Midnight Run

Midnight Run was a 1988 action/comedy film starring Robert DeNiro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as the neurotic runaway embezzler he must transport across the country.

Fast Facts:

1. Directed and Produced by: Martin Brest
2. Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina and Joe Pantoliano
3. Distributed by: Universal Pictures
4. Release Date: July 20, 1988
5. Rating: R
6. Running Time: 128 minutes
7. Box Office Gross: $36,339,602
8. Followed By: Another Midnight Run TV sequel in 1994

Brief Background and Synopsis

Midnight Run marked a departure for star Robert DeNiro, as this was one of the first comedies the normally serious actor appeared in. Director Martin Brest had previously directed Beverly Hills Cop, with great success, and Midnight Run has similar buddy movie themes although the heroes are a bounty hunter and an embezzler and not law enforcement types. Police officers and FBI agents are lampooned throughout the film. Charles Grodin plays an embezzler who DeNiro believes will be an easy payday; all he has to do is transport the whining accountant cross-country. However, the trip becomes much more difficult when Grodin's character gets them thrown off of a transcontinental flight by professing a fear of flying. As the two make their way across the desert Southwest, they are pursued by another bounty hunter (played by John Ashton), and eventually, hundreds of police officers and federal agents. The film netted Charles Grodin a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

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