Released in 1998, Hard Rain is slick hybrid of crime thriller and disaster film, the latter of which was enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to such high-concept blockbusters as Twister, Deep Impact and Titanic. It was largely dismissed by critics, but that’s nothing new. With notable exceptions, ‘disaster film’ and ‘great’ aren’t often used to the same sentence.
It was also ignored by audiences, perhaps because it was released in January, the typical major studio dumping ground where movies are sent to die. Besides, a little film called Titanic, released during the Christmas season a month earlier, was still tearing-up the box office with people lining up to see it more than once. Even if Hard Rain was a masterpiece (which it isn’t), the movie didn't stand a chance…and Christian Slater never made teenage girls swoon quite like Leonardo DiCaprio.
Hard Rain is largely forgotten today, which is sort of a shame because, while certainly no classic, it boasts a decent story, some interesting characters and special effects at-least on par with other big budget disaster films released around the same time.
Christian Slater plays Tom, an armored car trainee learning the ropes from his disgruntled uncle, Charlie (an amusingly gruff Ed Answer). They’re making a cash pickup in a small town, which is being evacuated due to rising flood waters and the danger of the nearby dam breaking. At the same time, a gang of four led by Jim (Morgan Freeman) try to rob the armored car. One of the gang, Kenny (Michael Goorjian), accidentally shoots and kills Charlie, but Tom escapes with the money.
Most disaster films immediately establish at-least one secondary character who’s not-only doomed from the start, you can’t wait to watch him die. That guy here is Kenny. He’s loud, obnoxious and such an epic dumbass that even Tom threatens to kill him.
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| "Something touched my leg!" |
Minnie Driver is also on-hand as an artist who gets caught up in the melee. Somewhat refreshingly, her character doesn’t entirely exist just to be put in peril, saving Jim from drowning in a jail cell. Nor is she a gratuitous love interest, sparing us from yet-another romantic subplot. Elsewhere, Betty White steals a few scenes as Doreen, a perpetually bitchy local who berates damn near everybody, including henpecked husband Henry (Richard Dysart). It’s a hilarious, scenery-chewing performance similar to her role in Lake Placid (minus all the uproarious expletives).
Unmanned and unable to hold back the rising water any longer, the damn gives-way during the climax, pretty-much wasting what’s left of the town. By this time, Jim and Tom have become reluctant allies as they clash with Mike’s crew while trying to survive the deadly flash flood. Hard Rain features (mostly) convincing visuals and some impressive action sequences, particularly during a violent gunfight inside a flooded church.
The film is fairly predictable and features a few lapses in plausibility…maybe more than a few. Still, it’s enjoyable in the moment and boasts a solid cast who brave soaking wet conditions to deliver good overall performances. Mostly ignored during its theatrical release, Hard Rain may not stimulate the intellect, but it serves up enough action and torrential destruction to make it worth seeking out.
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