History Film / HardRain

'''''Hard Rain''''' is a 1998 action movie starring Creator/ChristianSlater, Randy Quaid, Creator/MinnieDriver and MorganFreeman. It's about an armored car robbery which takes place in a Midwestern U.S. town that's rapidly flooding due to an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unrelenting, torrential rainstorm]].

Not to be confused with ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'', the campaign from ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', or the Bob Dylan song and album.

Not to be confused with ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'', or the campaign from ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2''.

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-->'''Ray:''' We'd go down to the river, and into the river we'd dive. (''the others give him confused looks'') [[Music/BruceSpringsteen Springsteen]], "The River". What? I'm all out of Bible verses.* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler:The deputy]] tries to rape Karen after [[spoiler:the sherrif makes it clear that there could be no witnesses]].

'''''Hard Rain''''' is a 1998 action movie starring Creator/ChristianSlater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver and MorganFreeman. It's about an armored car robbery which takes place in a Midwestern U.S. town that's rapidly flooding due to an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unrelenting, torrential rainstorm]].

-->'''Ray:''' We'd go down to the river, and into the river we'd dive. (''the others give him confused looks'') [[Music/BruceSpringsteen Springsteen]], "The River". What? I'm all out of Bible verses.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler:The deputy]] tries to rape Karen after [[spoiler:the sherrif makes it clear that there could be no witnesses]].

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* [[spoiler:CavalryBetrayal]]: [[spoiler: Ray is about to shoot Tom when he's struck down by a bullet. It's the Sheriff, who promptly starts gunning for the two remaining robbers. However, he's doing it because he's taking the money instead, meaning he's also there to kill Tom.]]

* ExtremeDoormat: The sheriff. At the beginning of the movie, he's helping direct the evacuation of the town, which is totally normal for law enforcement. Then we find out he lost the election and once the emergency is over, he's out of a job. The mayor even [[LampshadeHanging calls him out]] on it, wondering why he's sticking around to help after what happened. One of his deputies suggests getting revenge on the mayor and blaming it on looters; the Sheriff declines and continues to help with the evacuation, then continues to stay and do his job long after almost everyone is gone.

* ParentalSubstitute: Jim promised Kenny's father he'd look after Kenny. Of course, Jim didn't do such a great job of it.

* RedAlert: The dam has one, complete with flashing red lights and extremely loud warning buzzer. Of course, by the time it happens in the movie, it's too late for anyone to do anything about it.

* PrecisionFStrike: Cool old man Henry gives one to [[BettyWhite Doreen]], his constantly nagging wife. They are escaping from bad guys and she keeps telling him to go faster, he rows back towards the criminals and this exchange happens:

'''''Hard Rain''''' is a 1998 action movie starring ChristianSlater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver and MorganFreeman. It's about an armored car robbery which takes place in a Midwestern U.S. town that's rapidly flooding due to an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unrelenting, torrential rainstorm]].

** Doreen: What are you doing?
** Henry: I'm gonna row back there and see if he will shoot you...or me it's fine either way
** Doreen: Henry!
** Henry: Do you want me to get us out of here?
** Doreen: Yes of course!
** Henry: Then shut the fuck up!

[[CaptainObvious Not a really useful trait in a cop]], so Phil also [[HeroWithAnFInGood doesn't make a particularly effective good guy either]]. His apparent tendency to choke when he should be shooting somebody is also the end of him.

Not to be confused with ''VideoGame/HeavyRain''.

[[CaptainObvious Not a really useful trait in a cop]], so Phil also [[HeroWithAnFInGood doesn't make a particularly effective good guy either]]. His apparent tendency to choke when he should be shooting somebody is also the end of him.

-->'''Jim:''' (''pointing a gun at Tom'') Before you start jerking me around again, consider this: I've had a very frustrating night. While I may not find that money if I kill you, I'm at the point now where I just... don't... care.

* VillainousBreakdown: Jim's original plan to snatch the cash from the armored car without having to kill anyone was [[ASimplePlan simple]]. However, [[SpannerInTheWorks Tom]] has caused him so much trouble that Jim finally decides he's fed up:

* InnerCitySchool: Briefly, when Mr. Mehlor's homemade bombs are introduced.

* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Phil, again. The only reason he's with the bad guys is that he couldn't bring himself to shoot one of them. [[CaptainObvious Not a really useful trait in a cop]], so Phil also [[HeroWithAnFInGood doesn't make a particularly effective good guy either]]. His apparent tendency to choke when he should be shooting somebody is also the end of him.

!!This film provides examples of:

--->'''Tom:''' I hid the money in the cemetery. Tied it to some crypt named "Portman".
--->'''Wayne:''' Why did you do that?
--->'''Tom:''' I don't really like to carry around that much cash, you know?

--->'''Ray:''' We'd go down to the river, and into the river we'd dive. (The others give him confused looks.) [[BruceSpringsteen Springsteen]], "The River". What? I'm all out of Bible verses.

* BrokenPedestal: We find out much later in the movie that [[spoiler: Charlie]] was involved in the original plot to take the money.
* [[spoiler: CavalryBetrayal]]: [[spoiler: Ray is about to shoot Tom when he's struck down by a bullet. It's the Sheriff, who promptly starts gunning for the two remaining robbers. However, he's doing it because he's taking the money instead, meaning he's also there to kill Tom.]]
* ChekhovsGun: Four. The propane tank, the mounted cavalry statue, Karen's [[SwissArmyWeapon Swiss Army Knife]], and an ''actual'' gun, in the Sheriff's ankle holster. There's also one from before the movie started: When the sheriff is insisting that Hank come help him, he reminds Hank that he had to officially deputize Hank one time, so "When I say come down here and help, I'm not asking—[[ThatsAnOrder I'm ordering you!]]"

* DrowningPit: Tom in his jail cell, Karen in her house.

* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: The sheriff]]. While wanting the money might be understandable due to his circumstances, it's [[KillEmAll what he'll have to do]] to get it that makes him a real Heel. The original gang of robbers [[EvenEvilHasStandards didn't want to go that far]]; they explicitly told the truck guards, "We just want the money! You guys walk away, we won't kill you!"

* TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil: Respectively, Tom, Jim and [[spoiler: the sheriff]].

* HumanShield: Jim uses Tom as one. [[spoiler: It [[ShootTheHostage doesn't work]], since the sheriff has decided to keep the money, which means he needs both of them dead, anyway.]]

--->'''Ray:''' You teach your students how to make stuff like that?
--->'''Mehlor:''' Have you been to high school lately, Ray? My students taught ''me'' how to make stuff like this.

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: MorganFreeman's character, Jim, says this almost word-for-word several times in the film. Even in the end, when Tom thinks Jim helped save his life:
--->'''Jim:''' You just don't get it, do you? (He grabs the money bags and puts them in his boat.)

* RedAlert: The dam has one, complete with flashing red lights and extremely loud warning buzzer. Of course, by the time it happens in the movie, it's too late for anyone to do anything about it...
* RescueRomance: Karen and Tom.
* TooDumbToLive: Tom and Karen climb out of the water when they see the rising flood is about to touch a [[ElectrifiedBathtub power line]]. They quickly realize they climbed on a metal scaffold, and find a better ledge. Kenny, one of the criminals, also climbs out—but doesn't realize the scaffold is metal until it's too late.

--->'''Jim''' (pointing a gun at Tom): Before you start jerking me around again, consider this: I've had a very frustrating night. While I may not find that money if I kill you, I'm at the point now where I just...don't...care.
* WhamLine: [[spoiler: "Okay."]]
* WithUsOrAgainstUs: [[spoiler: The sheriff]] gives Phil one. To be fair, it's not really a FalseDichotomy in this instance, as Phil is a cop, and if he doesn't try to arrest or kill the bad guys, he's an accomplice.

''Hard Rain'' is a 1998 action movie starring ChristianSlater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver and MorganFreeman. It's about an armored car robbery which takes place in a Midwestern U.S. town that's rapidly flooding due to an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unrelenting, torrential rainstorm]].

''Hard Rain'' is a 1998 action movie starring Christian Slater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver and MorganFreeman. It's about an armored car robbery which takes place in a Midwestern U.S. town that's rapidly flooding due to an [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unrelenting, torrential rainstorm]].

* AlasPoorVillain:
** Phil. He's really not a bad guy, and he gets fatally wounded by another villain for being unwilling to shoot Tom. The bullets don't quite kill Phil, though; he gets finished off by a later surge of water. When he sees it coming, Phil clings to a [[Literature/TheBible Bible]] in his last moments.
** Also, Kenny could arguably fall into this category, since he really wants to prove himself to Jim.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: After the studio logo, the rain starts falling. From that point on, it doesn't stop, all the way to the black screen of the end credits.

* LogoJoke: The familiar {{Paramount}} logo of a mountain is seen. Then the sky over the mountain clouds up and the rain starts falling.