Changing Lanes
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| Changing Lanes | |
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 |
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| Directed by | Roger Michell |
| Produced by | Scott Rudin Scott Aversano |
| Written by | Chap Taylor Michael Tolkin |
| Starring | Ben Affleck Samuel L. Jackson Toni Collette Sydney Pollack William Hurt Amanda Peet |
| Music by | David Arnold |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | April 12, 2002 |
| Running time | 99 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$45 million |
| IMDb profile | |
Changing Lanes is a 2002 drama/thriller film directed by Roger Michell. The movie was a box-office success; with a budget of US$45,000,000, it grossed $66,818,548 in the United States and $28,117,216 outside the US, with a total gross of $94,935,764.
[edit] Plot
A successful New York attorney, Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck), is in a rush to file a power of appointment, which will prove a dying old man signed his foundation over to Banek's law firm. He has a collision with another car, belonging to an insurance salesman, Doyle Gibson (Samuel L. Jackson). He is also in a rush to a hearing to try and gain custody of his children and to prevent his estranged wife from taking them to Oregon. Banek tries to brush Gibson off with a blank check thereby disobeying the law. After Gibson refuses to accept the check and do the right thing, Banek strands Gibson, telling him, "better luck next time." After arriving to the court late, Gibson learns that it proceeded without him and that it didn't go in his favor.
Unfortunately for Banek, he dropped the crucial power of appointment file at the scene of the accident, and the judge gives him until the end of the day to re obtain the papers and present them. Gibson has no intention of returning the papers, and in desperation, Banek goes to someone skilled with computers and gets him to switch off Gibson's credit. Gibson needed credit for a loan so he could buy a house for his family, and he becomes further enraged, determined to make life difficult for Banek.
Both men continue to do questionable things in an attempt to one-up each other, and eventually they begin to question their actions. Though it is made clear that Banek and Gibson are radically different, they both have an angry, vengeful streak, capable of abandoning their morals just to punish the other. The film ends with both men having a new outlook on life, concentrating on ethics and the moral implications of their actions.
[edit] Cast
- Ben Affleck — Gavin Banek
- Samuel L. Jackson — Doyle Gibson
- Toni Collette — Michelle
- Sydney Pollack — Stephen Delano
- Richard Jenkins — Walter Arnell
- Ileen Getz — Ellen
- Matt Malloy — Ron Cabot
- Amanda Peet — Cynthia Banek
- Bruce Altman — Joe Kaufman
- William Hurt — Doyle's sponsor
