I don't know it's difficult to explain, maybe impossible.
David Labraccio: Yeah, dying is quite that way.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of David Spade (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

PARTY TOWN

A dark, original thriller

Hmmm.... Since I love Kiefer Sutherland so much, my review might be a little biased. He was, however, pretty good in Flatliners. A wonderful idea for a movie, and a great gothic-type thriller. Sutherland's guilt and fright at the return of boy he taunted terribly when he was young (I'll try not to give away the rest) seemed genuine, especially since he seems drawn more often than not to act characters that are a**holes (there was really no other way to put it). As a young medical school student, his research into life after death draws his friends into dangerous situations and a great finale. The medical school did seem a little sub-standard, though, I will admit. Kevin Bacon is great in Flatliners, as is one of my favorite sarcastic actors, Oliver Platt. William Baldwin's also a cutie and did okay, and though I'm not a Julia Roberts fan, so did she. The plot will draw you in and keep you on the edge of your seat, and there's an interesting dark atmosphere pervaded by a lot of red and blue for emotional impact. A good movie.. I'd give it at least an 8 out of 10