Mad City

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Mad City

PG-13

Released Nov 7, 1997

1h 54m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

33%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Simple security guard Sam (John Travolta) has lost his job at a museum, and in a fit of desperation, he returns and demands his boss, Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner), rehire him. But he comes armed, and his plan goes awry when he accidentally shoots an ex-coworker and ends up with schoolchildren as hostages. Meanwhile, down-and-out TV reporter Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) is on scene to capture everything, thinking this suddenly huge story is his ticket back to the top of the news game.

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Emanuel Levy

Variety

This simplistic and obvious expose about the manipulative power of the news media (lazily acted by Travoilta and Hoffman) is so familiar that it's not going to upset or provoke anyone.

Rated: C

Aug 21, 2006

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Mad City arrives with the last thing a movie about journalism needs -- last year's news.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Mike Clark

USA Today

A wanna-be event movie that merely reinvents the wheel.

Rated: 1/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Mad City is an example of every thing that is wrong with sensational journalism.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 19, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A movie so narratively threadbare that its idea of cutting-edge topicality is to have Larry King and Jay Leno pop up as themselves to comment on the proceedings.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 8, 2023

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

A drama too timid to tackle its media machinations or manipulations with thoughtful talk. Dustin Hoffman is fine. John Travolta resembles the SNL version of Wolverine. Ultimately, it's a 2-7 off-suit hand bluffing an ace in the hole.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jun 24, 2019

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/28/25

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Steve D

The scrip is most likely to make you roll your eyes,

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Marcus T

Dustin Hoffman keeps this project's head above water, but just barely. The premise is pretty farfetched and the execution overblown. John Travolta's character is not particularly likeable, but we are supposed to sympathize with him. There are a few different plot threads that never come together and so it feels shaggy at the end. This is supposed to be a commentary on how the media edits and manipulates the facts to push one agenda or another. So far so good, but the direction and script don't create a tight vehicle for this message. It's like the producers couldn't decide what they wanted this to be, so ultimately it is unsatisfying. Watch it if you are a Dustin Hoffman fan. Not so for Travolta fans.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

"We killed him." Way underrated critic about the medias. A Travolta who can explodes anytime, a Hoffman who's very aware, a constant suspense, fun also and boom!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

Great film really moving and fantastic acting all the way round both Hoffman and Travolta are fantastic and you really feel for these characters that they are playing. This film is one of the best at showing media power and corruption and just how far it can push someone to the limits and you really feel sorry for Sam for losing his job because i know for a fact what it like to be unemployed and unable to provide for yourself and your family.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

I was not impressed with mad city one bit it comes under the category good actors bad movie with john Travolta as an out of guard at a museum begging for his job back and dustin Hoffman as newsman looking for ratings

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Costa-Gavras

Director

John Travolta

Sam Baily

Dustin Hoffman

Max Brackett

Mia Kirshner

Laurie

Alan Alda

Kevin Hollander

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Synopsis

Simple security guard Sam (John Travolta) has lost his job at a museum, and in a fit of desperation, he returns and demands his boss, Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner), rehire him. But he comes armed, and his plan goes awry when he accidentally shoots an ex-coworker and ends up with schoolchildren as hostages. Meanwhile, down-and-out TV reporter Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) is on scene to capture everything, thinking this suddenly huge story is his ticket back to the top of the news game.

Director: Costa-Gavras
Producer: Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson
Screenwriter: Tom Matthews
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros., Arnold Kopelson Productions, Punch Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 31, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.6M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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