Boring

A Brilliant Conflict

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

i only watched this movie because i was one of the hostages in this real life event. that being said, it does a good job of telling the story of that day. there were some changes from the real event: names, fewer victims, combining people into one character, i never had a romance with freddy prince jr, etc., but i guess they had to do that to keep from paying us for our life stories. the only thing that really bothered me is that they made it seem like we were having a little pizza party and enjoying ourselves. the mood was definitely more somber and many of the kids were physically sick from stress--migraines, vomiting, etc. the jokes we told were to help relieve the tension, not because we were having fun. even though i don't think this is a high quality movie, i'd recommend it as a rental because with the increased violence in schools, it has become more relevant and it is a problem that needs to be addressed instead of people taking the "it wouldn't happen here" attitude.

Powerful film, inspired by true events, takes us through a school hostage situation step by agonizing step.Deeply troubled Jason Copeland decides to go on a rampage at his former high school out of revenge for failing to be awarded his high school diploma. His life has been a mess ever since then and he blames one teacher in particular, Mr Kroft, whose classroom he enters first.The situation escalates and Jason winds up with 60 hostages and several casualties in his wake. Rick Schroder plays the part of Jason brilliantly as we witness his transition from crazed, gun-toting lunatic to a defeated and broken man. What happens in between is fascinating.Henry Winkler turns in a great performance as a dedicated (yet inexperienced) cop who finds himself thrust into the unenviable position of negotiating with Jason. Rick Schroder (who seems to have effortlessly made the transition from cute child star to credible adult actor), Freddie Prinze Jr (in one of his earlier roles) and the lovely, luminous and under-used actress Katie Wright all give fine performances they should be proud of.

SPOILER This is a really good movie, great acting all around. It deals with a school shooting back in the early nineties with a guy who looks an awful lot like Kurt Cobain. The hostage negotiator had to talk him down and make him believe he would only get 4 years. It is all very sad when we see that he was put on death row. That makes the ending a bit of a downer.

I'm not one for the movie-of-the-week genre, but this film was surprisingly good, and it's not only for the reason that Freddie Prinze Jr. is one of my favorie actors.Shortly before Christmas, Jason Copeland (Rick Schroeder) decides to take out his pent-up revenge on Johnson High School, which he failed out of a year earlier. He enters the school heavily armed and begins firing shots, with no intention to kill anyone, and takes 80 students hostage in the music room. One of them Aaron Sullivan, is a troubled student, much like Jason, who soon becomes the middleman to Jason and makeshift hostage negotiator/small town cop/unlikely hero Skip Fine (Henry Winkler, in one of his many great performances). Aaron must speak to Skip on the phone, explain Jason's demands, and keep his classmates alive. He'll be a hero if he can accomplish these tasks, but can Skip help him to break through to Jason?The performances in this film are exceptional for a TV-movie. At times, I found myself huddling up, especially the part when Jason puts the gun to a crying Samantha's (Katie Wright) head. He forces lookouts into the hallway, and insists that a cop entering the school or a student fleeing will result in bloodshed. I was so scared every time a student fled going to the bathroom. I was particularly freaked out when Darren, the sole African-American student, was killed being selfless by protecting a classmate. My heart skipped a beat as his determined, hysterical mother tried to find out of Darren was alive. We also saw glimpses of Aaron's scared mother, hoping that her son stays one step ahead of Jason to keep himself and his classmates alive. Freddie Prinze Jr. puts on an incredible performance, and looked so young (he still does). He was only about 20 years old then (my age), and I'm glad a better hairstyle was forthcoming for him. Henry Winkler is a great actor, and he's just the kind of unlikely hero you'd expect. In my opinion, casting on his part was a great decision.If you like true-life dramas (this was based on reality), and like to see an unlikely individual prevail, then this is a great movie for you. It's well-written and smart, and you'll be left cheering for Prinze and Winkler. Rick Schroeder also puts on a great performance, and can scare and shake up the most unnerved person (myself included). If you can find this movie at your video store, definitely pick it up.