# The Negotiator

The Negotiator is a 1998 American crime thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey as Chicago Police Department lieutenants who are expert hostage negotiators. The film was released in the United States on July 29, 1998, receiving generally positive reviews from critics and grossing $88 million worldwide. The film is considered by many to be one of Jackson's most underrated films and one of F. Gary Gray’s best films.

## Plot

Chicago Police Lieutenant Danny Roman is a top hostage negotiator for the east precinct. His partner, Nate Roenick, warns him that an informant inside the department suspects members of their own unit have embezzled millions from the police disability fund. Roenick is shot dead, and Roman is lured to the scene and discovered by the police, but is unable to corroborate Roenick's story or identify the informant.
Roman is targeted by Internal Affairs Inspector Terence Niebaum, whom Roenick's informant believed was involved in the embezzlement. The murder weapon is recovered and linked to one of Roman's cases, and a search of his home produces evidence of an incriminating offshore bank account, making him the prime suspect in the embezzlement and Roenick's death. Forced to surrender his gun and badge, ostracized by his colleagues, and with charges against him pending, Roman storms into Niebaum's office to confront him, and takes Niebaum, his administrative assistant Maggie, Roman's commander and friend Grant Frost, and con man Rudy Timmons as hostages.
With the building evacuated and placed under siege by his own unit and the FBI, Roman will only speak to fellow negotiator Lieutenant Chris Sabian of the west precinct, and issues his demands: the return of his badge; a department funeral if killed; the identity of Roenick's informant; and the truth about his killer. Sabian, who sees tactical action as a last resort, clashes with Roman's unit, particularly commander Adam Beck. A breach of Niebaum's office backfires when a SWAT marksman refuses to shoot Roman, who captures officers Scott and Markus. Sabian takes command of the scene, but Roman seemingly executes Scott to reestablish control.
Roman releases Frost to Sabian in exchange for restoring the building's electricity, allowing him to access Niebaum's computer. With help from Rudy and Maggie, Roman discovers the embezzlement scheme: Corrupt officers submitted false disability claims that were processed by an unknown insider on the disability fund's board. Niebaum also has wiretap recordings of Roenick, and Sabian claims to have located the informant in an attempt to end the standoff, but Roman realizes he is bluffing when Niebaum's files reveal that Roenick himself was the informant.
When Roman threatens to expose Niebaum to sniper fire, Niebaum admits that Roenick gave him wiretaps implicating his squadmates in the scheme; Niebaum was bribed by the guilty officers to cover up their crimes, but Roenick refused and was killed. Niebaum has safely hidden the wiretaps, but the corrupt officers infiltrate the air vents and open fire, killing Niebaum. Roman fends them off with flashbangs taken from the captured officers, and Niebaum's murder convinces the remaining hostages that Roman is being set up.
The FBI assume jurisdiction, relieving Sabian of command and ordering a full breach. Maggie tells Roman that Niebaum likely kept Roenick's wiretaps at home, while Sabian reenters the building to warn Roman, who reveals that Scott is unharmed. Sabian agrees to help Roman prove his innocence, and as the building is raided and the hostages are rescued, Roman disguises himself in Scott's uniform and escapes. He and Sabian are unable to locate the wiretaps at Niebaum's home, where the corrupt officers prepare to kill Roman, but Frost arrives to negotiate with Roman alone.
Sabian shoots Roman, offering to destroy Roenick's evidence in exchange for a cut of the embezzled funds. Frost agrees, effectively revealing himself as the ringleader of the conspiracy, the insider on the disability fund's board, and Roenick's killer. Crushing the floppy disks Sabian gives him and shooting Niebaum's computer, Frost exits the house to discover that Sabian deliberately only wounded Roman, who broadcast Frost's confession to the police outside. Frost attempts suicide, but is shot in the shoulder by Beck and arrested with the other corrupt officers, and Roman narrowly refrains from shooting Frost to avenge Roenick. As Roman is loaded into an ambulance with his wife, Sabian returns his badge.

## Cast

* Samuel L. Jackson as Lieutenant Danny Roman
* Kevin Spacey as Lieutenant Chris Sabian
* David Morse as Commander Adam Beck
* Ron Rifkin as Commander Grant Frost
* John Spencer as Chief Al Travis
* J. T. Walsh as Inspector Terence Niebaum
* Paul Guilfoyle as Nathan "Nate" Roenick (uncredited)
* Siobhan Fallon as Maggie
* Paul Giamatti as Rudy Timmons
* Regina Taylor as Karen Roman
* Bruce Beatty as Markus
* Michael Cudlitz as Palermo
* Carlos Gómez as Eagle
* Tim Kelleher as Argento
* Dean Norris as Scott
* Nestor Serrano as Hellman
* Doug Spinuzza as Tonray
* Leonard Thomas as Allen
* Stephen Lee as Farley
* Robert David Hall as Cale Wangro
Tom Bower also appears uncredited as Omar, an unhinged man whom Danny negotiates with at the beginning of the film.

## Production

The script was originally pitched to Disney subsidiary Hollywood Pictures, with David Hoberman attached as producer, but Disney placed the film into turnaround, and sold the project to New Regency Productions, who at that time had a distribution deal with Warner Bros., with Sylvester Stallone in mind to star. Stallone turned the project down and offered the role to Samuel L. Jackson, who had accepted the role.

### Music

The original score was composed by Graeme Revell. Revell described The Negotiator score as difficult due to [F. Gary Gray] who frequently changed his mind. It took about 2–3 months to complete, but ultimately, Revell went with his original compositions, which he felt were the right fit for the film. While he didn’t consider the score experimental, he was proud of it as a solid example of the genre, believing it effectively drove the film's rhythm.