The film Striking Distance (1993) is about a Pittsburgh homicide detective named Thomas Hardy (Bruce Willis) who is transferred to the river rescue team after he denounces his partner for using excessive force. Two years later, the bodies of murdered young women begin turning up in the water, and Hardy suspects that the killer is a police officer.
With the help of his new partner, Jo Christman (Sarah Jessica Parker), Hardy sets out to catch the killer. He soon discovers that the killer is someone he knows very well: his own cousin, Jimmy Detillo (Robert Pastorelli).
Hardy and Christman race against time to stop Detillo before he kills again. The film culminates in a thrilling climax on the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Heritage Trail where Hardy and Detillo face off in a final confrontation.
Striking Distance is a well-made and exciting action thriller. It features strong performances from Willis and Parker, as well as a supporting cast that includes Dennis Hopper, Tom Sizemore, and Brion James. The film is also notable for its stunning visuals of Pittsburgh, which is used as a character in the film.
Here are some of the themes of the film:
- Corruption: The film explores the corruption that exists within the police department. Detillo is a police officer who is using his badge to protect himself and his crimes.
- Redemption: Hardy is a character who is trying to redeem himself after his partner's death. He wants to prove that he is a good cop, and he wants to catch the killer who is targeting police officers.
- Revenge: Detillo is motivated by revenge. He is angry at Hardy for turning him in for using excessive force, and he wants to get back at him by killing his partner.
Striking Distance is a fun and entertaining film that also has something to say about the world we live in. It is a film that can be enjoyed on both a surface and deeper level.
Trailer
Cast
- Bruce Willis as Sergeant Thomas Hardy, a former homicide detective who was partnered with his cousin whom he later testified against. He is now an officer with the city's River Rescue Squad.
- Sarah Jessica Parker as PSP Detective Trooper Emily Harper / Officer Jo Christman
- Dennis Farina as Captain Nick Detillo, Tommy's uncle and Danny and Jimmy's father
- Tom Sizemore as Danny Detillo, Tommy's cousin, Jimmy's brother and Nick's son. Formerly a Pittsburgh Police Officer as well. He leaves the force and becomes an alcoholic.
- Brion James as Detective Eddie Eiler, a loud, rude overzealous detective who despises Tommy for ratting on his partner
- Robert Pastorelli as Jimmy Detillo, Tommy's disgraced cousin and partner
- Timothy Busfield as Officer Sacco, a by-the-book, but sarcastic officer, who was Tommy’s first partner in the River Rescue Squad
- John Mahoney as Captain Vince Hardy, Tom's father
- Andre Braugher as District Attorney Frank Morris
- Tom Atkins as Sergeant Fred Hardy, a police officer and Tommy's uncle
- Mike Hodge as Captain Penderman, Tommy's commanding officer on the River Rescue Squad
- Jodi Long as Kim Lee, a dispatcher of the River Rescue Squad
- Roscoe Orman as Sid
- Robert Gould as Douglas Kesser
- Gareth Williams as Chick Chicanis
- Billy Hartung as Boat Preppie
- Timothy Butts as Huck Tuckerman
Director: Rowdy Herrington
Writers: Rowdy Herrington, Marty Kaplan
Box Office Gross: $24,107,867
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Genre: action crime mystery thriller
Release Date: September 17, 1993