Norjak

Author(s): D.W. Dillon

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

"Norjak"

A Bad Hat Harry Production
Directed by Bryan Singer
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
Music by John Ottman
Cinematography by Dick Pope
Produced by Bryan Singer and David Shore

Main Cast

George Clooney - Richard McCoy
Nick Nolte - Agent Arthur O'Hara
Renee Zellweger - Florence Schaffner
Patricia Neal - Karen McCoy
Todd Field - Capt. William Scott
Un-billed actor - D.B. Cooper

Tagline: "The biggest ransom is his forgiveness"

Synopsis: Based on actual events...

FBI Agent Arthur O'Hara (Nolte) has developed a mean streak ever since his wife's death on 9/11. Suspended for striking another agent, the once highly decorated and devoted lawman finds himself struggling to sort out his inner-demons. Through the dusty ancient files he's piled up, his eye catches upon the unsolved case that has haunted him for years. The file, "Norjak".

November 24, 1971 a man calling himself D.B. Cooper hijacks a Boeing 727 airplane heading over Washington state, using what eye-witness flight attendant Florence Schaffner (Zellweger) described as a bomb. The suspect's quiet and unorthodox demeanor frightened the crew into believing the bomb was in fact, real. Pilot, William Scott (Field) and Ms. Schaffner proceeded to follow his instructions to land in Seattle, where Mr. Cooper demanded a ransom from the government of $200,000 and four sets of parachutes in exchange for all passengers except for that of the nervous pilot and the calming flight attendant. No more than an hour after take-off, the suspect opened the aft stairs and presumably jumped from the plane, somewhere over the Cascades in Washington, never to be seen again. The projected drop point of the suspects landing offered up a only a few clues; approximately $5,800 in 20 dollar bills, and the instructions on operating an airplane aft stair door.

Prime Suspect--Richard McCoy (Clooney). Retired Green Beret/Mormon Sunday school teacher and avid skydiver. Attempted a copycat heist for a ransom of $500,000. Though leaving too many clues behind, was soon apprehended, only to break out of prison by fashioning a make shift gun and storming through the gates in a stolen vehicle. Later to be shot to death at a hideout by then rookie FBI Agent, Arthur O'Hara. Florence Schaffner quickly denies McCoy as the suspect of the previous hijack wanting to quickly forget it ever happened. Ex-pilot turned drunken vagrant-do to his fear of flying since the hijack cannot bring himself to talk about the past.

Now, more than 30 years later, Agent O'Hara re-opens the case on his own accord, searching for the true identity of D.B. Cooper, and the missing ransom. He'll find his toughest opponent when he interviews the widowed wife of Richard McCoy, Karen (Neal) whose bitterness toward the agent that shot her husband and her coy intelligence throws the determined Agent O'Hara for a loop at every turn, along with the guilt that she tosses like grenades with every answer she gives him. Witnesses become suspects, the trail of money becomes visible, and for Agent O'Hara, all that had seemed lost, may soon be found.

What the Press would say:

…"And like that...he's gone."… Director Bryan Singer and writer Christopher McQuarrie are back with an unsolved mystery that wraps itself around the hearts of it's characters. The Usual Suspects team reunites to craft together a story based on true events of the 1971 hijack ransom in the film, "Norjak".

This influential story is given an anti-hero's welcome with veteran actor, Nick Nolte as the haggard Agent O'Hara. His beaten soul is the quintessential ambience of the film. His determination to solve problems keeps his tattered heart beating. Nolte transcends that rugged and hard-nosed stream of tortured emotions that he's been known for in films such as The Prince of Tides and Affliction. He's not so much an FBI agent as he is a lawman with a Wyatt Earp mentality. Nolte's complexities and brilliant performance is the key in driving the characters he encounters to the highest level. Legendary actress Patricia Neal makes her final film appearance to play the tough old bitter widow, Karen McCoy. The tense and frustrating interrogation/interviews between Nolte and Neal are destined to become classic moments in film history. More than they know, they need each other. While it may seem about the money, their subconscious search for closure lies in their forgiveness. Her for him, and him for himself. All these characters are victims of a circumstance that changes their lives forever. George Clooney's performance as the outrageous criminal/prime suspect Richard McCoy is a scene stealer of the highest magnitude. Whether his identity is true or false, he serves as the catalyst for the rest of the characters. Clooney is cold and calculated one moment, and spontaneously crazed the next which keeps up with the question of his true identity. While Clooney keeps our eyes glued, director/actor Todd Field makes his presents felt in front of the camera once again as the beleaguered pilot-turned drunk. His quiet performance plays to the true sadness that trauma can evoke in one's self. A man who had beaten his fear of flying and became a pilot, only to experience the horrors of that same fear coming back. An unimaginable feeling that puts Todd Field into true acclaimed character actor status.

Singer's brilliant use of keeping the character of D.B. Cooper in the dark shadows, played by an unbilled actor keeps us guessing and wanting more, but it also puts us in the role of detective. Much like the infamous Keyser Soze, D.B. Cooper plays the ghost everyone wants to catch. His use of light and texture to separate stories is remarkable in it's efforts to catch the viewers eye. Pioneered by Conrad Hall in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, cinematographer Dick Pope slowly transits the dark Godfather-like shadows of the D.B. Cooper story and into a seedy black/white film with the Richard McCoy story, and back out into a more dreary though lighter tone with the Agent O'Hara angle, like a piece of sun struggling to find it's way through the cloudy skies. With Christopher McQuarrie's touch of the pen we are introduced to the classic scenes with Todd Field's down and out monologue of a man who's lost much more than his job, to the instant classic scenes with two Hollywood icons, Singer's Norjak promises to offer up everything anyone could hope for in a deep, sit-at-the-edge of your seat film.

Best Picture
Best Director - Bryan Singer
Best Actor - Nick Nolte
Best Supporting Actor - Todd Field
Best Supporting Actor - George Clooney
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Neal
Best Original Screenplay - Christopher McQuarrie
Best Cinematography - Dick Pope
Best Editing - Dorian Harris
Best Score - John Ottman
Best Sound - Scott Millan
Best Sound Editing - Scott Hecker