Mercury Rising (1998)
Directed by Harold Becker
Genres - Action, Adventure, Drama, Spy Film, Crime, Thriller |
Sub-Genres - Action Thriller, Chase Movie |
Run Time - 111 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Bhob Stewart
In this action-suspense thriller, orphaned nine-year-old autistic savant Simon (Miko Hughes) deciphers a government code hidden in a puzzle magazine. Calling for his prize, Simon triggers an alarm at the National Security Agency: NSA chief Nicholas Kudrow (Alec Baldwin), who says the code protects covert American operatives all over the world, sends an assassin to do away with Simon. Simon's parents are killed, but Simon survives, hiding in a secret closet crawlspace where he's later discovered by maverick FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis). Simon is emotionally unpredictable, complicating matters as Art drags him all over Chicago, eluding Kudrow's hitman in a variety of interesting locations (train tracks, street scenes, heliport, Wrigley building) and improbable situations. Based on the novel Simple Simon by Ryne Douglas Peardon, the film features Industrial Light & Magic special FX/animation.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
autism, orphan, savant, code [encryption], government, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), hitman, protection
Attributes
High Budget, High Production Values