Synopsis

Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of Garrison, a small New Jersey town populated largely by New York City police officers. Although respected by the community, Freddy is viewed as an outsider by the powerful officers who control the town. When a suspicious death exposes possible corruption, he must choose between protecting the people around him and uncovering the truth.

Factoids & Trivia

• Sylvester Stallone gained nearly 40 pounds to play Freddy Heflin, a deliberate departure from his familiar action-hero image. He later lost the weight after production.

• The weight gain became a major part of the film's publicity. Reshoots featuring Stallone at his heavier size were one reason Miramax declined an invitation to screen the film in competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.

• The production used Edgewater, New Jersey, as the principal location for the fictional town of Garrison.

• Writer James Mangold described the film as an "urban western," combining the moral conflicts of a Western with a contemporary police and organized-crime setting.

• Stallone received the Best Actor award at the 1997 Stockholm International Film Festival for his performance.

• The theatrical version runs approximately 105 minutes. A director's cut released for home video runs about 116 minutes and adds roughly 11 minutes of material, including expanded dialogue and character development.