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Random Hearts
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySydney Pollack
Screenplay byKurt Luedtke
Adaptation byDarryl Ponicsan
Based onRandom Hearts
by Warren Adler
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPhilippe Rousselot
Edited byWilliam Steinkamp
Music byDave Grusin
Production
companies
Distributed byColumbia Pictures (through Sony Pictures Releasing[2])
Release date
  • October 8, 1999 (1999-10-08)
Running time
133 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$64 million[3][2]
Box office$74.6 million[2]

Random Hearts is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas. Based on the 1984 novel by Warren Adler, the film is about a police officer and a Congresswoman who discover that their spouses were having an affair prior to being killed in an air disaster. Random Hearts was released by Columbia Pictures (through Sony Pictures Releasing) on October 8, 1999. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $74.6 million against a $64 million budget.

Plot

[edit]

Sergeant William "Dutch" Van Den Broeck is a seasoned police sergeant in the Internal Affairs Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Kay Chandler is a Congresswoman running for reelection. Dutch is married to a fashion editor, and Kay is married to a lawyer and has a teenage daughter.

They lead separate lives, unaware of each other's existence, until a fateful plane crash changes everything. Dutch's wife Peyton and Kay's husband Cullen are among the passengers killed in the tragic accident, leaving Dutch and Kay to grapple with their devastating loss.

The plane is bound for Miami but crashes soon after takeoff. Dutch realizes that his wife was on the plane, but strangely, Peyton's employer has no record of Peyton sent to work in Miami by her employer. The airline has no record of her. Dutch assumes that his wife was on the plane as some other man's wife. He concludes that she was having an affair. Representatives from Southern Airlines, whose airline was involved in a crash, show up at Dutch's door. His investigation turns up that Peyton was sitting next to Kay Chandler's husband.

Suspicious of the affair, Dutch meets with Kay to see if she knew about their spouses' relationship. Kay is concerned about the publicity of a scandal during a re-election campaign. Kay is not willing to talk to Dutch and asks him to leave her alone. Undeterred, Dutch pushes on with his investigation, goes to Miami and visits the hotel where he not only discovers that his wife was planning on check in, but that Kay had changed her mind and followed him, wishing to uncover the truth about her husband.

The two begin to talk about their lives and their relationships, including their spouses' infidelity. Kay discusses the possibility of withdrawing from the campaign. They fly back home and share a kiss before parting company. A few days later, Dutch goes to one of Kay's campaign fundraisers and convinces her not to drop out of the race.

Dutch invites Kay to visit him at his cabin near Chesapeake Bay. Initially hesitant, she goes a few days later. The couple spends more time getting to know each other and eventually have sex. However, Dutch is still obsessed about his wife's infidelity and comments that he believes that their spouses may have had an apartment together. Kay encourages him to move on with his life and to let it go.

The stress of his wife's death and affair begins to wear on Dutch. He loses his composure with another police officer and assaults him, leading to his suspension from work. Dutch and Kay separately discover the location of the apartment, but as he finds Kay cleaning out the apartment, they argue with each other before Kay leaves. Dutch chases her into the street in the hopes that he can make amends. However, Dutch is shot by the suspect in his criminal investigation.

Dutch survives the shooting, and the suspect is caught and arrested. The criminal investigation reveals the connection between Dutch and Kay to the world, and the media begins investigating. With rumors about their relationship growing, Kay decides to publicly confirm that she and Dutch are friends, thus leading her to lose her bid for re-election, while Dutch receives his promotion. Kay decides to leave Washington and move back home.

Dutch meets Kay at the airport before she leaves. Each of them has finally moved on from the pain of their mutual spouses’ betrayal and they are happy to see each other. Dutch asks Kay if he can take her out on a date sometime.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

The film was stuck in development hell for 15 years before finally being made. In the 1980s, actor Dustin Hoffman met with the book's author with a view to making the film. Although Hoffman prompted CBS Theatrical Films to acquire the rights with a view to his starring in the film, he rejected several drafts of the script before leaving the project altogether.[4] In the early 1990s, Kevin Costner was attached to star in the project, which was then to be directed by James L. Brooks, though this, too, never came to pass. The crash of the Boeing 737 was inspired by the crash of Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-200 that took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with destination to Tampa Bay, Florida.[5]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

Random Hearts was poorly received by critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes retrospectively gives the film a rating of 18% based on reviews collected from 91 critics. The site's consensus states: "Even Harrison Ford could not save the dull plot and the slow pacing of the movie."[6] Metacritic calculated an average score of 38 out of 100, based on 35 reviews.[7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C−" on an A+ to F scale.[8]

In a positive review from The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote that the films of Sydney Pollack "have managed to be linear while also drifting thoughtfully through the nuances of their characters' behavior, with a stylistic polish and keenness of observation not often found in American films any more." Maslin also noted that "laconic Ford is wrenchingly effective throughout."[9]

In the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert wrote, "There are so many good things in Random Hearts, but they're side by side instead of one after the other. They exist in the same film, but they don't add up to the result of the film. Actually, the film has no result—just an ending, leaving us with all of those fine pieces, still waiting to come together. If this were a screenplay and not the final product, you could see how with one more rewrite, it might all fall into place."[10]

Box office

[edit]

With an estimated budget of $64,000,000, Random Hearts was not a commercial success domestically, earning $31,502,583 in the United States and Canada. The film went on to earn another $43,105,987 in international markets, ending up with a total worldwide gross of $74,608,570.[2]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Random Hearts

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by , starring as police sergeant Dutch Van Den Broeck and as U.S. Congresswoman Kay Chandler. The film adapts the novel of the same name by Warren Adler, which explores themes of and unexpected connection following personal tragedy. The plot centers on the protagonists' discovery that their spouses died in an airline crash while engaged in an extramarital affair, prompting Van Den Broeck and Chandler to confront , , and an emerging romantic bond amid professional and personal fallout. Principal supporting roles include as Van Den Broeck's partner and as his sister-in-law, with the screenplay by Kurt Luedtke and emphasizing emotional introspection over action. Produced by Pollack's Mirage Enterprises with a budget of approximately $64 million, the film features cinematography by and a score by . Released on October 8, 1999, Random Hearts earned $31.5 million in and $74.6 million worldwide, failing to recoup its costs domestically but achieving modest international returns. Critically, it holds an 18% approval rating on , with reviewers citing mismatched leads, sluggish pacing, and underdeveloped character arcs as primary flaws despite the actors' earnest performances. Audience reception has been similarly tepid, reflected in an IMDb user score of 5.4/10 from over 25,000 ratings, positioning it as a lesser entry in Ford's and Pollack's filmographies.

Source Material and Development

Novel Origins

Random Hearts is a novel by American author Warren Adler, first published in 1984. Adler, who gained prominence with his 1981 novel The War of the Roses—a satirical depiction of marital dissolution later adapted into a —drew from real-world tragedy to craft the story of two strangers, Vivien Simpson and Edward Davis, whose lives intersect after their spouses die in a plane crash, revealing an adulterous between the deceased pair. The narrative examines themes of , , and improbable romance amid personal devastation. The novel's origins trace to Adler's reaction to the crash on January 13, 1982, when the 737-222 struck Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street Bridge moments after takeoff from before plunging into the , resulting in 74 fatalities out of 74 passengers and five crew members, with only five survivors rescued from the icy waters. Adler, then working on a mystery series featuring detective Fiona Fitzgerald, shifted focus after the incident's media coverage stirred his interest in the human fallout from such public catastrophes, particularly the hidden personal secrets they might unearth. He incorporated elements of the crash's chaos and investigation into the plot, though fictionalizing the specifics to center on the protagonists' quest for truth about their marriages. Published initially in , Random Hearts received mixed for its exploration of emotional rawness but was later reissued in mass-market paperback by in 1999 to coincide with the film adaptation. Adler's work reflects his broader oeuvre of probing relational fractures, often blending suspense with psychological depth, though he later expressed dissatisfaction with the cinematic version's deviations from his original vision. The novel's premise underscores causal links between unforeseen events and revelations of private betrayals, privileging empirical aftermaths over idealized narratives of loss.

Adaptation Process

The novel Random Hearts by Warren Adler, published in 1984 and inspired by the 1982 crash into the , was optioned for almost immediately by actor , who planned to star in and produce the project via Theatrical Films. commissioned screenwriter Naomi Foner to draft the initial , envisioning a version faithful to the core premise of two individuals discovering their spouses' extramarital affair through debris from the disaster. The adaptation entered a protracted phase of development spanning over 15 years, marked by repeated script overhauls, shifting studio attachments, and stalled momentum as withdrew and subsequent iterations failed to advance to production. Multiple writers contributed drafts, but the project remained in limbo, exemplifying Hollywood's frequent pattern of optioned properties languishing without realization due to creative disagreements and market uncertainties. Adler later described this period as the being "developed into oblivion," with authors typically sidelined from revisions to avoid interference with studio visions. Revitalization occurred in early 1998 when director , known for literary adaptations like , committed to the film alongside in the lead role, securing financing through Mirage Enterprises and propagation by . Pollack enlisted Kurt Luedtke, his collaborator on , to write the screenplay, with providing an uncredited adaptation layer that diverged substantially from the novel—altering the crash to a fictional incident, reworking character professions (e.g., emphasizing the female protagonist's congressional role), and streamlining the narrative for dramatic tension over the book's introspective focus on grief and coincidence. These modifications prioritized visual spectacle and star-driven romance, reflecting Pollack's intent to craft a "fearlessly traditional" suited to theatrical release.

Production

Casting Decisions

Sydney Pollack, the director of Random Hearts, selected to portray Sergeant Dutch Van Den Broeck, an internal affairs grappling with betrayal and grief, emphasizing Ford's capacity for a raw, unglamorous performance atypical for leading men of the era. Pollack described the role as traditionally suited to female characters—the one unable to move past heartbreak—and praised Ford as a "magnificent " capable of vulnerability without appearing weak, noting it represented an "un-vain" depiction for a movie star usually cast in heroic molds. Ford himself endorsed this assessment in interviews, aligning with Pollack's intent to showcase underutilized emotional depth in the . Kristin Scott Thomas was cast opposite Ford as Congresswoman Kay Chandler, whose spouse's affair intertwines with Van Den Broeck's personal tragedy, though specific rationales from Pollack for her selection remain undocumented in contemporary production accounts; her involvement followed acclaimed roles in films like The English Patient (1996), positioning her as a poised counterpart to Ford's intensity. Supporting roles included as Alcee, Dutch's colleague; as Wendy Judd, a fellow officer; and as George Beaufort, with no reported audition competitions or changes detailed in available records. Pollack also inserted himself in a cameo as Carl Broman, a political spin doctor advising Chandler, securing the part "cheap" to enhance the film's insider perspective on image management. Casting overall prioritized established performers capable of conveying restrained adult drama, aligning with Pollack's vision for a character-driven over star-driven spectacle.

Filming and Technical Aspects

Principal photography for Random Hearts commenced on September 10, 1998, and concluded on February 3, 1999. Filming initially focused on the metropolitan area, encompassing sites in ; ; and , , including the outer harbor near the Key Bridge, with production in the region extending through late October 1998. Subsequent shoots occurred in New York City locations such as and Jackson Heights, as well as , where scenes featuring the National Hotel's courtyard and pool were captured. The production utilized color film with a final runtime of 133 minutes. was directed by , while editing was performed by William Steinkamp. Audio was mixed in and SDDS formats.

Narrative and Characters

Plot Synopsis

Random Hearts centers on Dutch Van Den Broek, a Washington, D.C. police sergeant specializing in internal affairs investigations, and Kay Chandler, a Republican congresswoman from , whose lives intersect following the deaths of their spouses in a plane crash over the . Van Den Broek, portrayed by , begins probing the crash after discovering anomalies in his wife Wendy's travel arrangements, including a ticket indicating she was not alone and was en route to the same destination as Chandler's husband, Lewis. This evidence, such as matching keys and "Mr. and Mrs." boarding passes, points to a clandestine affair between the two deceased spouses, shattering the survivors' perceptions of their marriages. As Van Den Broek delves deeper into the betrayal—balancing his professional duties, including a high-stakes internal probe—Chandler, played by , grapples with the public and personal ramifications amid her congressional reelection campaign. The pair's paths cross in their quest for answers, forcing confrontations with , , and unforeseen attraction. Directed by , the narrative explores the emotional fallout and evolving relationship between these disparate individuals from different social strata, set against the backdrop of Washington politics and law enforcement rigors.

Key Characters

Sergeant William "Dutch" Van Den Broeck, played by , is the film's central male protagonist, depicted as a veteran internal affairs with the Washington, D.C. police department. His character embodies obsessive determination in investigating corruption and personal betrayals, traits that intensify after discovering his wife Peyton's affair with another man's spouse following her death in a 1998 Avianca Flight 52 crash. Dutch's pursuit of truth drives the narrative, clashing with his grief and leading to strained relationships, including with his stepdaughter Jessica. U.S. Representative Chandler, portrayed by , serves as the primary female lead, a career facing re-election amid personal turmoil. 's husband, Cullen, perishes in the same plane crash, revealing his extramarital involvement with Peyton, which threatens her professional composure and public facade. Contrasting Dutch's confrontational approach, initially resists probing the affair's details to preserve her stability and campaign, highlighting her pragmatic restraint. Supporting characters include Alcee, Dutch's loyal colleague in the police force, enacted by Charles S. Dutton, who aids in navigating the investigation's emotional and procedural challenges. Wendy Judd, played by Bonnie Hunt, appears as a journalistic contact providing insights into the unfolding scandal. The deceased spouses, Peyton Van Den Broeck (Susanna Thompson) and Cullen Chandler (Dennis Haybert), function as catalysts through their concealed relationship, exposed via personal effects like duplicate keys found post-crash.

Release

Distribution and Premiere

Random Hearts premiered in on October 3, 1999. The film received a wide theatrical release in the United States on October 8, 1999, distributed by Releasing. In , Columbia TriStar Films handled distribution for the October 8 release. Entertainment oversaw the film's domestic marketing and exhibition through its Columbia Pictures banner. Internationally, distribution varied by territory, with Columbia TriStar managing releases in select markets. The rollout followed a standard studio strategy for mid-fall drama releases, targeting adult audiences amid competition from other October titles.

Marketing Strategies

The marketing for Random Hearts, handled by distributor Entertainment, involved a significant in prints and (P&A), with expenses estimated to exceed $41 million following recovery of theater cuts. This budget supported a wide theatrical rollout on October 8, 1999, across 2,697 screens in the United States. Strategies targeted viewers over 40 years old, aiming to attract a mature demographic interested in dramatic narratives. Initial promotional hype leveraged director Sydney Pollack's reputation and his prior collaboration with screenwriter Kurt Luedtke on the Oscar-winning (1985), generating early awards-season speculation. Campaigns emphasized the star power of , known for action roles, paired with in a story of unexpected romance amid personal tragedy, positioning the film as a prestige adult drama. Trailers highlighted the central mystery of the spouses' affair and the protagonists' emotional journey, though some observers later noted they may have misrepresented the film's slower, more introspective pace. However, momentum waned after early reviews criticized the film as contrived , contributing to diminished buzz and word-of-mouth. The opening weekend earned $13,012,585, securing second place behind , but a 56.6% drop in the second weekend to $5,651,420 reflected challenges in sustaining audience interest amid competition from holdover hits like American Beauty and . An audience of C- further underscored misalignment between promotional framing and viewer expectations.

Reception

Critical Evaluations

Critical reception to Random Hearts (1999) was predominantly negative, with review aggregators reflecting broad dissatisfaction among professional critics. On , the film holds an 18% approval rating based on 90 reviews, indicating widespread disapproval of its pacing, implausible premise, and failure to deliver thriller elements despite marketing suggestions otherwise. Similarly, assigns a score of 38 out of 100 from 35 critic reviews, categorizing it as "generally unfavorable" due to critiques of contrived plotting and underdeveloped romantic tension. Roger Ebert awarded the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, praising isolated strong elements such as Harrison Ford's portrayal of a grieving internal affairs but criticizing the narrative structure for presenting compelling moments "side by side instead of one after the other," resulting in a experience that underutilized the affair revelation's potential for deeper emotional exploration. In , commended Ford's "wrenchingly effective" performance and the "strong" storyline involving his character's investigation, yet faulted the central romance as superficial, likening it to "" in its lack of intensity and describing the film's handling of the protagonists' connection as linear but meandering through behavioral nuances without sufficient dramatic payoff. Other reviewers echoed concerns over the film's sluggish tempo and mismatched genre expectations; of the deemed the underlying concept "irredeemably screwy and far-fetched," arguing that even strong acting could not salvage its unconvincing core. Despite occasional nods to the cast's —particularly Ford's and Kristin Scott Thomas's efforts in conveying private —the consensus highlighted Random Hearts as a missed opportunity, prioritizing somber over cohesive or , which contributed to its status as one of director Sydney Pollack's less acclaimed works.

Commercial Performance

Random Hearts was produced on a of $64 million. The film premiered in wide release on October 8, 1999, generating $13,012,585 in its opening weekend from 2,697 theaters. Domestic earnings totaled $31.5 million. International markets contributed $43.1 million, yielding a worldwide gross of $74.6 million. These figures represented approximately 1.17 times the , insufficient to achieve profitability after for and distribution expenses, which typically require theatrical returns of at least 2–2.5 times the . The underperformance occurred despite the involvement of high-profile stars and , amid competition from other fall releases.

Audience and Cultural Impact

Random Hearts garnered a largely negative response from audiences upon its 1999 release, with aggregate scores indicating widespread dissatisfaction. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 24% audience score derived from over 5,000 verified ratings, underscoring perceptions of the film as slow-paced and emotionally unconvincing. IMDb users similarly rated it 5.4 out of 10 based on approximately 25,000 votes, frequently citing a flat script, formulaic dialogue, and scenes intended as poignant that instead provoked unintended laughter in theaters. Metacritic's user score stands at 4.9 out of 10 from 23 ratings, aligning with complaints about the film's failure to deliver promised suspense despite its premise involving infidelity and tragedy. Promotional trailers emphasizing thriller elements attracted viewers expecting high-stakes drama akin to Harrison Ford's action-oriented roles, resulting in misaligned expectations and backlash; online discussions, including recent analyses, highlight this as a in misleading marketing that alienated casual audiences. The film appealed primarily to an adult demographic, particularly older female viewers drawn to its romantic and mature themes of loss and , but proved a tough sell to under-25 crowds uninterested in its somber tone or Ford's portrayal of personal anguish. Culturally, Random Hearts exerted negligible influence, lacking the resonance to inspire adaptations, parodies, or enduring references in media. It occasionally surfaces in retrospective appraisals of Sydney Pollack's directorial style or Ford's ventures beyond blockbuster fare, but remains a footnote in their careers rather than a touchstone for broader discourse on or in cinema. Niche online communities, such as forums and groups, revisit it for its strong lead performances amid narrative flaws, yet it has not permeated popular consciousness or sparked significant academic or .

References

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  8. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/03/arts/film-how-my-novel-was-almost-developed-into-oblivion.html
  9. https://www.amazon.com/Random-Hearts-Warren-Adler-ebook/dp/B01NBXV93J
  10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/10/08/random-bad-book-worse-movie/ef59f875-504c-4e79-b3d1-f12f7091f0f7/
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  20. https://www.baltimoresun.com/1998/09/04/patapsco-to-appear-in-ford-thriller-set-random-hearts-scenes-shot-at-the-key-bridge-film/
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  27. http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/277
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  39. https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/pre2000/randomhearts.html
  40. https://www.facebook.com/groups/tcmfansite/posts/2138694579905477/
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