| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Conspiracy Theory (1997) |
| Director | Richard Donner |
| Writer | Brian Helgeland |
| Lead Actor | Mel Gibson |
| Cast | Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Patrick Stewart, Cylk Cozart, Steve Kahan |
| Genre | Action, Mystery, Thriller |
| Release Date | August 8, 1997 (United States) |
| Duration | 2h 15m |
| Budget | $75 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 6.7/10 |
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CONSPIRACY THEORY is another film about a contract killer as a hero. (That’s O.K. He’s been brainwashed.) There’s an attempt to make fun of conspiracy theories, probably reaching their zenith in these early days of the Internet. (But in the end, there are several huge, real conspiracies.) Above all, there’s the first-time teaming of two beautiful stars (Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts) in hopes they’ll make box-office chemistry. (Ummm. Yes, they do.)
The first hour of Conspiracy Theory is amusing in its way. Mel Gibson is Jerry, a mild-mannered but apparently wacko New York cab driver who collects and manufactures conspiracy theories, ranging from fluoride poisoning the water to secret sperm banks for genetic selection. He’s constantly telling them to his passengers, or even empty back seats, publishes a newsletter and tries to pass copies on to Alice (Julia Roberts), a federal investigator he obviously admires.
Gibson is funny and poignant. Roberts rolls her eyes but is kind to him. It looks like a romantic story about a guy who’s not quite sane enough to win the girl. (In fact, the script seems a parody of the classic Taxi Driver.) The writing is sharp, especially in using the contrarian hypotheses so central to madness. Friends are really enemies, conservatives are really liberals, the Church really speaks for Satan.
Alas, it turns out that bad guys (especially an evil agent suavely played by Patrick Stewart) really are out to get Jerry. Meanwhile, there’s another intelligence agency watching all these loose cannons from the Cold War. And so it goes, until your head aches.
Most of Theory involves Gibson getting snatched by Stewart’s guys and Roberts helping him escape. Some is scary and violent the director is Richard Donner of the Lethal Weapon series. Some of it is played for comedy and tries to be too clever. Little of it is moving or human, or especially gripping.
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