Synopsis

A police detective discovers that the only compatible bone-marrow donor for his leukemia-stricken son is Peter McCabe, a ruthless convicted murderer. When McCabe is transferred to a hospital for the procedure, he escapes and takes control of the facility. The detective must protect the killer from the police while trying to keep him alive long enough to save his son's life.

Factoids & Trivia

• Although the story is set in San Francisco, much of the film was shot in Pittsburgh. Downtown locations include Grant Street, the BNY Mellon Center, the Allegheny County Courthouse, and the Oakland Bay Bridge.

• The production ran from July through December 1996, but the film's release was delayed by restructuring at TriStar Pictures. It eventually reached theaters on January 30, 1998.

• A large set was built inside a vacant hangar at the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California. The prison and hospital interiors were constructed at three stories high and linked by a concourse.

• Screenwriter David Klass said that nine additional writers reworked the screenplay after production began. The changes moved the story from a small town to a major city and altered the depiction of children with cancer.

• The film had an estimated $50 million budget and earned approximately $13.8 million worldwide, making it a commercial disappointment.

• Despite the film's poor overall reception, Andy Garcia won the 1999 ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film in a Crossover Role.

• The dogs used in the prison-transfer sequence were monitored by the American Humane Society. Their whimpering was added during post-production rather than recorded from the animals during filming.