Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

There are a lot of activities that I can think of doing during a relentless and torrential rainstorm. Some of those activities might even include indoor activities where I am pretty much guaranteed to stay warm and dry. Yet, the characters in Hard Rain apparently do not think like the average person.

See, when the weather in Huntingburg, Indiana was forecast to include flooding, the whole town was forced to evacuate the premises, ASAP. This sets the stage for some interesting and fun action sequences in the film. The plot is rather interesting with a few twists here and there throughout the below average thriller, um, action movie.

~ The Plot ~
As the town is evacuating, the flood waters are rising higher and higher. The main characters are introduced one by one until we have a general idea that we are in for a rough and very wet ride.

Denis Quaid, who plays the local sheriff, has quite a role. His character is funny at times, and annoying during later scenes of the movie. He is bitter because he was voted out of office after ten long dedicated years as the town's sheriff. At first, I liked him. Then I hated him, then I liked him and finally I could not wait for him to get his. As it turns out, the sheriff is as crooked as a rusted wire coat hanger.

We meet Christian Slater and Ed Asner who play the roles of two armored truck drivers who are responsible for transporting all three million dollars of the local bank's money safely to another drier location. Unfortunately for them, their armored truck gets caught in a messy slope rendering the vehicle immovable and the millions of dollars practically unprotected. We find out later on that good old Ed was not as good as he wanted his nephew to think.

So, as the armored truck sits idling in the deep waters, the two men call for help and this is where the action truly begins. Morgan Freeman plays the unlikely leader of a motley crew of armor truck robbers who desperately want that three million buckaroos. Pretending to be the help, they shine their headlights onto the truck, blinding poor Christian and Ed. Shots ring out and Ed is killed! Now it's up to heroic Christian to save the town's money and save the day.

~ My Thoughts ~
The film has some decent direction by Mikael Salomon, especially in the action packed sequences that take place during most of the film as nearly every single character goes after Slater and his bag of money. I found this action to be fast paced and quite exciting, moving Hard Rain to an explosive conclusion. There were times, however, when the movie seemed far too long and drawn out. It runs more than ninety minutes and I felt that some scenes should have been drowned in the flood.

The direction of the actors in the deep waters is well done, however. I could not even imagine what schlepping around in five feet of water for days on end while making Hard rain must have felt like. Some of the action scenes are a bit over the top and unbelievable, but, this does not make the action any less exciting. I especially liked the scene where Morgan and his crew of screw-ups is looking for water transportation and end up jet-skiing through a school in pursuit of Slater. The cinematography is brilliant and I commend the director of photography for his role in these thrilling antics.

The best acting was done by my favorite actor, Morgan Freeman, who does an excellent job playing the villain turned good guy. While watching Hard Rain, I did find myself wondering what he was doing in this picture because it was not one of his best roles and definitely not one of my favorites.

Luckily, the supporting cast brings some comic relief with Betty White's character. She plays a cantankerous, feisty old woman who hen pecks her husband Richard Dysart to death and is determined not to leave their home for fear of looters taking over. The two elders are hilarious in their antics during their bit parts in Hard Rain. I laughed out loud when Betty's tired old spouse finally gets up the nerve to put her in her place later in the film. Very funny, indeed.

The other supporting actors add little to make this movie more than just an action film. I like Minnie Driver but her character is too one dimensional. She does have one cool suspenseful scene where it appears that she will surely drown while handcuffed to the banister of her home. Of course, this plays up Slater's role of hero when he comes to the aid of this pretty damsel in distress.

Finally, what's a rainy day movie without the music? The music must be mentioned because without it Hard Rain would not have been the box office hit that it was, kidding of course. I found the soundtrack to be decibels louder than it should have been. During much of the action, the music shocked my senses and hurt my husband's ears. But, it was exciting, nevertheless!

~Final Thoughts and Recommendations~
I will only recommend this "R" rated action packed film to older children and folks looking for a thrilling movie to watch on a rainy day.

It is not a terrific movie, the characters are not well developed and the plot is thin. But, if you want a fun and exciting movie to kill some time, pick up Hard rain because you will be entertained, especially the jet-ski scenes and some of the explosions are dynomite.



Director of Photography: Peter Menzies Jr.
Producer: Mark Gordon ~ Gary Levinsohn ~ Ian Bryce
Screenwriter: Graham Yost
Music Composer: Christopher Young
available on DVD/VHS
released in 1998



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older