Conspiracy Theory Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
What you know could kill you.
What if your most paranoid nightmares had just come true?
Jerry Fletcher sees conspiracies everywhere. One has turned out to be true. Now his enemies want him dead. And she's the only one he can trust.
Jerry Fletcher is a man in love with a woman he observes from afar. She works for the government. Fletcher is an outspoken critic of that government. He has conspiracy theories for everything, from aliens to political assassinations. But soon, one of his theories finds itself to be accurate. But which one? Some dangerous people want him dead and the only person he trusts is that woman he loves but does not know.
| Mel Gibson | Jerry Fletcher |
| Julia Roberts | Alice Sutton |
| Patrick Stewart | Dr. Jonas |
| Cylk Cozart | Agent Lowry |
| Steve Kahan | Mr. Wilson |
| Terry Alexander | Flip |
| Alex McArthur | Cynic |
| Jim Sterling | Justice Guard |
| Rich Hebert | Public Works Man |
| Brian J. Williams | Clarke |
| G.A. Aguilar | Piper |
| Cece Neber Labao | Henry Finch's Secretary |
| Saxon Trainor | Alice's Secretary |
| Richard Donner |
6.50 out of 10 (26881 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Nice surprises along the way of the movie
posted on 18 Aug 2009Surprises are always being strewn around along the way to the end. You never know who's is and who's out, who's good and who's bad until near the end. Keeps you guessing and then surprises you. You start thinking Mel Gibson is a bit mad and paranoid, but realize that he might be saner and smarter than you are as the movie progresses. Quite an intelligent plot and though I'd like the ending to be a bit more 'happy' than it is, overall, it is one to enjoy.
Conspiracy Theory
posted on 12 Aug 2009Conspiracy Theory is one of those films that obviously is developed from a one-note idea – what if one of those theories spouted by crackpot conspiracy theorists actually turns out to be on the button? – and then finds it has nowhere to go – nowhere believable anyway – once it has established its basic idea.Mel Gibson plays Gerry, the world's worst cab driver, who spends his entire shift relaying his theories to the poor saps who find themselves in the back of his cab, before knocking off and spending some quality time spying on pretty justice department investigator Julia Roberts. He lives alone in a cramped flat whose walls are littered with newspaper clippings that fuel his bizarre theories about government conspiracies (earthquakes are triggered by NASA satellites in an attempt to assassinate the president, etc.) Gibson isn't really right for the role, and opts for broad comedy, all nervous tics and shrugs like a lightweight, harmless Riggs from Lethal Weapon, that only grow increasingly irritating the more we get to know about him.As the film progresses it transforms from a reasonably intriguing thriller into an increasingly daft story that relies on apparently highly-trained and professional agents omitting to perform obvious duties for its conclusion to be reached. Even then it's something of a stretch, and it requires the film to overrun by a good half-hour. The problem is that for Gibson's character to be considered a crackpot by those around him the true conspiracy he has stumbled upon has to be as far-fetched as all his other theories, which severely strains the storyline's credibility.
Boring, uninspired and unbelievable
posted on 07 Aug 2009Mel Gibson, without question, is a talented actor, and he's especially well-suited to action films. But Conspiracy Theory isn't one of his better films. Despite the "star power" (Mel, Julia Roberts, Patrick Stewart), the movie goes nowhere. CT is like an X-Files episode -- though less interesting -- with a lot of action.
Gibson's character, Jerry Fletcher, acts like a paranoid-schizophrenic throughout the first half of the movie. Of course he is proved correct, but that makes his odd mannerisms, rantings, mumblings, bug-eyed expressions, etc. all the more puzzling. Only a rational person could have put together all these puzzle pieces, but he doesn't seem rational at all. If you met Jerry Fletcher on the street you'd think he was seriously mentally ill. The writers or director fell into the trap of trying to play Fletcher off as a crazy person so as to give the story a twist when he is later vindicated. This "twist" doesn't really work.
It's more than just Mel's character. The whole movie lacks any sort of credibility. Movies about shadowy government or quasi-government agencies and operatives either work well or fail miserably. It's a hard formula to get right. Unfortunately, CT doesn't get the formula right at all.
Movies are about entertainment and sometimes to be entertained one has to suspend his knowledge about the way things really are to enjoy the fantasy world the story creates. A good movie makes that easy for you: the fantasy appears at least somewhat plausible. Conspiracy Theory isn't one of those "good movies". The story -- its content and the way it's played out -- is utterly ridiculous.
It has some suspenseful moments, but you can get that from just about any Hollywood action film. CT is all action and no substance.
Raffi Poulalian
posted on 29 Jun 2009Truly a hilarious movie whose plot is well carried out. The chemistry between Mel and Julia is quite believable and one really cares about the characters. THis is one of the best films I have ever seen as far as pacing is concerned. I never lost interest or was bored, and laughed often. There are alot of little details which really finish the film.
Very intelligent and subtle
posted on 05 May 2009First I have to state, that I'm a great fan of thrillers, especially one containing a clever conspiracy (You know how rare it is to find a CLEVER conspiracy in movies). This is one of my favourites. I like the whole cast, especially Patrick Stewart who delivers a great (I think one of his best) performance as the slightly cracked CIA psychiatrist.The Conspiracy in this movie is not a world threatening or out to gain world domination. It is a former CIA project to train the perfect killer. Now the psychiatrist responsible for this project has gone renegade and uses his killers for the most bidding.Jerry is a NY taxi driver and like any of them a little bit crazy. He is a firm believer in his many conspiracy theories. Somehow he seems to stumble over something, because suddenly he is targeted by CIA kidnapping and murder attempts. His sole ally in some way is district attorney Alice Sutton, the woman he loves more than anything. She's the daughter of a murdered judge.During the movie are many escape scenes in which Jerry almost every time succeeds due to clever planning and weird genius.I like that, though containing many action scenes, there is not a lot of over the top shooting and exploding going on. Most action scenes are escape based involving running, hiding and driving.Add to this the superb cast, the clever plot and some crazy (but agreeable) conspiracy theories and you know why I gave this movie 8/10 stars. My advice: Rent it, buy it, watch it!
Under-appreciated Story
posted on 05 Apr 2009This movie was run down by the critics and people seem to come away with the thought that "Jerry" was crazy and finally one out of his many theories was real. Maybe that is part of the conspiracy.When I first saw it in the theater, I would have agreed with most of the reviews in general. However, after watching the DVD now that I have studied and researched many of the conspiracies mentioned by "Jerry" throughout the movie, I know that most have been proved to be true conspiracies and not theory. This is what makes the movie more interesting to me, that information released later has backed up most of the theories.The lesson to be learned is that "Jerry" was never crazy. He was injured, and unfortunately he was set up to have problems nearly impossible to prove. If no one had believed enough to listen to him, there would have been no story.The question is why do viewers still come away with the belief that "Jerry" is crazy, and got himself into trouble when he was doing about all he could to deal with his post traumatic condition, and was picked up just for discovering some CIA offices by being suspicious.The movie has a lot of twists and turns, and maybe a few too many toward the end, but I was amazed to find that most of the conspiracy theories mentioned are now known and documented as true.
A bit here a bit there
posted on 05 Apr 2009This film was a sort of WHAT, HOW, WHY movie, there was nothing different in it at all, and i think if it was not for the lead cast, it would have gone strait to video, Mel Gibson is ok, but i feel he could'nt really get his character right, there was the little boy lost look, then there was the action man hero look, to be blunt his character it seemed did not have the ability or intelligence to know how to make cup of coffee, but knew how to save the world, from evil baddies and be able to free himself from any danger that came his way, (James Bond comes to mind) As for julia Roberts, being one of my favorite actresses can still get a little nudge some of her acting skills were missing, and you could see her reactions coming before she did them, when she got into the car and screamed because Mel Gibson was in the back seemed like it was pre:programmed and looked like she had done the scene about 50 times to get it right. I think the 2 main actors were completely wasted in this movie.
A romantic comedy for the 90's(!)
posted on 27 Mar 2009Forgive me, but I liked this movie. I was seduced, I guess, because objectively speaking this is just your usual phony thriller, with chase scenes beginning in the first reel and continuing throughout, with the little guy as hero, and a convoluted plot worthy of a wanna-be thriller writer retired from the CIA.Mel Gibson plays a New York City cabby addicted to conspiracy theories, but (of course) it turns out that "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." And boy are they ever! I felt every second that this was a stretch for Gibson, yet I think he almost made it. I admire his ability and his supreme confidence that he can play anybody. (He didn't do a bad job as Hamlet!) But here I think he is just too handsome and balanced and just too, too normal looking to make us believe he is a paranoid stalker. I mean, how many women would be worried if Mel Gibson was stalking them? Still the plot, properly understood, allows for a normal man to end up in his situation since he was brainwashed and drugged.Julia Roberts as a justice department lawyer is beautiful beyond any telling of it, and she does have a face for the silver screen like no other.
Hollywood, as Norma Desmond told us, is about faces, and director Richard Donner had the very good sense to put the camera tight, very tight, on Julia Roberts' face as often as possible and keep it there. She is especially good at projecting a wide range of emotions, including love, without saying a word, and I would say that is what has made her the great star that she is. Her face is so sexy that the five-second scene where she hops out of bed in her loose-fitting pajamas was pure eroticism.There are a number of clever bits in the movie, including our paranoid hero keeping his food locked in canisters, locked in the refrigerator. I also liked the part where Roberts gains entrance by telling the hospital orderly that she is with the Treasury Department, and for ID hands him a hundred-dollar bill, allowing him to quip, "This IS from the Treasury Department." Good too was Gibson caught by a network hook-up to a price scanner at the book store compulsively buying a copy of Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." (Shades of a future when, through the Web, our every purchase will be known to whoever cares.)With Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts as the stars, the subplot has got to be romantic, and it is. In this sense the movie is as silly as Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn ever got, and just as satisfying.
At least the movie had a happy ending.
posted on 25 Mar 2009I watched this movie last night, it brought back so many memories. (This movie was released in 1997.) Has it been that long? There is a scene in the movie where Mel Gibson sends a pizza to Julia Roberts and asks her to meet him at the NE corner af Battery Place and Greenwich. I went to the NE corner of Battery Place and Greenwich last night, only it is not called Battery Place and Greenwich anymore. It hasn't been that intersection since 1996. I hope she is safe, I hope it was all worth it.... It really was an inspiring movie...
A fun exciting movie with a nice surprise ending just short of Sixth Sense and Usual Suspects endings.
posted on 12 Mar 2009A fun exciting movie with a nice surprise ending just short of Sixth Sense and Usual Suspects endings.Background:I am a 24 year old male engineering and computer science student living in SC. I do have a large humanities background.Overview:I have seen this movie twice now. The first time was at the movies and it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. The second time was on HBO and I don't know if it was because I have already seen it, or if this is a movie that needs the big screen to show it off. It is not as amazing as Titanic, or Saving Private Ryan or anything but the interrogation scenes are just hysterical at the theater and are just hilarious at home.Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts were great together. I even enjoyed watching the relationship develop as they began to trust each other. I think the casting of the villain was great too, even though I will always think of him as Captain Picard from Star Trek.The action-adventure elements were outstanding. I loved the interrogation and the apartment scenes. The hospital escape episode is really good also. You will love watching Mel outsmart the spooks time and time again...I enjoyed seeing who was really who, and learning what was really going on. It is not the best movie as far as this goes but it was still good.Thanks.
nice
posted on 06 Mar 2009The only reason I rented this movie, is that I saw Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts on the cover. I love both actors, so it must be a good movie I thought. I was right, although I've seen much better from both actors. Mel's paranoia, was sometimes just annoying and the love between Julia and Mel wasn't that greatly filmed. The story is good, because it makes people use their imagination.What was really irritating is that Patrick Steward played "the bad guy" and I only know him from Star Trek, so I kept seeing him in that role. It's a pity, but overall it was a nice movie to watch.my rate: 7
Interesting, but needs some help
posted on 29 Jan 2009Who would have thought Mel Gibson and
Julia Roberts doing a film together wouldn't
be as good as imagined? Well, it happened.
While many of the elements within the film
were funny and well thought out, the whole
marketing of the film seemed off. First of all,
Mel Gibson was out of place, playing a role
someone like Steve Buscemi or Paul Bettany
should have been in. I've never cared much
for Julia Roberts, so her haphazard performance
didn't concern me. However, I was rather
pleased of Patrick Stewart and his role as
Dr. Jonas, giving the best performance in
the film despite getting less than the
aforementioned superstars. A movie with a
lot of potential that went down the drain.
One of my favorites.
posted on 07 Dec 2008RRRRR!!!!! Why do people have to post a bunch of stupid reviews comparing this to Lethal Weapon? It's not Lethal Weapon, it's Conspiracy Theory. They're not at all related except that they're the same actor. This movie is great. Mel Gibson is a great actor and he proves it in this film. It's not an easy role. Jerry Fletcher is a paranoid cab driver who writes a conspiracy theory newsletter. Anyway, don't listen to the bad reviews. Go watch this. At least rent it or something and see for yourself.
Watch That Rabbit
posted on 24 Nov 2008When you consider that Mel Gibson, the chip himself, and Julia Roberts, another classically overrated Hollywood actor, star in this movie, you have to be very wary. They both regularly produce very average movies with very average performances. This was one reason why I was a little surprised by this movie. I quite enjoyed the idea as I think most people do of a conspiracy theory, no matter how far fetched it may be.Mel is a very capable actor, just a bitter individual who lets his emotions take control of the truth. This was one of the few recent movies he's been associated with where he has remained fairly neutral. Julia Roberts was also performing at the higher end of her acting capabilities, and because of this was not a distraction of disappointment which is so commonly a feature of her performances.It's nothing to get excited about, but easy viewing for a quiet night in.
Life's too short... to watch this film!
posted on 28 Oct 2008Noisy, silly, absurd, and not in the least bit funny, this felt like one of the lengthiest films I have seen in a long time! Julia Roberts turns in a wooden performance of an implausible character, while Mel Gibson is just plain irritating. It MIGHT improve with a second viewing - but then again Life's Too Short.....
I'm only paranoid because they want me dead.
posted on 19 Oct 2008This movie is worth watching to get a good laugh at the kooks that go around believing all this nonsense. You all know one. Maybe you are one. They, like Jerry (Mel Gibson), can find the most outrageous explanations for their beliefs. But, as Jerry says: "A good conspiracy is unprovable. I mean, if you can prove it, it means they screwed up somewhere along the line." How convenient! Julia Roberts, who had not had a hit since The Pelican Beif when she did this, went on to greater fame in Notting Hill and Erin Brocovich. She really played a classy role and kept the lid on Mel, who seemed like he was going to explode at any minute.Patrick Stewart was perfectly cast as the evil Government operative who was out of control.
Fantastic, Unique Thriller!, That's Very Exciting, With Great Plot Twists, And 2 Amazing Performances From Mel Gibson, and Julia Roberts!, However The Ending Was Terrible!
posted on 01 Oct 2008This is a fantastic, unique thriller, that's very exciting, with great plot twists, and 2 amazing performances from Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, however the ending was terrible!. All the characters are fantastic, and the story is very creative and fascinating, plus Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts are simply amazing in this!. This was a very different role for Mel, and he nailed it down perfectly!, and i thought Gibson and Roberts had wonderful chemistry together!, plus the finale is especially awesome!. Patrick Stewart is extremely good in his role, and there were plenty of shocking moments as well, plus i found it hilarious that he even puts a lock in his refrigerator. Even at 135 minutes it's never over long, and it keeps you guessing throughout!, plus it had some cool humor in it as well(especially from Gibson). You will really root for Gibson and Roberts, and i thought the opening was really cool, plus it's very well written and made as well.Yes it may be far fetched, but it sure is a ton of fun to watch!, as it's a fantastic unique thriller, that's very exciting, with great plot twists, and 2 amazing performances from Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, however the ending was terrible!, still i say Go see it now!. The Direction is fantastic!. Richard Donner does a fantastic job here, with awesome camera work, fantastic angles, adding some great atmosphere, plus he kept the film at an extremely fast pace!. The Acting is amazing!. Mel Gibson is amazing as always, and is amazing here, he played a very bizarre character, but did it extremely well,he was very likable, and was constantly paranoid, i just couldn't help but laugh at him, he also had wonderful chemistry with Julia Roberts, and was his usual charismatic self, i loved him as usual!. (Gibson Rules!!!!). Julia Roberts is stunningly gorgeous, and is amazing usual,unlike other critics i thought she had an awesome character, that was really interesting and likable, she also had wonderful chemistry with Gibson, and was especially good at the end, as i believe this is one of her most underrated performances! (Roberts Rules!!!!). Patrick Stewart is excellent as Jonas, he was very creepy and unpredictable, and gave a chilling performance, he was awesome!. Cylk Cozart is good as The FBI agent i liked him. Steve Kahan and Terry Alexander both do what they have to do well. Rest of the cast are fine. Overall Go see it now!, if only not for that terrible ending. ***** out of 5
I too, have a soft spot for this film...
posted on 18 Aug 2009...it's called the Everglades. If you've ever had to sit through a British Norman Wisdom comedy of the fifties - he's like Jerry Lewis without ever producing a single good gag - you will recognise this film as like a Norman Wisdom comedy played straight. Without singing either, though even Norman Wisdon singing is preferable to this. Mel Gibson reprises his legendary 'not quite all there' performance on speed while failing monumentally to be Robert deNiro, and Julia Roberts plays a certifiably stupid senior Federal Law official with a soft spot for short middle-aged lunatics who go into her office lobby (guarded by the world's most feeble security men) shouting every day. Ooh! Did I give the plot away? Patrick Stewart vainly tries to hide behind a large nose bandage, and that's as much as I could watch. Well, Mel, I hope the gravy was good. The film doesn't deserve a 1, but that's the lowest there is.