Other Titles • Domestic Disturbance • Tödliches Vertrauen (2002)
Synopses for Domestic Disturbance (2001)
1.
John Travolta is a simple guy named Frank, a recovering alcoholic struggling to maintain the family shipbuilding business his great grandfather started. Now that his ex-wife Susan (Teri Polo) divorced him, his son Danny (Matt O'Leary) is constantly at the police station for one problem or another. So when Susan marries charming Rick (Vince Vaughn), Frank thinks he will provide the financial stability that Danny needs to clean up his act. Then, a mysterious Ray (Steve Buscemi) rolls into town and claims to be an old friend of Rick's. But Rick tells a different story, making Frank wary of them both. When Ray suddenly disappears, Danny claims that he witnessed Rick murder him. Susan thinks it's just another one of Danny's lies, but Frank isn't so sure. He investigates Rick's background and finds that Rick isn't at all what he appears to be. Director Harold Becker (SEA OF LOVE) delivers thrills and melodrama and the film is like a dreaming dog--quietly still, punctured by jolts of movement. Vaughn is subtly menacing and Travolta is as affable as a retriever, but it's Buscemi who really lights up the screen with a sleazy wariness that is hilarious.
(20 votes)
2.
"A Quintessential Thriller." -Lisa Schwartzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
In this "edge of your seat thriller," John Travolta stars as Frank Morrison, a man who discovers that his son's new stepfather (Vince Vaughn) is not who he pretends to be. Frank's investigation into this man's past explodes into a terrifying mission to rescue his son from the ultimate danger. This chilling, critically acclaimed hit will have your heart pounding from start to finish!
(20 votes)
3.
Frank Morrison wants what's best for his son. Since he and his wife Susan (Teri Polo) divorced a few years ago, their son has been rebellious and troubled, with a history of lying. But Frank and Susan love Danny dearly; they understand that beneath his defiant exterior lies an eleven year old boy who needs compassion, understanding and good parenting. For his sake, and with the mutual regard they still share, Frank and Susan have tried to be the best parents possible.
Now everything is changing. Susan has found someone new; she's about to become Mrs. Rick Barnes. A newcomer in town, Barnes has already made his mark as a wealthy philanthropist. He'll be able to give Danny things that Frank, a boatbuilder, simply can't. Struggling with jealousy, Frank has to admit that two parents at home might be just what Danny needs.
Before the wedding is over, Danny starts telling Frank stories about Rick Barnes - stories that become increas ingly troubling as time goes on. Frank is torn between refusing to believe his son, whose reputation for telling the truth has always been spotty, and considering the awful possibility that Barnes might be an altogether different than he appears.
When Danny tells his dad about a murder, Frank's sheer instinct must determine what's true and what isn't. As events first support and then contradict Danny's desperate stories, Frank realizes time is running out: his ability to see the truth may hold his son's life in the balance.
(19 votes)
4.
If you focus on the effective casting of John Travolta and Vince Vaughan, Domestic Disturbance may grab your attention as a thriller that hits too close to home. After playing a greasy villain in Swordfish, Travolta ably serves up the good-guy charm as a divorced father who must rescue his teenage son from a murderous new stepfather, played by Vaughan with bad-tempered relish. Director Harold Becker is worthy of better material (like his earlier hit Sea of Love), but he handles this B-movie potboiler with professional flair, particularly in the setup involving an accomplice (the ever-reliable Steve Buscemi) who threatens to destroy Vaughan's small-town respectability. The plot's about as plausible as Britney Spears in a remake of Sophie's Choice, relying heavily on lame-brained cops and vast chasms in logic, but by the time Travolta and Vaughan engage in their inevitable showdown, even childless viewers may feel a twinge of parental instinct. --Jeff Shannon
(17 votes)
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