character bio interesting development

Rating: 10/10 (8 June 2008)

The character development is excellent
ORick Cabot Rick Cabot (Brendan Fraser) is the white District Attorney of Los Angeles. He and his wife Jean are carjacked by Anthony and Peter, both of whom are black. Subsequently the Brentwood resident tries to save his political career by reassuring voters that he is racially sensitive. His character is never depicted as openly bigoted, making his racial stance ambiguous.
Jean Cabot Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock) is Rick's wife, whose racial prejudices escalate after the carjacking. At the end of the film, following an accident in her home, she realizes that the person who is the kindest and most helpful to her is Maria, her Hispanic maid, while her snobby friends are too busy with shallow pursuits to help her out. fficer John Ryan (Matt Dillon) is a bigoted white police officer who physically molests Christine, a woman with African American heritage, under the pretense of searching for a weapon after pulling over her vehicle. This causes his partner, Officer Hansen, to believe his partner has racist tendencies. Meanwhile, Ryan is trying to get help for his father, who possibly suffers from prostate cancer but has been diagnosed with a bladder infection, despite the ineffectiveness of treatment. His anger manifests in prejudice, as is evident when he indicates a racist attitude towards his father's doctor's secretary. His racial prejudices seem to stem from the destructive impact that local affirmative action policies had on his father's business. After Officer Hansen requests solo patrol, Ryan is partnered with a Hispanic-American with whom he seems to get along. Ryan later puts his own life on the line to save Christine, the woman he molested earlier, from certain death in a fiery car wreck. Cameron Thayer Cameron Thayer (Terrence Howard) is a black television director. He witnesses Officer Ryan molesting his wife and later realizes that the producers of his television show propagate racist stereotypes about black people. In an emotional moment, he fights off Anthony and Peter when they try to steal his car, takes away Anthony's gun, and argues fiercely with armed white police officers. Just when it is very likely that he will be shot to death, Officer Hansen intervenes on his behalf and prevents any outbreak of violence.
Christine Thayer Christine Thayer (Thandie Newton) is Cameron's wife. She is molested by Officer Ryan after she and Cameron are pulled over. She becomes furious with her husband because he does not act to defend her. The two insult each other over their upbringings  as both Cameron and Christine have grown up in more privileged environments than many other African Americans. The next day she is trapped in an overturned car due to a car accident and, by a twist of fate, Officer Ryan is the man who willingly endangers himself to save her life.