Mad City

Sam Baily, a museum guard, loses his job and returns to the building with a gun, intending to force his former boss to take him back. The confrontation escalates, and Sam ends up holding the remaining visitors, a school group and their teacher among them, as hostages. Also present by chance is Max Brackett, a television reporter whose career has faded; he becomes the link between the trapped man and the media spectacle that quickly forms around the museum.

Costa-Gavras directed the film, which sits between Music Box (1989) and Amen. (2002) in his filmography. Tom Matthews wrote the screenplay, and Arnold and Anne Kopelson produced it. John Travolta plays Sam, Dustin Hoffman plays Max, and the cast includes Mia Kirshner, Alan Alda, Robert Prosky and Blythe Danner.

Released in October 1997, Mad City runs 114 minutes and blends action, drama and thriller elements. Made for about 50 million dollars, it returned roughly 11 million worldwide, a poor result relative to its cost. On IMDb it holds 6.3 out of 10 from around 22,000 votes, and on TMDB the same 6.3 from 375 votes. A critics' rating of 5.2 from 30 reviews places it below the audience scores.