Proof of Life (2000)

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writers (WGA):

Tony Gilroy (written by)
William Prochnau (article) (inspiration)
(more)

Release Date:

8 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Alice hires a professional negotiator to obtain the release of her engineer husband, who has been kidnapped by anti-government guerrillas in South America.

Plot Keywords:

Negotiator | Ransom | South America | Money | Box Office Flop

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Meg Ryan	...	Alice Bowman
Russell Crowe	...	Terry Thorne
David Morse	...	Peter Bowman
Pamela Reed	...	Janis Goodman
David Caruso	...	Dino
Anthony Heald	...	Ted Fellner
Stanley Anderson	...	Jerry
Gottfried John	...	Eric Kessler
Alun Armstrong	...	Wyatt
Michael Kitchen	...	Ian Havery
Margo Martindale	...	Ivy
Mario Ernesto Sánchez	...	Arturo Fernandez (as Mario Ernesto Sanchez)
Pietro Sibille	...	Juaco
Vicky Hernández	...	Maria (as Vicky Hernandez)
Norma Martínez	...	Norma (as Norma Martinez)
Diego Trujillo	...	Eliodoro
Aristóteles Picho	...	Sandro
Sarahi Echeverría	...	Cinta
Carlos Blanchard	...	Carlos
Raúl Rodríguez	...	Tomas
Mauro Cueva	...	Rico
Alejandro Cordova	...	Rambo
Sandro Bellido	...	Mono
Miguel Iza	...	ELT Officer
Roberto Frisone	...	Calitri
Tony Vazquez	...	Fred / Marco
Claudia Dammert	...	Ginger
Rowena King	...	Pamela
Michael Byrne	...	Lord Luthan
Jaime Zevallos	...	Nino
Gilberto Torres	...	Raymo
Flora Martínez	...	Linda
Laura Escobar	...	Cara
Marco Bustos	...	Alex
Jorge Medina	...	Berto
Gerard Naprous	...	Pierre Lenoir
Aleksandr Baluyev	...	Russian Colonel (as Alexander Balueyev)
Dmitri Shevchenko	...	Russian Sergeant (as Dimitri Shevchenko)
Zbigniew Zamachowski	...	Terry's Driver
Said K. Saralijen	...	Chechen Leader
Óscar Carrillo	...	Trial Honcho
Pedro Martínez Laya	...	Trial Honcho
Wolframio Sinué	...	Trial Honcho (as Wolframio Benavides)
Alonso Alegría	...	Master of Ceremonies
Merlin Hanbury-Tenison	...	Terry's Son
Stefan Gryff	...	Bank Official
Yolanda Vazquez	...	Notary

Directed by
Taylor Hackford

Writing credits (WGA)
Tony Gilroy		(written by)
William Prochnau		(article Adventures in the Ransom Trade) (inspiration)
Thomas Hargrove		(book "The Long March To Freedom") (inspiration)

Produced by
Tony Gilroy	....	executive producer
Taylor Hackford	....	producer
Charles Mulvehill	....	producer
Feliks Pastusiak	....	assistant producer: Poland
Steven Reuther	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Danny Elfman

Cinematography by
Slawomir Idziak		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sheldon Kahn
John Smith

Casting by
Larisa Isaeva
Nancy Klopper

Production Design by
Bruno Rubeo

Art Direction by
Steve Carter		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Anna Pinnock
Steve Shewchuk

Costume Design by
Ruth Myers

Makeup Department
Fríða Aradóttir	....	hair stylist: Ms. Ryan (as Frida Aradottir)
Jana Carboni	....	makeup assistant
Stefano Ceccarelli	....	hair stylist
Lucy Da Silva	....	assistant makeup artist
Francesca De Simone	....	hair stylist
Karen Karahawa	....	key makeup artist: Meg Ryan
Federico Laurenti	....	assistant makeup artist
Blanca Ponce de Baneto	....	hair stylist
Luigi Rocchetti	....	key makeup artist
Margarita Salazar	....	hair stylist
Mauro Tamagnini	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Pawel Barenski	....	unit manager: Poland
Jerzy Frykowski	....	production manager: Poland
Ian Hickinbotham	....	unit production manager
Tricia Miles	....	post-production supervisor
Kaaren F. Ochoa	....	unit production manager: Ecuador (as Kaären F. Ochoa)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Miguel Alvear	....	third assistant director
Andrzej Bednarski	....	assistant director: Poland
Mauricio Cadena	....	second assistant director: second unit
Chris Carreras	....	first assistant director
Gary Davis	....	second unit director
Simon Emanuel	....	third assistant director: UK
Diego Falconi	....	third assistant director
Robert Grayson	....	second assistant director (as Robert P. Grayson)
Tania Hermida	....	third assistant director
Michael La Torre	....	second assistant director: second unit
Josh Robertson	....	first assistant director: second unit
Masakazu Shirane	....	third assistant director
Michael Stevenson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tatiana Arroba	....	assistant props
Pedro Barquin	....	stand-by greensman
Miriam Bell-Irving	....	set dresser
Steve Bohan	....	construction manager: London
Sidney Calvopiña	....	construction gang boss
Jeffrey DeBell	....	greens foreman
Daniel Dietrich	....	general foreman
Ron Downing	....	property master
Jack Dyer	....	stand-by stagehand
Roberto Frisone	....	assistant art director
Robert Grani	....	sets leadman
Randy Hardy	....	stand-by painter
Kevin Harris	....	stand-by carpenter
David E. Harshbarger	....	prop buyer: U.S.
Julia G. Hickman	....	art department coordinator
David Hopkins	....	on-set dresser
Pablo Iturralde	....	assistant art director
Jess Kitley	....	assistant set decorator: London
Thomas A. Morris Jr.	....	construction coordinator
Marcos Newman	....	assistant property master (as Marcos Newmann)
Bozydar Orszula	....	construction foreman
Anna Pinnock	....	set decorator: London
Raymond Prado	....	storyboard artist
Bruno Robotti	....	charge scenic artist
Ewa Skoczkowska	....	art director: Poland
Stephanie Waldron	....	greens supervisor
Waldemar Weiss	....	construction coordinator
Mickey Woolfson	....	stand-by propman (as Michael Woolfson)
Dean Coldham	....	plaster department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christopher Assells	....	sound effects editor
Karen M. Baker	....	co-supervising sound editor
Jeanette Browning	....	adr recordist (as Jeannette Browning)
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dave Campbell)
Howard Carle	....	adr mixer
Dino Dimuro	....	sound effects editor (as Dino R. DiMuro)
Todd Egan	....	assistant sound editor
Laura Graham	....	adr editor
Per Hallberg	....	supervising sound editor
Charles Hamilton	....	sound recordist
Chuck Hamilton	....	sound recordist
Tomas Hart	....	sound creator
Dan Hegeman	....	sound effects editor (as Danny Hegeman)
Chris Hogan	....	dialogue editor (as Christopher Hogan)
Craig S. Jaeger	....	supervising foley editor (as Craig Jaeger)
Chris Jargo	....	adr supervisor
Gareth John	....	sound maintenance
Mark Johnston	....	sound recordist
Paul Jyrälä	....	foley editor
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley mixer
Anna MacKenzie	....	adr editor
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Christian P. Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christian Minkler)
Alyson Dee Moore	....	foley artist (as Alyson Moore)
Philip D. Morrill	....	assistant sound editor
Tony Negrete	....	first assistant sound editor (as Tony R. Negrete)
Barry O'Sullivan	....	boom operator
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Scott Sanders	....	sound effects editor
Ivan Sharrock	....	production sound mixer
Mike Shuman	....	assistant sound editor (as Michael D. Shuman)
Peter Staubli	....	sound editor
Lauren Stephens	....	dialogue editor
Lauren Stephens	....	sound editor
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist
Kevin Webb	....	sound recordist
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Tim Hands	....	adr editor: UK (uncredited)
David Kudell	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Rafael Barriga	....	special effects assistant
Conor Coughlan	....	special effects technician
Yves De Bono	....	special effects supervisor
Ken Gorrell	....	special effects technician
Mark Griffin	....	special effects buyer (special effects technician)
John Herzberger	....	supervising special effects technician
Thomas Kittle	....	special effects technician (as Tom Kittle)
Russell Tyrrell	....	special effects technician
Andrew Wilson	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Mark Bakowski	....	digital compositor
Jeffrey Edward Baksinski	....	motion & tracking supervisor: Cinesite
Chris Burn	....	digital compositor: Mill Film
Angus Cameron	....	digital effects supervisor
Oscar G. Castillo	....	lead effects animator
Sally Clayton	....	digital artist
Sean Danischevsky	....	digital compositor: Mill Film
Ian Differ	....	visual effects editor
Davina Gottschalk	....	digital compositor
Antony Hunt	....	visual effects producer
Zave Jackson	....	digital compositor
Daryl Jordan	....	visual effects editor: U.K.
Vincent Lavares	....	digital asset manager: Cinesite Hollywood
David Lingenfelser	....	composite supervisor
Richard Little	....	digital compositor
Sarah Lockwood	....	digital artist
Hannah Peirce	....	digital compositor
Daniel Pettipher	....	2D digital supervisor (as Dan Pettipher)
Corinne Pooler	....	digital paint supervisor
Jerry Pooler	....	visual effects supervisor: Cinesite
Paula Pope	....	digital coordinator (as Paula Hughes)
Michael S. Pryor	....	visual effects producer
Jon Quon	....	technical assistant: Cinesite
Andy Stevens	....	visual effects camera assistant: Millfilm
Matt Welford	....	digital compositor
Neil Harrison	....	senior systems administrator (uncredited)
Fred Jimenez	....	2D technical assistant (uncredited)
Bridgitte Krupke	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Rick Mietkowski	....	green screen supervision (uncredited)
Sarah Moore	....	digital compositor: Cinesite (uncredited)
Ramprasad Sampath	....	visual effects technical director (uncredited)

Stunts
Lech Adamowski	....	stunt coordinator: Poland
Simon Chapman	....	stunt double: Peter
Stuart Clark	....	stunt double: Terry
Gary Davis	....	stunt coordinator
Wade Eastwood	....	stunt double: Kessler
James O'Donnell	....	stunt double: Dino
Dennis Scott	....	stunt double: Carlos
Marc Wolff	....	stunt pilot

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	grip
David Appleby	....	still photographer
David Arkell	....	pilot: camera ship
Diego Arteaga	....	assistant camera
Olivier Auverlau	....	camera operator: second unit
Sam Barnes	....	clapper loader: aerial unit
Paul Borg	....	electrician
Robert Brock	....	electrician
David Bruce	....	generator operator
Tony Burns	....	electrician (as Tony Burnes)
Luis Chalacán	....	grip
Fionn Comerford	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Frank Connor	....	still photographer
Romel Crespo	....	assistant camera
Barney Davis	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Kevin Edland	....	best boy electric
Yorgos Giannelis	....	focus puller: second unit
Miles Hargrove	....	video assistant
John Higgins	....	gaffer
Andy Hopkins	....	grip: Ecuador second unit
Malcolm Huse	....	key grip
Henryk Jedynak	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Lukasz Jogalla	....	director of photography: second unit
Dylan Jones	....	video assistant
Rick Lamb	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Adam Lee	....	rigging gaffer
Cosme León	....	grip
Jeff Mart	....	camera operator: "b" camera
John Marzano	....	aerial director of photography
Alan McPherson	....	electrician
Clyde Miller	....	assistant camera: aerials and Wescam camera
Marek Modzelewski	....	electrician
Dean Morrish	....	underwater first assistant camera
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer
Marco Salvador	....	assistant camera
Basil Smith	....	camera trainee
Gary Smith	....	grip: "b" camera
Nicoli Soria	....	grip
Adrian Spanna	....	video playback operator: Useful Companies
Germán Valverde	....	first assistant additional camera: second unit
John Watters	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
J. Glyn Williams	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
Charlie Woodburn	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
Eugene Grobler	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Alonso Alegría	....	casting: South America (as Alonso Alegria)
Mireya Guanipa	....	additional casting
Doreen Jones	....	casting: Europe
Rita VanderWaal	....	casting associate
Lori Wyman	....	casting: Miami

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amanda Derby	....	set costumer
Bruno de Santa	....	costumer: Mr. Crowe
Gordon Harmer	....	costume supervisor
Ismael Jardon	....	costume supervisor (as Ismael Jardon Tejas)
Helen Mattocks	....	costumer: Ms. Ryan
Ron Mawbey	....	set costumer
Veronica Obando	....	wardrobe assistant
Michael O'Connor	....	assistant costume designer
Edgar F. Ortiz-Duran	....	costumer (as Edgar Ortiz)
Rebeka L. Roberts	....	costume ager/dyer

Editorial Department
Noah Arntson	....	post-production assistant
Laura Behary	....	assistant editor
Hermione Byrt	....	assistant editor
Ruth Coulson	....	editor trainee
Ian Differ	....	first assistant editor
Vaune Kirby Frechette	....	assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer
Conor Mackey	....	conforming editor
Andrew Melhuish	....	assistant editor
Ray Neapolitan	....	assistant editor
Maggie Ostroff	....	assistant editor
Ross Porter-Ward	....	assistant editor: avid
Ben Renton	....	second assistant editor
Catriona Richardson	....	second assistant editor
Ben Stephens	....	assistant editor
Mark Warner	....	post-production editorial

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor (as Peter Anthony)
Steve Bartek	....	supervising orchestrator
Danny Elfman	....	music producer
Marc Mann	....	additional orchestrator
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator
Peter Myles	....	assistant music editor
Dennis S. Sands	....	score mixer (as Dennis Sands)
Dennis S. Sands	....	score recordist (as Dennis Sands)
Ellen Segal	....	music editor
Edgardo Simone	....	orchestrator
David Slonaker	....	additional orchestrator
Curt Sobel	....	temp music editor: source

Transportation Department
George Bolton	....	transportation captain
Guy Bostock	....	action vehicle coordinator
Ian Clarke	....	vehicle technician
Matthew Lloyd	....	unit driver
Mario Simon	....	transportation coordinator (as Mario A. Simon)

Other crew
Leslie Adler	....	assistant: Ms. Ryan
Alonso Alegría	....	assistant to director
Elena Almeida	....	assistant production coordinator
Anabell Arias	....	location assistant
Ana Lucía Arizo	....	assistant accountant
Sallie Beechinor	....	production coordinator
Mona Benjamin	....	assistant production coordinator
Kevin Berman	....	consultant
Lourene Bevaart	....	trainer: Mr. Crowe
Terry Blyther	....	location manager: London
Adam Bohling	....	military advisor
Oriana Cavallero	....	assistant: Mr. Morse
Aneta Cebula	....	production coordinator: Poland
Orlando Chongo	....	craft service supervisor
John De Simio	....	unit publicist
Kathy Ewings	....	accountant: London
David Fencl	....	armorer
Will Gaffney	....	stand-in: David Morse
Lisa Greenberg	....	craft service manager
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
Alicia Herrera	....	animal wrangler
Linda Hodge	....	set nurse
Pamela Jaeckle	....	production coordinator
Bobbie Johnson	....	financial controller
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Alice S. Kim	....	assistant: Mr. Mulvehill
Deborah Leakey	....	assistant accountant: London
Laura Luchetti	....	assistant: Mr. Crowe
Paul McAuley	....	weight loss consultant (as Dr. Paul McAuley)
Scot A. McKay	....	assistant armorer
Amaia Merino	....	production secretary
Sarah Moore	....	production assistant: London
David Oliver	....	stand-in: Mr. Crowe
James Ordonez	....	production liaison: Ecuador
Maria Veronica Parada	....	production assistant
David Paris	....	safety pilot
Louisa Radcliffe	....	assistant: Mr. Hackford
Thell Reed	....	weapons specialist
Jason Rein	....	office production assistant: re-shoots
James Richardson	....	assistant accountant
Michael Riley	....	title designer
Lyndy Rist	....	assistant accountant: London
Lew Rywin	....	producer: Poland
Paulina Salazar	....	assistant: Mr. Taylor Hackford
Paulina Salazar	....	production secretary (as Paulina A. Salazar)
Emma Salter	....	researcher
Anne Scott	....	post-production accountant
Joanna Shaw	....	script supervisor: second unit
Eric Smith	....	credit sequence designer
André Sogliuzzo	....	adr loop group
Stéphanie Stevens	....	location assistant
Cid Swank	....	unit publicist
Sarah Trowse	....	location accountant: Ecuador
Xavier Urbina	....	assistant accountant
Martin Ward	....	first video operator: Ecuador
Amy West	....	stand-in: Ms. Ryan
Marc Wolff	....	aerial coordinator
Oorala J. Yamada	....	set production assistant: re-shoots
Arturo Yepez	....	location assistant
Jhonny Zurita	....	assistant armorer (as Johnny Zurita)
Phil Quigley	....	armorer (uncredited)

Thanks
Will Gaffney	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment
• Bel Air Entertainment
• Anvil Films

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pathé (2001) (France) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Tobis StudioCanal (2001) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Slovenia (2001) (Slovenia) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms A.I.E. (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (2004) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2004) (Finland) (TV)
• SBS6 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (rental)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (retail)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Cinesite (Hollywood)
• Mill Films (I)

Other Companies

• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Imaginary Forces  main titles
• Joe Dunton & Company  video assist equipment
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Packair Airfreight  international logistics
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility (as Soundtrack Boston)
• Tayrona Entertainment Group  film production services

Also Known As:

Prueba de vida (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Доказательство жизни (Russia) [ru]
Apodeixi zois (Greece) [el]
Dokaz zivljenja (Slovenia) [sl]
L'échange (France) [fr]
Lebenszeichen (Germany) (short title) [de]
Lebenszeichen - Proof of Life (Germany) [de]
Livstecken (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Livstegn (Denmark) [da]
Preuve de vie (Canada: French title) [fr]
Prova de Vida (Brazil) [pt]
Rapimento e riscatto (Italy) [it]
Todistettavasti elossa (Finland) [fi]
Yasam kaniti (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Znak zivljenja (Slovenia) [sl]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some drug material.

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Russian | Italian | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ecuador

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Kessler's bible is used for two maps of the area. The main map is drawn over Luke 21-22, which talks about the return of the Son of Man (Thorne will come and save Peter Bowman). The second map has a passage marked out, Matthew 5, which discusses the wrongness of revenge and loving your neighbor.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Even though the movie takes place in a fictional South American country, the Ecuadorian flag can be seen flying in many places.

Quotes:

Alice Bowman: You stood in my kitchen and you told me my husband was coming home!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Proof of Life' (#7.20)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Mala Suerte

Jon Monsarrat review: worth seeing, somewhat slow

I was impressed by Proof of Life and would only make one comment. In most movies, the plot is tightened up to be fast-paced, convincing, make you identify with and care about the characters, and even contain a little moral or have something to say about the human condition.

When a film like Proof of Life is based on a true story, there are limits to this. The worst example I can think of being A Civil Action, which I'm sure is true to the story but the ending was not satisfying and deflated the entire film.

So it's definitely worth seeing, but it's a little slow, and like real life the there is no consistent "tone" to the plot twists. (The film does not fit neatly into one genre throughout.)

Who should see this film:

-- Action buffs who won't mind that only some stuff blows up and the film is a little arty

-- Drama fans who are curious about the topic, but who are not expecting a romance and won't mind a little violence

-- People who'd like some gritty realism concerning Latin American civil uprisings

I give "Proof of Life" a 7 out of 10.