Details

Release year: 1997

Storyline

A taxi driver with a penchant for conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of these theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.

Top credits

Directors

Richard Donner

Writers

Brian Helgeland

Cast

Mel Gibson — Jerry Fletcher
Julia Roberts — Alice Sutton
Patrick Stewart — Dr. Jonas
Cylk Cozart — Agent Lowry

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Did you know

• The secret CIA MKUltra program that forms a key factor of the plot for the movie is real and well documented. It ran from 1953 to 1973 when the then-director of the CIA ordered all the files destroyed. A cache of 20,000 documents was somehow preserved and subsequently released by a freedom of information request in 1977.

• According to Richard Donner, Mel Gibson improvised the opening scenes in which his character expounds his conspiracy theories to a succession of passengers.

• According to an interview with director Richard Donner on the DVD of Payback: Straight Up Director's Cut (2006) he met screenwriter Brian Helgeland when he was driving at the Warner Brothers gate, and saw Brian holding a sign that said "Will write for work, for money". Richard got out of the car and asked him about the sign, Brian replied that he was a screenwriter, and was looking for work. Donner had decided to give Helgeland a chance, which led to the two of them working on this movie. Helgeland also worked with Donner on Assassins (1995).