Taglines: Two strangers fell in love. One knew it wasn’t by chance.
Bounce movie storyline. Buddy (Ben Affleck) has just signed an airline in Chicago as a big client, but is ironically delayed at the airport waiting for a flight to LA on that same airline. He meets fellow passenger Greg, who opts to be bumped, even though it means missing an activity with his older son.
When the flight gets resumed, Buddy thinks he’s doing a good deed by swapping tickets with Greg so he can get home to his son. Sadly, the flight crashes. Buddy conspires with his friend, the ticket agent that night, to take his name off the passenger list and put Greg’s on. Once he’s back in LA, his new client dictates that the company run a series of feel-good ads about the crash. Buddy feels very hypocritical, and completely loses it when the commercials win a Cleo. After going through re-hab, he decides he needs to check on Greg’s widow. But he doesn’t plan on falling in love with her.
About the Story
In Chicago’s O’Hare airport, advertising executive Buddy Amaral (Ben Affleck) is delayed by a snow storm for a return flight to Los Angeles, on the same airline he has just signed as a big client. He meets writer Greg Janello (Tony Goldwyn), and when his flight resumes boarding, Buddy gives his ticket to Greg so he can get home to his sons, 12-year old Scott (Alex D. Linz) and 8-year old Joey (David Dorfman).
Buddy convinces his friend and airline employee Janice Guerrero (Jennifer Grey) to allow Greg to take his place on the flight. While spending the night with fellow stranded passenger Mimi (Natasha Henstridge), Buddy sees on television that the flight crashed. He has Janice check into the computer system to remove his name from the passenger manifest and add Greg’s name.
Greg’s wife Abby (Gwyneth Paltrow) is woken up by news of the crash, and for many hours is torn between hope and despair, clinging to the belief that Greg would still arrive on the later flight on which he was originally booked, until his death is confirmed.
Once back in L.A., the airline dictates that Buddy run a series of innocuous ads to ameliorate the tragic consequences of the crash, even winning a Clio award. Crushed by guilt, Buddy drunkenly (and publicly) begins a stint in Alcoholics Anonymous. One of the steps in recovery is to make up for past deeds, with Buddy seeking out Abby, a budding realtor. Giving her a tip on a commercial office building that Jim (Joe Morton), Buddy’s partner and boss, has put a bid on, in return, Abby treats Buddy to a night at Dodger Stadium. Their relationship blossoms, although both have secrets.
Buddy gets close to the whole family, and Abby reveals that she is not divorced; her husband died in an aircraft crash. When the airline settles with Greg’s estate, she next wants to put her boys on an aircraft to Palm Springs to get over their fear of flying. Buddy asks to go along with them, and soon develops a strong bond with the two boys. On the return trip, Buddy says he has a secret he will reveal the next day.
It all comes apart when Mimi shows up, with a video of Greg and Buddy having a drink in the airport bar. Abby is devastated by Buddy lying to her and demands that he leave her home and her life – though also demanding that he say goodbye to the boys. This does not sit well with anyone. Buddy comes back the next day and talks to Scott, who feels that his father died trying to get home for a Scout Christmas tree outing.
Bounce (2000)
Directed by: Don Roos
Starring: Ben Affleck, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natasha Henstridge, Edward Edwards, Jennifer Grey, Tony Goldwyn, Lisa Carpenter-Prewitt, Lisa Joyner, Caroline Aaron, Mary Ellen Lyon
Screenplay by: Don Roos
Production Design by: David Wasco
Cinematography by: Robert Elswit
Film Editing by: David Codron
Costume Design by: Peter Mitchell
Set Decoration by: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
Art Direction by: Daniel Bradford
Music by: Mychael Danna, Dean Landon
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language and sensuality.
Distributed by: Miramax Films
Release Date: November 17, 2000
Views: 156
