The Hitcher (2007 film)

The Hitcher
File:The Hitcher (2007) Poster.jpg Original movie poster
Directed by	Dave Meyers
Produced by	Michael Bay Andrew Form Brad Fuller
Screenplay by	Eric Red Jake Wade Wall Eric Bernt
Based on	The Hitcher by Eric Red
Starring	Sean Bean Sophia Bush Zachary Knighton Neal McDonough
Music by	Steve Jablonsky
Cinematography	James Hawkinson
Edited by	Jim May
Production company	Platinum Dunes Intrepid Pictures
Distributed by	Rogue Pictures
Release dates	January 19, 2007 (2007-01-19)
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$25.4 million

The Hitcher is a 2007 American slasher film starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, and Zachary Knighton. It is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name starring Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and C. Thomas Howell. The Hitcher was directed by Dave Meyers and produced by Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes. This is the second feature film collaboration between Sean Bean and Michael Bay after the 2005 film, The Island.

The film was released on January 19, 2007, in the US and on June 1, 2007, in the UK.

Plot

Jim Halsey and Grace Andrews are driving across New Mexico on spring break. At night, a hitchhiker stands in the middle of the road, near his broken down car. Jim nearly hits him and his car spins out of control. Grace insists that someone else will stop to help him and they speed off.

At a gas station, Jim sees the hitchhiker climb out of a truck. The hitchhiker introduces himself as John Ryder and asks for a ride. Reluctantly Jim agrees. While on the road, the hitchhiker becomes violent and attacks them. The hitchhiker tells Jim the only way to save himself and Grace is to say, "I want to die." Jim hits the brakes, causing the hitchhiker to hit his head and kicks the hitchhiker repeatedly until Grace opens the passenger door and he is ejected.

The next day, Jim and Grace drive down the road and see a family driving a station wagon with the hitchhiker in the back. Grace and Jim try to warn the family, but crash their car. The couple is forced to continue on foot and they eventually find the family's car on the side of the road, both the children and mother are dead, with the father slowly dying.

Taking the station wagon, the couple head towards town hoping to take the man to a hospital. After the hitchhiker attempts to run them off the road, Jim and Grace stop at a cafe, where the man dies. Suspected of committing the murders, Jim and Grace are arrested and brought to the police station. The hitchhiker arrives shortly after and kills everyone at the station except for Jim and Grace, who flee.

Despite suspecting that there might be a third suspect, Lieutenant Esteridge continues to pursue the couple. The hitchhiker shows up and helps Jim and Grace escape the police, single-handedly take out all of the police cruisers and helicopter.

Grace and Jim arrive at a motel and Jim steps out of the room to make a phone call. He is gone for several hours and Grace falls asleep watching TV, but is woken by the hitchhiker, who tries to rape her. Grace manages to fight him off and hides in the bathroom.

The hitchhiker disappears and Grace searches for Jim. The motel manager sees her with a gun, and calls the police. Grace finds Jim who is chained between a truck and a trailer. Grace runs to the truck and points the gun at the hitchhiker, demanding he stop. The police arrive soon after (still thinking Grace and Jim are the killers), and see Grace holding the hitchhiker at gunpoint, but realize Jim is being tortured. The police tell her to drop the gun, and the hitchhiker tells Grace not to listen to them before driving forward and splitting Jim in half, killing him. The hitchhiker and Grace are apprehended by the police.

The next morning, Esteridge tells Grace, whose innocence has been proven, that the real John Ryder is missing and they do not know the true identity of the hitchhiker. He also informs her that he will be taking her to her parents and the hitchhiker will be transported across the state in a separate van. During the journey, the hitchhiker breaks free from his restraints, kills the guard who is watching him, and causes the van to crash after the driver loses control, also causing Esteridge and Grace to crash.

Esteridge is trapped in the car and Grace takes Esteridge's gun, and slowly makes her way to the van. Grace opens the van and the hitchhiker attacks her and locks her in the back. The hitchhiker shoots a pool of gasoline near the van, igniting it. Grace manages to get a shotgun from the front seat of the van and escapes as the van explodes. The hitchhiker shoots and kills Esteridge and walks away. However, Grace shoots the hitchhiker, killing him and ending his rampage.

Cast

• Sean Bean as John Ryder/The Hitcher
• Sophia Bush as Grace Andrews
• Zachary Knighton as Jim Halsey
• Neal McDonough as Lieutenant Esteridge
• Kyle Davis as Buford's Store Clerk
• Skip O'Brien as Harlan Bremmer, Sr.
• Travis Schuldt as Harlan Bremmer, Jr.
• Danny Bolero as Officer Edwards
• Lauren Cohn as Marlene
• Yara Martinez as Beth
• Jeffrey Hutchinson as Young Father

Production

Development

Platinum Dunes announced on April 18, 2005, that a remake of The Hitcher which starred Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and C. Thomas Howell. Producer Michael Bay stated "I loved it as a kid, and we can add some cool twists and turn it into a rocking film". Bay also suggested that the protagonist in the remake would be female. On June 20, 2005 it was announced that director Dave Meyers would be directing the remake.

Release

The film debuted at #4 at the US the box office with $7,818,239 made in the opening week. After three weeks the film placed #11 at the box office and subsequently made $16,366,370. Five weeks after its nationwide release, The Hitcher had been pulled from most screens and was completely removed from cinemas after six weeks. The Hitcher began its international release on March 1, 2007. As of June 30, 2009, the film has had a lifetime gross of $25.4 million.

The DVD was released on May 1, 2007, featuring the theatrical R-rated cut in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround tracks. The Hitcher became available on Blu-ray in Australia on December 10, 2008. The Hitcher was also released on the HDDVD format.

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 21% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 95 reviews. The consensus is that the film is "interested in cheap shocks, and gratuitous gore and torture." The film did slightly better on Metacritic, gaining a 28/100 rating. Empire Magazine gave the film two stars and said that the picture was totally inferior to the original. The Guardian said "Don't even slow down for this one; certainly don't tag along for the ride."

Awards and nominations

• Sophia Bush: 2007 Teen Choice Awards: Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller (Won)
• Sophia Bush: 2007 Teen Choice Awards: Choice Movie: Breakout Female (Won)
• Sophia Bush: 2007 Vail Film Festival: Rising Star Award (Won)
• Crew: 2008 World Stunt Awards: Best Work In A Vehicle (Nominated)

External links

• The Hitcher
• The Hitcher at IMDb
• The Hitcher at AllMovie
• The Hitcher at Rotten Tomatoes