Panic Room (film)

This entry is about the movie titled "Panic Room", for the fortified room in some houses, see Panic room

Panic Room (2002) is a movie written by David Koepp, directed by David Fincher, and starring Academy Award Winners Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker. It also stars Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam, and Kristen Stewart.

Nicole Kidman was originally to star in the role of Meg Altman, but had to back out due to a knee injury she sustained during the filming of Moulin Rouge!. However, she did add her voice to the movie portraying Steven Altman's girlfriend and talking with Meg Altman on the phone.

Tagline

• It was supposed to be the safest room in the house ....

Cast

Plot

The film focuses on a panic room, a safe shelter usually located inside a residence. The panic room in this film is protected by a four-inch-thick steel door and an impressive security system, and features a phone line not connected to the residence.

The residence is 38 West 94th Street in Manhattan, a four-story townhouse that was previously owned by a disabled reclusive millionaire. Following the owner's death, the house was bought by Meg Altman (Foster), a woman, recently divorced from the owner of a pharmaceutical giant, who is planning to go back to college. Meg has a 12-year-old daughter Sarah (Stewart) who suffers from Type 1 diabetes.

On the night the two move into the home, it is broken into by Junior (Leto), the grandson of the previous owner, and Burnham (Whitaker), an employee of the security company used by the residence. The two are after $3 million in bearer bonds, which is locked inside a floor safe in the panic room. Unbeknownst to Burnham until after they've broken in, Junior has recruited Raoul (Yoakam), a bus driver who lives in Flatbush, to assist in the heist.

After discovering that the Altmans have moved into the home one week before they anticipated, the burglars decide to go on as planned with the heist. However, Meg wakes up and discovers the intruders from the CCTV monitors in the panic room when she wanted to switch off its glaring light. Before the three can stop her, she runs to Sarah, wakes her by pouring water onto her face, and together they escape to the panic room.

The three make several attempts to get into the room, including filling the room with propane to get the Altmans to come out, and tunneling in from underneath. Both do not work.

The Altmans make several attempts to call for help, including signaling a nearby neighbor with a flashlight (who they can only see from the opening of a water pipe) and tapping into the main telephone line to call for help (because Meg has not yet hooked up the panic room's phone). Only one works; the two get through to Meg's husband and Sarah's father, Stephen, before the burglars cut them off.

When all attempts to get into the room fail, Junior lets it slip that there is much more money in the panic room than he let on, and gives up. Burnham and Raoul find out that the bonds are actually worth $22 million. Upon trying to leave the house, Junior is shot in the head by Raoul. Stephen Altman arrives at the home and is then taken hostage by Raoul and Burnham. Raoul beats him to a pulp.

Eventually, they get in, and Burnham flees, while Raoul prepares to kill Meg with a sledgehammer. However, upon hearing her screams for help, Burnham doubles back and kills Raoul, delaying him enough that he gets caught by the police. As they approach, he releases the bonds, letting them fly off into the night.

The film closes with Meg and Sarah searching for a new house in the newspaper. (This scene was added against the wishes of David Fincher after a test screening in which several people complained that the "cut to black" ending was too abrupt).

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released in 16 April 2002 on Varese Sarabande records. The music is composed and conducted by Howard Shore, and contains nine tracks. The record has been criticized because of its short playing time, but Varese came with an economic explanation why some of their records only last 30 minutes^{[citation needed]}.

Tracklist:

1. Main Titles
2. Caution - Flammable
3. Working Elevator
4. Fourth Floor Hallway
5. Locking Us In
6. Castle Keep
7. What We Want is in That Room
8. Zone 19 Disabled
9. A Very Emotional Property

Total playing time: 30:09 min.

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