Ransom

Ransom is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon. The film stars Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Lili Taylor, Brawley Nolte, Liev Schreiber, Donnie Wahlberg and Evan Handler. Gibson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. The film was the 5th highest-grossing film of 1996 in the United States. The original story came from a 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour titled "Fearful Decision". In 1956, it was adapted by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum into the feature film, Ransom!, starring Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen. Plot While multi-billionaire Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean is snatched. Sean is taken to an apartment by Maris Conner, a caterer working for the Mullens; brothers Clark and Cubby Barnes; and tech expert Miles Roberts. NYPD Detective Sergeant, Jimmy Shaker, Maris' boyfriend, is later revealed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping. The kidnappers send Tom and Kate an e-mail demanding $2 million. Tom calls the FBI, who operate from his New York City penthouse under Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins. In private, Tom voices his belief that a union machinist, Jackie Brown, who is in prison following one of Tom's business scandals, may be behind it. They visit Brown in prison, but he denies any involvement. Tom agrees to the FBI's plan for delivering the ransom. Receiving a phone call from Shaker, who electronically disguises his voice, Tom follows his instructions. He meets Cubby in a New Jersey quarry but refuses to hand over the money when Cubby fails to give him Shaker's promised directions to Sean. During an ensuing fight, the FBI intervene and shoot Cubby, who dies before revealing Sean's location. Tom realizes there is no guarantee Sean will be returned alive. Shaker arranges another drop off, but although Tom initially agrees to take the money alone, he instead appears on television and offers the ransom as a bounty on the kidnappers, dead or alive, but promising to withdraw the bounty and drop all charges if the kidnappers return Sean alive and unharmed, making it clear he will not pay the ransom.