Taglines: You would NOT believe what a girl’s got to do, just to get a little attention.
Excess Baggage movie storyline. Emily Hope (Alicia Silverstone) stages her own kidnapping to get the attention of her father. She puts herself into the trunk of her own car (a BMW 850i), tapes her legs and mouth, handcuffs her hands and calls the police so they can come “rescue” her.
But then, unexpectedly, a car thief named Vincent Roche (Benicio del Toro) steals the car with her in it. Suddenly, Emily finds herself actually kidnapped, only the kidnapper doesn’t know what to do with her. Christopher Walken shows up as Emily’s Uncle Ray, Jack Thompson as Emily’s father, and Harry Connick, Jr., as Greg, Vincent’s car-stealing partner.
Excess Baggage is a 1997 crime-comedy film written by Max D. Adams, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Marco Brambilla about a neglected young woman who stages her own kidnapping to get her father’s attention, only to be actually kidnapped by a car thief. The film stars Alicia Silverstone (who was also an uncredited producer), Benicio del Toro, and Christopher Walken.
This was the first film produced by Alicia Silverstone under her production company First Kiss and was filmed in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. The yellow leather jacket worn by Silverstone’s character was sold to actor/stand-up comic Paul Rawson for $890. The jacket also came with Silverstone’s black suede pants and lipstick print t-shirt. Silverstone was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actress where she lost to Demi Moore for G.I. Jane.
Cast and Characters
Alicia Silverstone as Emily Hope, a rich girl with a black belt in karate and a tendency for trouble. It is established that she burned down her school library, perhaps to get the attention of her father when she was younger. Her relationship with her father is quite cold, but she has a solid friendship with her Uncle Ray and builds one with Vincent after he accidentally abducts her.
Benicio del Toro as Vincent Roche, a successful and experienced car thief who supports himself with his work. He is referred to as “an innocent thief” who happens to steal the car with Emily in the trunk. After this his entire life is turned upside down as he gets implicated in several schemes and becomes dependent on his “hostage” to survive.
Christopher Walken as Raymond “Uncle Ray” Perkins, Emily’s uncle and cares for her well-being much more than her own father. He also suspects that this kidnapping situation is not a real kidnapping and might be one of Emily’s “games” to get some much craved attention from her dad. His first encounters with Vincent are rather hostile, but the two eventually form a camaraderie.
Jack Thompson as Alexander T. Hope, Emily’s father and a very rich and successful businessman. He also pays little to no attention to his daughter, which often leads to her performing such outrageous stunts to get it as burning down her school library or staging her own kidnapping; these tend to backfire as the more effort she invests in trying to get him to pay attention to her, the less he sees fit to pay to her. It is hinted that his business deals may be corrupt.
Harry Connick, Jr. as Greg Kistler, Vincent’s partner-in-crime, but it appears that Vincent does most of the work. They steal cars and sell them to people like Gus and Stick, which eventually lands them into trouble when their operation is burned down and Vincent is on the lam.
Nicholas Turturro and Michael Bowen as Stick and Gus, two hoodlums who have had business transactions which Vincent and Greg but eventually turn on them.
Leland Orser and Robert Wisden as Detectives Bernaby and Sims, two detectives who are investigating Emily’s “kidnapping”.
Sally Kirkland as Louise Doucette, a bartender/waitress at a cafe near Vincent’s home. Ray gets information about Vincent from her during his investigation of the kidnapping. She only appears in two scenes.
Excess Baggage (1997)
Directed by: Marco Brambilla
Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Benicio del Toro, Christopher Walken, Jack Thompson, Nicholas Turturro, Michael Bowen, Harry Connick Jr., Sally Kirkland, Danielle Saklofsky
Screenplay by: Max D. Adams, Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais
Production Design by: Missy Stewart
Cinematography by: Jean-Yves Escoffier
Film Editing by: Stephen E. Rivkin
Costume Design by: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
Set Decoration by: Elizabeth Wilcox
Art Direction by: Richard Hudolin
Music by: John Lurie
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, drinking and sex-related dialogue.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: August 29, 1997
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