Unforgettable (1996 lm)

Unforgettable is a 1996 thriller lm with science ction

elements, directed by John Dahl, and starring Ray Liotta
and Linda Fiorentino. The lm is about a man named
David Krane (Liotta), who is obsessed with nding out
who murdered his wife.

cations would still exist. Dr, Krane inquires as to when

human trials might start, and she explains she a long way
away from that, at least 7 years. Dr. Krane says he would
be willing to volunteer to try the serum, and Dr. Briggs
responds that not only would it be dangerous, it would be
Unforgettable is John Dahls follow up to his critically ac- unethical. Dr. Krane apologizes and then leaves.
claimed 1994 lm, The Last Seduction. The lm, how- Later that evening Dr. Krane retrieves the sample of CFS
ever, was a critical and box oce failure, only earning from his wifes autopsy, and then breaks into Dr. Briggs
less than $3 million in the United States.[1]
oce. He then goes back to his house which is lled with
crime scene photos, and other pieces of evidence from
his wifes murder, including the taped outline of where
her body was found. Dr. Krane injects himself with the
1 Plot
serum, and has a memory ash of the night of his wifes
murder, but is unable to see the killers face. Dr Krane
Dr. David Krane (Ray Liotta) arrives at a crime scene, then returns to the lab, retrieves the CSF from the female
an apparent drug store robbery. Where he nds a piece victim at the drug store. Dr Krane drives to the drug store
of evidence, a rolled up paper match book, that reminds crime scene where he then injects himself, again, with
him of a similar match book found at his wifes, Mary the serum. During this memory ashback Dr. Krane is
Krane, crime scene. Convinced that the killer is the same nally able to see the killers face. He then returns to the
man who killed his wife, Dr Krane approaches the detec- polcie station where he meets with a polcie sketch artist
tive, Don Bressler (Peter Coyote) on the case. Dr. Krane and he tries to create a police sketch of the killer, the
shows Det. Bressler photos of the matchbooks found at sketch artist does a lousy job, and forces Dr. Krane to
both scenes. Det. Bressler ask Dr Krane what he wants draw the picture himself. Using the sketch Dr Krane and
him to do, and Dr. Krane asks him to question the sus- his friend and colleuge, Curtis Avery (David Paymer), enpect in the current case about his Marys murder. Det. ter the sketch into a computer program that generates a
Bressler agrees, but tells Dr. Krane, Sometimes you searchable photo of the killer. During this process Dr.
Krane has a shocking reaction to the photo that causes a
have to let it go.
nose bleed.
Later, Dr. Krane goes to a dinner where Dr. Martha
Briggs gives a lecture on her experiment to transfer mem- Dr. Briggs then confronts Dr. Krane about the break in
ories via cerebral spinal uid. After the lecture Dr Krane and the theft of her serum, he explains that it works and
makes an appointment with Dr. Briggs to go over her that is nothing like a true memory as much as you experesearch. Dr, Briggs is then approached by an unidenti- rience the memory as if it were happening to you. Dr.
ed woman who tells her that Dr. Krane was a suspect in Briggs is worried about side eects and insists that Dr.
his wifes murder, and if the police department had not Krane receive a physical at her oce. Dr. Krane agrees
to come over later that afternoon, and Dr. Briggs insists
botched the investigation he would be on death row.
they do it right then. The two then go back to Dr. Briggs
The following day, at Dr. Briggs oce, she goes over the oce at the University, where she notes that there has
experimental procedure. She states that neuro-peptides been signicant damage to Dr. Kranes heart, but that
are used in forming memories and can be retrieved the nitroglycerin did indeed alleviate the heart palpations
from Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF). However, the pep- of the initial injection. Dr. Kranes beeper goes o, and
tides themselves are not enough to transfer memories; he uses the phone in Dr. Briggs oce to call his Curtis.
Therefore, she has created a serum designed to facilitate Curtis says they got a hit, and that the guy, Eddie Dutton,
the memory transfer process. however, the serum is not has a long criminal history, including drugs and several
enough and an external stimulus similar to the memory murders for hire. Dr. Krane asks for his last known admust also be present for the memories to successfully im- dress, which his Curtis gives to him over the phone.
print on the recipient. She gives Dr. Krane a demonstration and they discuss the formula and side eects of the Dr. Krane goes to leave, and Dr Briggs insists she come
procedure. Dr. Krane suggests using nitroglycerin to al- with him. Dr. Krane refuses, but Dr. Briggs threaten
leviate the side eects, but Dr. Brigs mentions that that to call the police and Dr. Krane relents. The two travel
would only be a short term x, and the long term compli- to a seedy motel where Dr. Krane ask the manager if he
1

2
knows where Dr Krane can nd Eddie Dutton. The manager asks if he is a cop, to which Dr Krane replies, no
and the manager tells him to get lost. On the way out of
the hotel Dr Krane sees Eddie in the elevator, and has another overreaction to seeing him. Eddie asks him, What
are you looking at?" and then makes a disparaging remark
about Dr. Krane maybe being homosexual. Dr. Krane
runs down the stairs after Eddie. Dr. Briggs begins to
following Dr. Krane in his car and is yelling at him to
stop he is overworking his heart. Dr Briggs, who was not
paying attention to her driving, hits a parked car which
causes a scene. Eddie sees Dr. Krane is following him
and starts to run. Dr. Krane pursues Eddie, who pulls
out a gun and start to re at Dr. Krane. Eddie runs into
an alley, where the two struggle and Dr. Krane ends up
with Eddies gun. Eddie keeps running, nally running
into a catholic church where mass is being held. Eddie
Grabs a young boy and holds him hostage with a knife,
Dr Krane is trying to talk Eddie down when the police arrive. Eventually Det. Bressler shoots Eddie killing him,
and Dr. Krane is upset because he did not get to question
Eddie.
After the scenes calms down a bit, Dr Krane is confronted
about his erratic behavior by his supervisor who res him.
Dr Krane heads back to the polcie station saying he needs
to get a few things. As he enters the station he heads into
the mens room, and asks Dr Briggs to wait for him in the
waiting area. He then heads from the mens room to the
autopsy room where he places a fake call for Curtis, so
that he can get access to Eddies CSF. He steals a sample
of Eddies CSF. Dr. Briggs and Dr. Krane head back to
doctor Kranes house so that Dr Krane can get some sleep.
Unable to sleep Dr. Krane heads back to the main house
and injects himself with the serum, using Eddies CSF,
one more time. Dr. Krane has a ash of what appears
to be Eddie having rough sex with a woman, this woman
may be Mary. In the midst of the memory ashback Dr.
Krane makes enough noise to attract Dr. Briggs. While
reliving the killers memories Dr Krane inadvertently attacks and begins to choke Dr. Briggs. During the ashback Dr Krane sees that Eddie notices Dr. Krane returning to the house and Eddie Flees, apparently before Mary
is actually dead. Dr Krane continues to act out the memory eeing the house, as Dr Briggs is frantically searching for nitroglycerin. She nds Dr Krane at the bottom of
the porch stairs and administers the nitroglycerin to him,
where he explains that Eddie did not kill his wife, and that
he had come home drunk that night and passed out in the
front yard while his wife was being murdered. Dr Krane
opens up about how he was a drunk and the marriage was
on the rocks. He mentions that when his wife died she
was 5 weeks pregnant.
The next morning Dr. Briggs goes to Curtis and they discuss some type of test, Curtis reluctantly agrees. Later as
Dr. Briggs is running the DNA for paternity Dr. Krane
walks in and is angry that she would test the paternity
without consulting him. The paternity test shows the baby

1 PLOT
is not Dr. Kranes, and Dr Briggs says that the man who
killed Mary might be the father of the child. She then
asks Dr. Krane if he has any idea who it might be.
Dr. Krane rushes over and confronts his Marys sister
Kelly (Kim Cattrall). They verbally spar, and Dr. Krane
says he will go to the cops, and Kelly says she won't allow him to rob her, Mary, of her dignity, and that Mary
was having an aair with a police detective. Dr. Krane
takes this new evidence to Det. Bressler, while talking
to Det. Bressler Dr. Krane begins to have ashbacks of
an arrest and interrogation of Eddie. These ashbacks
cause a heart attack and Dr. Krane is rushed to the hospital. Dr. Krane begins to have ashbacks of the night
and subsequent events of his Marys murder. While Dr.
Krane and Dr. Briggs are at the hospital the janitor at
the university enters Dr. Briggs oce to mop, setting o
an explosive device that destroys a large portion of the
university building.
After Dr. Krane recovers, Det. Stewart Gleick (Christopher McDonald) the original detective on Marys case,
approaches Dr. Krane in the hospital saying that he asked
around and a detective Boddner, might be the guy. The
problem is that Det. Boddner tried to commit suicide on
the same day Mary was killed, but ended up in a coma,
instead of dying. Dr. Krane and Dr. Briggs go to the hospice where Det. Boddner is being kept, and take a sample
of his CSF, so that Dr. Krane can experience his memories. Dr. Krane and Dr Briggs argue about who should
take the injection due to Dr. Kranes weak heart and recent heart attack. Dr. Krane agrees to allow Dr. Briggs
to take the injection, because Det. Boddner committed
suicide Dr. Krane says he is not taking any chances and
he tapes Dr. Briggs to the seat. With Dr. Briggs immobilized Dr. Krane injects himself. He conrms that
his wife was in fact having an aair with Det. Boddner.
Mary met Det. Boddner who was a witness against Det.
Bressler, who was a dirty cop. As Dr. Krane is reliving
these memories, Det. Bressler arrives at the house and
begins to set the scene to kill Dr. Krane and Dr. Briggs,
by lighting a re. Kelly arrives at the house with kids, just
as Det. Bressler is about to kill them, Dr. Krane uses this
distraction to attack Det. Bressler, they ght. Dr. Krane
gets the upper hand and beats Det. Bressler unconscious,
then he pulls Dr. Briggs out of the house, and the rushes
in and saves Det. Bressler. He then goes back into the
burning house to retrieve the micro cassette recorder Dr.
Briggs uses for dictation.
The movie ends with Dr. Krane in a comatose state. He
imagines he is with his wife. Dr. Briggs explains that his
wounds should heal, but he is not responding mentally.
Det. Gleick tells Dr. Krane that they got Bressler, and
that if anything changes to let him know. Dr Briggs says
he could snap out of his coma at any time. The scene
then shifts to Dr. Krane imagining playing with his kids,
he looks back over his shoulder and his wife turns and
fades away.

4.2

Critical response

Cast
Ray Liotta as Dr. David Krane
Linda Fiorentino as Dr. Martha Briggs
Peter Coyote as Don Bresler
Christopher McDonald as Stewart Gleick
Kim Coates as Eddie Dutton
David Paymer as Curtis Avery
Kim Cattrall as Kelly
William B. Davis as Dr. Smoot

4.2 Critical response

The lm received negative reviews from critics and holds
a 23% rotten rating on aggregate review site Rotten
Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews, with an average score
of 4.4 out of 10.[3]
Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times, said,
Though its well made, Unforgettable is also gimmicky,
with too much of the plot revolving around voyeuristic
tricks. Tapping into the same kind of virtual reality gambit seen in Strange Days, Unforgettable deals with one
persons ability to borrow the experiences of others... Insanely far-fetched as this is, its hardly dull. Mr. Dahls
visual imagination is in ne form, even if his storytelling
shows no great eagerness to escape from the B-movie
sphere.[4]

Roger Ebert gave the lm one and a half stars, calling it

a mess. In the annals of cinematic gooness, Unforgettable deserves a place of honor. This is one of the most
3 Production
convoluted, preposterous movies I've seen a thriller
crossed with lots of Mad Scientist stu, plus wild chases,
3.1 Filming
a shoot-out in a church, a woman taped to a chair in a
burning room, an exploding university building, adultery,
Ray Liotta told an interviewer some anecdotes about lm- a massacre in a drugstore, gruesome autopsy scenes and
even a moment when a characters life ashes before her
ing in the morgue:
eyes, which was more or less what was happening to me
by the end of the lm. What went wrong?... The actors
Q. Since you spend a fair amount of time in
play this material perfectly straight, as if they thought this
the morgue in Unforgettable, do you have any
was a serious movie, or even a good one. That makes it all
crazy coroners tales to relate?
the more agonizing. At least in the old horror lms, the
A. The morgue in L.A. was horrible, scary.
actors knew how marginal the material was, and worked a
The smell is just unbelievable. A couple of
little irony into their performances. Here everybody acts
people who work there wanted to take pictures.
as if they're in something deep, like a Bergman lm, or
So they took photos with bodies behind me.
Chicago Hope, said Ebert.[5]
Q. You mean, they took photos of you, Ray LiThe Miami Herald granted the lm two out of four stars:
otta, the movie star, in the city morgue?
But
theres little joy in watching the puzzle come toA. Yeah, that happened to me in two other
gether,
since the script, by newcomer Bill Geddie, cheats.
rather strange places. For Unlawful Entry,
Its
impossible
for the viewer to solve the case alongside
these cops were looking for a body part. I was
Krane:
The
movie
withholds crucial information until
on-call with them, and so sure enough, they
a
revelation-packed
denouement. On a purely visceral
took a photograph of me with the body bag
level,
the
movie
works
better. At its best, Unforgettable
in the background. With Article 99, I played
recalls
prime
Hitchcock
in the way it unearths great susa surgeon. I did some research on open-heart
pense
in
familiar
situations,
such as a long footchase and a
surgery, and the nurses were Oh, yeah, you're
supermarket
robbery.
The
performances
are strong, too.
Shoeless Joe from Field of Dreams. Can we
Liotta is an ideal choice: Even at his most sympathetic, he
take a picture?" So there was this patient, her
seems capable of great evil he has the eyes of a madchest wide open, and they're taking pictures of
man but the movie settles the issue of his culpability
me.[2]
too early... Dahl has made his name making movies intelligent and cynical; this one is neither. Its a genre piece
that buries a terric premise under a pile of contrivances.
4 Reception
Its also a rst for Dahl: a movie thats more fun to look
at than it is to think about.[6]

4.1

Box oce

Reviewer Bryant Frazer gave the lm a C- and wrote, Liotta and Fiorentino look kind of sleepy throughout the
The lm had an estimated budget of $18 million and whole proceeding... but still, it has its moments, includearned $2,780,278 in the United States.[1]
ing the very ending, that really work as if somewhere,

buried inside this mess, theres a good movie trying to get

out.[7]
Chris Kridler of The Baltimore Sun did like the
lm, calling it a pretty twisted story, contrived but
entertaining.[8]
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle described
director Dahl as a master of inciting fear and dread and
the lm as a striking piece of lmmaking... For a good
45 minutes of its two-hour running time, Unforgettable
has the viewer in a state of oppressive tension. The rest
of the time you're just nervous.[9]

References

[1] Box oce / business for Unforgettable". IMDb. Amazon.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
[2] Hoer, Robert (February 25, 1996). Ray Liotta. The
Miami Herald's Tropic Magazine. p. 22.
[3] "Unforgettable (1996)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixter. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
[4] Maslin, Janet (February 23, 1996). FILM REVIEW: A
New Linda Fiorentino In Specs and Dull Shoes. The New
York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
[5] Ebert, Roger (February 23, 1996). "Unforgettable review. Chicago Sun-Times. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved
July 9, 2013.
[6] Rodriguez, Rene (February 23, 1996). Unforget You'll
Not Remember it Long. The Miami Herald. p. 6G.
[7] Frazer, Bryant (1996). "Unforgettable". Deep Focus. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
[8] Kridler, Chris (February 23, 1996). Movie review: Unforgettable makes you think twice about really big needles. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
[9] LaSalle, Mick (July 26, 1996). FILM REVIEW
Deadly Memories Prove Unforgettable". San Francisco
Chronicle/SF Gate. Retrieved July 9, 2013.

External links
Unforgettable at the Internet Movie Database
Unforgettable at Box Oce Mojo

EXTERNAL LINKS

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7.1

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