Don't Say a Word
Don't Say a Word is a 2001 psychological thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Sean Bean and Brittany Murphy based on the novel of the same title by Andrew Klavan. Don't Say a Word was directed by Gary Fleder and written by Anthony Peckham and Patrick Smith Kelly.
Plot
In 1991, a gang of thieves steal a rare $10 million gem, but in the process, two of the gang double cross their leader Patrick (Sean Bean) and take off with the precious stone.Ten years later, on the day before Thanksgiving, prominent private practice Manhattan child psychiatrist, Dr. Nathan R. Conrad (Michael Douglas), is invited by his friend and former colleague, Dr. Louis Sachs (Oliver Platt), to examine a disturbed young lady named Elisabeth (Brittany Murphy) at the state sanatorium.
Having been released from prison on November 4, Patrick and the remaining gang members break into an apartment, which overviews Conrad's family apartment, including his wife Aggie (Famke Janssen) and daughter Jessie (Skye McCole Bartusiak). That evening, Patrick kidnaps Conrad's daughter as a means of forcing him to acquire a 6 digit number from Elisabeth's memory. As Dr. Conrad visits Elisabeth, she is reluctant at first but he gains her trust later - especially when he reveals his daughter was kidnapped and will be killed if he doesn't get the number they want. His co-worker, Dr. Sachs is visited by Detective Sandra Cassidy who reveals him that his girlfriend has been found dead. He admits to Nathan that the gang who kidnapped Jessie also kidnapped his girlfriend to force him to acquire the number from Elisabeth.
Meanwhile, Aggie hears Jessie's voice and realizes the kidnappers reside in the appartment nearby. The kidnappers send one of them to kill Aggie while the others escape with Jessie, but Aggie sets an ambush and kills him.
After taking her out of the sanatorium Elisabeth begins to remember the past events. It is revealed that Elisabeth's dad was a member of the gang that committed the robbery ten years ago and took the stolen gem. However, other members of the gang later found him and ordered him to reveal where he had hidden the gem, pushing him in front of the train in the subway. The gang members were arrested immediately after that and Elisabeth escapes with the doll where the gem was hidden. She also remembers that the required number is the number of her father's grave at the Hart Island and her doll has been placed by her in the coffin before the funeral.
Dr. Conrad and Elisabeth steal the boat to reach the Hart Island. The gang members trace them down and demand that Dr. Conrad gives them the number they want. She reveals the number and Patrick orders his companion to dig the coffin out. He finds the doll and a gem hidden inside it. He then decides to kill Nathan and Elisabeth but Detective Cassidy arrives before he can shoot them. Patrick's companion is shot by Cassidy but Patrick manages to wound her. Nathan uses the mess, takes the gem from Patrick and throws it to the excavation. Patrick goes to recover the gem but Nathan triggers the mechanism which covers Patrick with earth, burying him alive. He is then reunited with his wife and daughter.
Cast
- Michael Douglas as Dr. Nathan R. Conrad
- Sean Bean as Patrick Koster
- Brittany Murphy as Elisabeth Burrows
- Skye McCole Bartusiak as Jessie Conrad
- Guy Torry as Dolen
- Jennifer Esposito as Det. Sandra Cassidy
- Famke Janssen as Agatha "Aggie" Conrad
- Oliver Platt as Dr. Louis Sachs
- Aidan Devine as Leon Edward Croft
Production
Surveillance and technology feature heavily in the film, so much so that in characterization the shot of Bean speaking to Douglas and Janssen on the cell phone was real. In one scene, Janssen's character plays with a Game Boy, a skill taught to her by Skye McCole Bartusiak.
Soundtrack
The film's musical score was composed by Mark Isham. The soundtrack contains eight songs from various scenes, including the Heist, the Kidnapping and the horrific events at the Subway.[1]Some of the music in the film includes the following songs and performers:
