Tagline: One good shot deserves another.
Paparazzi. They are chroniclers of Hollywood glitz and glamour, and key players in the public’s insatiable appetite for information and photos about their favorite stars. They seem to never sleep… hunters who trail their prey — the show business elite — at all hours of the day and night. They are as much a part of gala premieres as are the bright lights and red carpets. And their photos can make or break a career.
For rising action superstar Bo Laramie, a quartet of Paparazzi is at first an annoyance, then an ever-disturbing presence. But when they threaten his family’s safety, it will be the last mistake they ever make. Bo seems to have it all: a beautiful wife, an adoring son and a Malibu beach house. Life couldn’t be better. But his newfound fame comes with a price. He’s become a target of a team of four Paparazzi bent on making Bo and his family fodder for the tabloids, to nearly ruinous effect for the Laramies.
The Paparazzi and their weapons of choice — high-powered zoom lenses — stalk Bo everywhere. He accepts the typical invasion into his privacy … until photos of his wife, Abby, and his son, Zach, begin appearing on covers of one particularly sleazy tabloid called Paparazzi. All efforts to convince the photographers to spare his family are ignored, and when Bo has a fight with one “superstar” Paparazzi, Rex (Tom Sizemore), the actor is sentenced to anger-management therapy — while Rex walks away unpunished.
The Paparazzi Paparazzi become increasingly relentless, ruthless – even criminal. One night, while trying to get “the shot,” they force Bo and his family into a high-speed car chase that ends in a terrible accident, sending Abby into intensive care and 6-year-old Zach into a coma. Veteran Los Angeles police detective Burton (Dennis Farina) believes Bo’s version of the accident, but when Burton can’t make the case against the photographers, Bo seeks vengeance on his own. And the Paparazzi start falling…one by one.
Paparazzi is a 2004 American action film directed by Paul Abascal, produced by actor Mel Gibson, and starring Cole Hauser. The film chronicles the life of a popular Hollywood film star in the aftermath of a car crash caused by four paparazzo tabloid photographers.
About the Story
Bo Laramie (Cole Hauser) is a rising movie star who has finally achieved major success with his latest film. A persistent group of unscrupulous photographers — Kevin Rosner (Kevin Gage), Leonard Clark (Tom Hollander), Wendell Stokes (Daniel Baldwin) and their leader Rex Harper (Tom Sizemore) – harass Bo and his wife Abby (Robin Tunney), and their 8-year-old son Zach (Blake Michael Bryan). When Bo takes Zach to soccer practice, he sees Rex taking photos of Zach on the field and confronts him, where Rex provokes Bo into punching him, which is caught on camera by his fellow photographers. Bo is sued for $500,000 and placed into anger management, while Rex vows to destroy Bo’s life.
One evening, Bo, Abby and Zach returning from an event in their car, Rex and his crew drive up beside them, in four different vehicles, and start taking pictures. Blinded and distracted, Bo’s car is hit by a pickup truck, and Rex and his crew snap photos of the wreck that they caused. While Bo is not seriously injured, Abby’s spleen is removed and Zach is placed in a coma. Bo talks to LAPD detective Burton (Dennis Farina), who says that Rex, Wendell, Leonard, and Kevin each gave him the same story, that they drove up on the wreck some time after it happened with no witnesses to dispute their claims.
Some time later, Bo accidentally causes Kevin to wipe out on his motorcycle, careening onto a precipice. Bo tries to save him, but when the photographer gloats that they’ll put his family through hell, Bo lets Kevin fall to his death.
Bo next goes after Leonard, who tries to invade Bo’s movie set and is ejected by security while Bo secretly places a prop gun in the jacket left in Leonard’s car. Following him, Bo calls 911, and describes Leonard’s car, and says that the driver is waving a gun all over the place. Leonard is pulled over and instinctively pulls out the prop gun, causing the cops to shoot him dead.
Rex and Wendell are convinced that Bo will target them next, and break into Bo’s house to plant cameras inside. Abby runs into Wendell, who assaults her and threatens to kill Zach if she tells the cops. Burton assigns Deputy Walker (Forry Smith) and Deputy Wilson (Donal Gibson) to provide extra security, but Bo sneaks out past the two deputies and makes his way into Wendell’s house and discovers the feed from the cameras. Wendell arrives home, and Bo confronts him with a baseball bat. In the morning, Bo puts the car back where it was at, and races to beat Burton is on his way to the house. Burton shows Bo a video that was taken by a camera in a button of Leonard’s shirt on the set of the movie, and thinks someone planted the gun in Leonard’s coat.
Paparazzi (2004)
Directed by: Paul Abascal
Starring: Cole Hauser, Larry Cedar, Tom Sizemore, Robin Tunney, Dennis Farina, Andrea Baker, Jordan Baker, Wendy Braun, Lauren Birkell, Giuliana Rancic, Fay Masterson
Screenplay by: Forrest Smith
Production Design by: Robb Wilson King
Cinematography by: Daryn Okada
Film Editing by: Robin Russell
Costume Design by: Denise Wingate
Set Decoration by: Lance Lombardo
Music by: Brian Tyler
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense violent sequences, sexual content and language.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: September 3, 2004
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