View source for The Negotiator

{{short description|1998 American crime thriller film by F. Gary Gray}}
{{about|the 1998 film|the unrelated 2003 Japanese film|Kōshōnin|the unrelated novel|The Negotiator (novel)|the unrelated 2018 film called ''The Negotiator'' in the UK|Beirut (film)|other uses|Negotiator (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Negotiator 
| image          = The Negotiator poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[F. Gary Gray]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
*[[David Hoberman]]
*[[Arnon Milchan]]}}
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
*[[James DeMonaco]]
*Kevin Fox}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Samuel L. Jackson]]
* [[Kevin Spacey]]
* [[David Morse]]
* [[Ron Rifkin]]
* [[John Spencer (actor)|John Spencer]]
* [[J. T. Walsh]]}}
| music          = [[Graeme Revell]]
| cinematography = [[Russell Carpenter]]
| editing        = [[Christian Wagner]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
*[[Regency Enterprises]]
*[[Mandeville Films]]
*New Regency
*Taurus Films
}}
| distributor   = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released      = {{film date|1998|7|29}}
| runtime       = 139 minutes<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 14, 1998|title=''The Negotiator'' (15)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-negotiator-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmty5ndi|access-date=June 2, 2025|website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref>
| country       = United States
| language      = English
| budget        = $43.5 million<ref name=SlateLosses>{{cite news|last1=Jay Epstein|first1=Edward|title=Hollywood's Profits, Demystified|url=https://slate.com/culture/2005/08/hollywood-s-profits-demystified.html|access-date=May 5, 2020|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=August 5, 2005}}</ref>
| gross         = $88 million<ref name=SlateLosses/>
}}
'''''The Negotiator''''' is a 1998 American [[crime thriller film]] directed by [[F. Gary Gray]]. It stars [[Samuel L. Jackson]] and [[Kevin Spacey]] as [[Chicago Police Department]] lieutenants who are expert hostage negotiators. The film was released in the [[United States]] on July 29, 1998, receiving generally positive reviews from critics and grossing $88 million worldwide. The film is considered by many to be one of Jackson's most underrated films and one of F. Gary Gray's best films.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/underrated-samuel-l-jackson-movies/ | title=13 Underrated Samuel L. Jackson Movies | date=6 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/every-movie-directed-by-f-gary-gray-ranked/ | title=Every Movie Directed by F. Gary Gray, Ranked | date=15 July 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/f-gary-gray-best-movies-ranked-according-to-imdb/ | title=F. Gary Gray's 10 Best Movies, Ranked According to IMDb | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=14 September 2021 }}</ref>

==Plot==
 <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. -->         
[[Chicago Police Department|Chicago Police]] Lieutenant Danny Roman is a top [[hostage negotiator]] for the east precinct. His partner, Nate Roenick, warns him that an informant inside the department suspects members of their own unit have [[embezzlement|embezzled]] millions from the police disability fund. Roenick is shot dead, and Roman is lured to the scene and discovered by the police, but is unable to corroborate Roenick's story or identify the informant.

Roman is targeted by [[Internal affairs (law enforcement)|Internal Affairs]] Inspector Terence Niebaum, whom Roenick's informant believed was involved in the embezzlement. The murder weapon is recovered and linked to one of Roman's cases, and a search of his home produces evidence of an incriminating [[offshore bank]] account, making him the prime suspect in the embezzlement and Roenick's death. Forced to surrender his gun and badge, ostracized by his colleagues, and with charges against him pending, Roman storms into Niebaum's office to confront him, and takes Niebaum, his administrative assistant Maggie, Roman's commander and friend Grant Frost, and [[con artist|con man]] Rudy Timmons as hostages.

With the building evacuated and placed under siege by his own unit and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], Roman will only speak to fellow negotiator Lieutenant Chris Sabian of the west precinct. He also issues his demands: the return of his badge, a department funeral if killed, and the identities of Roenick's informant and killer. Sabian, who sees tactical action as a last resort, clashes with Roman's unit, particularly commander Adam Beck. A breach of Niebaum's office backfires when a [[SWAT]] marksman refuses to shoot Roman, who captures officers Scott and Markus. Sabian takes command of the scene, but Roman seemingly executes Scott to reestablish control.

Roman releases Frost to Sabian in exchange for restoring the building's electricity, allowing him to access Niebaum's computer, discovering that Internal Affairs had [[Wiretapping|wiretap]] recordings of Roenick. Believing Niebaum lied when he claimed he did not know Roenick was investigating the fund, Roman lashes out and slaps him in the face. With the help of Rudy and Maggie, Roman discovers the embezzlement scheme: Corrupt officers submitted false disability claims that were processed by an unknown insider on the disability fund's board. Sabian claims to have located the informant in an attempt to end the standoff, but Roman realizes he is bluffing when Niebaum's files reveal that Roenick himself was the informant.

When Roman threatens to expose Niebaum to [[sniper]] fire, Niebaum admits that Roenick gave him wiretaps implicating three of his squadmates in the scheme; Allen, Hellman and Argento. Niebaum was [[bribe]]d by the guilty officers to cover up their crimes, while Roenick refused and was killed. Niebaum has safely hidden the wiretaps, but the corrupt officers infiltrate the air vents and open fire, killing him. Roman fends them off with [[stun grenade|flashbang]]s taken from the captured officers, and Niebaum's murder convinces the remaining hostages that Roman is being set up.

The FBI assume jurisdiction, relieving Sabian of command and ordering a full breach. Maggie tells Roman that Niebaum likely kept Roenick's wiretaps at home, while Sabian reenters the building to warn Roman, who reveals that Scott is unharmed. Sabian agrees to help Roman prove his innocence, and as the building is raided and the hostages are rescued, Roman disguises himself in Scott's uniform and escapes. He and Sabian are unable to locate the wiretaps at Niebaum's home, where the corrupt officers prepare to kill Roman, but Frost arrives to negotiate with him alone.

Sabian shoots Roman, offering to destroy Roenick's evidence in exchange for a cut of the embezzled funds. Frost agrees, effectively revealing himself as the ringleader of the conspiracy, the insider on the disability fund's board, and Roenick's killer. Crushing the [[floppy disk]]s Sabian gives him and shooting Niebaum's computer, Frost exits the house.

Outside, Frost discovers that Sabian deliberately only wounded Roman, who broadcast Frost's confession to the awaiting police officers. Humiliated, Frost attempts to commit suicide, but is shot in the shoulder by Beck and arrested with the other corrupt officers, and Roman narrowly refrains from shooting Frost for everything he did. As Roman is loaded into an ambulance with his wife, Sabian returns his badge to him.

==Cast==
<!--- Cast and order per tombstone opening credits and closing “co-starring” credits, roles per closing credits scroll --->
{{castlist|
*[[Samuel L. Jackson]] as Chicago Police Lieutenant Danny Roman
*[[Kevin Spacey]] as Chicago Police Lieutenant Chris Sabian
*[[David Morse]] as Commander Adam Beck
*[[Ron Rifkin]] as Commander Grant Frost
*[[John Spencer (actor)|John Spencer]] as Police Chief Al Travis
*[[J. T. Walsh]] as Inspector Terence Niebaum
*[[Paul Guilfoyle]] as Nathan "Nate" Roenick (uncredited)
*[[Siobhan Fallon Hogan|Siobhan Fallon]] as Maggie
*[[Paul Giamatti]] as Rudy Timmons
*[[Regina Taylor]] as Karen Roman
*Bruce Beatty as Markus
*[[Michael Cudlitz]] as Palermo
*[[Carlos Gomez (actor)|Carlos Gómez]] as Eagle
*[[Tim Kelleher (actor)|Tim Kelleher]] as Argento
*[[Dean Norris]] as Scott
*[[Nestor Serrano]] as Hellman
*Doug Spinuzza as Tonray
*[[Leonard L. Thomas|Leonard Thomas]] as Allen
*[[Stephen Lee (actor)|Stephen Lee]] as Farley
*[[Robert David Hall]] as Cale Wangro
}}

[[Tom Bower (actor)|Tom Bower]] also appears uncredited as Omar, an unhinged man whom Danny negotiates with at the beginning of the film.

==Production==
The script was originally pitched to [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Disney]] subsidiary [[Hollywood Pictures]], with [[David Hoberman]] attached as producer, but Disney placed the film into turnaround,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archerd |first=Army |date=1996-11-26 |title='George' crew creates urban 'Jungle' |url=https://variety.com/1996/voices/columns/george-crew-creates-urban-jungle-1117863056/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> and sold the project to [[Regency Enterprises|New Regency Productions]], who at that time had a distribution deal with [[Warner Bros.]], with [[Sylvester Stallone]] in mind to star.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Busch |first=Anita M. |date=1996-12-13 |title=Stallone negotiates for 'Negotiator' role |url=https://variety.com/1996/scene/vpage/stallone-negotiates-for-negotiator-role-1117466156/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> Stallone turned the project down and the role was offered to [[Samuel L. Jackson]], who accepted it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Busch |first=Anita M. |date=1997-04-03 |title=Jackson 'Negotiates' $5 mil |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/jackson-negotiates-5-mil-1117434916/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Music===
The original score was composed by [[Graeme Revell]]. Revell described ''The Negotiator'' score as difficult due to F. Gary Gray's frequent changes of mind. It took about 2–3 months to complete, but ultimately Revell went with his original compositions, which he felt were the right fit for the film. While he did not consider the score experimental, he was proud of it as a solid example of the genre, believing it effectively drove the film's rhythm.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.filmzene.net/component/content/article/92-angol-interjuk/464-from-the-crow-the-world-of-sin-city-interview-with-graeme-revell | title=From the Crow the world of Sin City – Interview with Graeme Revell }}</ref>

=== Notes ===
The film is dedicated to [[J. T. Walsh]], who died several months before the film's release.

==Reception==

===Box office===
''The Negotiator'' made $10.2 million in its opening weekend,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/johnson-city-press-saving-private-ryan/144198778/ |title='Saving Private Ryan' stays at No. 1; 'Parent Trap' No. 2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404214104/https://www.newspapers.com/article/johnson-city-press-saving-private-ryan/144198778/ |date=August 3, 1998 |access-date=April 4, 2024 |archive-date=April 4, 2024 |page=11 |publisher=[[Johnson City Press]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> finishing fourth at the box office, behind ''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'', ''[[The Parent Trap (1998 film)|The Parent Trap]]'' and ''[[There's Something About Mary]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern-saving-private/124142232/ |title='Saving Private Ryan' keeps No. 1 slot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506130347/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern-saving-private/124142232/ |date=August 3, 1998 |access-date=May 6, 2023 |archive-date=May 6, 2023 |page=27 |publisher=[[Oshkosh Northwestern|The Oshkosh Northwestern]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref name="numbers">{{cite web |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Negotiator-The#tab=summary |title=The Negotiator (1998) |website=The Numbers |access-date=July 3, 2016}}</ref> It went on to finish with a worldwide gross of $88 million. Warner Bros. spent $40.3 million promoting the film and lost an estimated $13 million after all revenues and expenses were factored together.<ref name="SlateLosses"/>

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''The Negotiator'' holds an approval rating of 74%, based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "''The Negotiator''{{'}}s battle of wits doesn't wholly justify its excessive length, but confident direction by F. Gary Gray and formidable performances makes this a situation audiences won't mind being hostage to."<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |type=movie |id=the_negotiator |access-date=2025-02-25}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score 62 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Metacritic film}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 7, 1998 |author1=EW Staff |title=Critical Mass |url=https://ew.com/article/1998/08/07/critical-mass-36/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=December 7, 2022 }}</ref>

[[Emanuel Levy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote: "Teaming for the first time Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson, arguably the two best actors of their generation, in perfectly fitting roles is a shrewd move and the best element of this fact-inspired but [[wikt:overwrought|overwrought]] thriller." [[Roger Ebert]], in his ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' review, calls ''The Negotiator'' "a triumph of style over story, and of acting over characters...Much of the movie simply consists of closeups of the two of them talking, but it's not simply dialogue because the actors make it more—invest it with conviction and urgency..."<ref>{{cite news |date=July 29, 1998 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=THE NEGOTIATOR |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-negotiator-1998 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |publisher=RogerEbert.com |access-date=1 October 2022 }}</ref>

[[Mick LaSalle]], in his less-than-enthusiastic review for the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', had the most praise for Spacey's performance: "Kevin Spacey is the main reason to see ''The Negotiator''...Spacey's special gift is his ability to make sanity look radiant...In ''The Negotiator'', as in ''[[L.A. Confidential (film)|L.A. Confidential]]'', he gives us a man uniquely able to accept, face and deal with the truth."<ref>{{cite news|last1=LaSalle|first1=Mick|title=Spacey, Jackson Negotiate A Fun Action-Drama Flick|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Spacey-Jackson-Negotiate-A-Fun-Action-Drama-Flick-2999183.php|access-date=7 October 2015|work=San Francisco Chronicle|publisher=SFGate.com|date=July 29, 1998}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Subject
! Result
|-
|[[Saturn Award]]
|[[Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film|Best Action or Adventure Film]]
|rowspan=2|David Hoberman & [[Arnon Milchan]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[American Black Film Festival]]
|Black Film Award for Best Film
|{{won}}
|-
|Black Film Award for Best Director
|[[F. Gary Gray]]
|{{won}}
|-
|Black Film Award for Best Actor
|rowspan=3|[[Samuel L. Jackson]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards|Blockbuster Entertainment Award]]
|Favorite Actor - Action/Adventure
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[NAACP Image Award]]
|[[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|}

== Adaptation ==
The film was remade into ''[[Crisis Negotiators]]'', a 2024 [[Hong Kong]] film directed by [[Herman Yau]] and produced by [[Andy Lau]], starring [[Sean Lau]] and [[Francis Ng]] in the lead roles, who played the counterparts of Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey's characters respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3266262/crisis-negotiators-movie-review-lau-ching-wan-francis-ng-so-so-negotiator-remake |title=Crisis Negotiators movie review: Lau Ching-wan, Francis Ng in so-so The Negotiator remake |date=12 June 2024 |publisher=[[South China Morning Post]] |last=Lee |first=Edmund |access-date=17 June 2024 |archive-date=14 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614162706/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3266262/crisis-negotiators-movie-review-lau-ching-wan-francis-ng-so-so-negotiator-remake |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sg.style.yahoo.com/francis-ng-sean-lau-reunite-040700765.html |title=Francis Ng and Sean Lau reunite in "Crisis Negotiators" |date=6 June 2024 |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]] |last=Hsia |first=Heidi |access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Film}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0120768}}
* {{TCMDb title|327369|The Negotiator}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=1083481-negotiator}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{mojo title|id=negotiator}}

{{F. Gary Gray}}
{{James DeMonaco}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Negotiator, The}}
[[Category:1998 films]]
[[Category:1998 crime drama films]]
[[Category:1998 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American police detective films]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Chicago Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about hostage takings]]
[[Category:Films directed by F. Gary Gray]]
[[Category:Films scored by Graeme Revell]]
[[Category:Films set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films shot in Chicago]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by James DeMonaco]]
[[Category:Mandeville Films films]]
[[Category:Village Roadshow Pictures films]]
[[Category:Regency Enterprises films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Films about police corruption]]
[[Category:Films produced by David Hoberman]]
[[Category:Films produced by Arnon Milchan]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:English-language crime thriller films]]