After several unsuccessful attempts to summon help, Meg taps into the main telephone line and calls her ex-husband, Stephen. The plaster took 45 minutes to replace, so combined with repeated takes, a scene that was an eighth of a page in the script took two days to film. They are after bearer bonds locked inside a floor safe inside the panic room. [9] Raoul was originally written to be "a giant scary hulking guy", but Fincher rewrote him to be "this wiry, mean kind of ex-con white trash guy". There are some plot holes and the laws of physics do not always apply, but this movie does get some things correct. [69] The studio produced VHS copies only for rental and not for sale, believing that owners of DVD players were more likely to buy the film. Several critics thought the film was too mainstream after Fincher's Fight Club. Staying close to the floor would increase the danger of asphyxiation. He believed Panic Room would appeal more to audiences who saw Kiss the Girls (1997) and The Bone Collector (1999). All attempts to breach the room fail, and Junior gives up on the robbery while letting slip that there is far more money in the safe than he initially disclosed. The film, produced at Columbia Pictures, was Fincher's fifth feature film, following Fight Club (1999). Intruders could simply tear through the ducts to where they enter the room, and shoot through, or a slimmer person could even enter the room. The film cuts to Meg asking Stephen how he's doing. However, they return within minutes/seconds of Burnham smashing the back window in an attempt to escape. As a critic I indulge myself by scoffing at loopholes in thrillers that could not exist without them. [73] The DVD also had several commentary tracks, including one by the director. [4], Five weeks after Foster began filming Panic Room, she learned she was pregnant. Several scenes also involved practical effects: Junior's injuries from a flaming gas burn and Stephen Altman's bloodied, beaten self. At best a continuous flame would burn at the point where the pipe joints the duct (after severely burning Meg's exposed arm); at worst, but more likely, there would be a massive blast in the panic room, probably killing the two girls but at least burning them both severely. Dietmar Kammerer says there is no closed system within the home for the characters: "There is always communication; every action provokes a reaction. Fincher also included in his initial crew people with whom he had worked before: cinematographer Darius Khondji, production designer Arthur Max, costume designer Michael Kaplan, and editors James Haygood and Angus Wall. Fincher did not want to rush production, so Foster changed her wardrobe from a tank top to a heavy sweater to disguise indications of her pregnancy. Since the film was early in production, Fincher was ready to shut down, but the studio wanted to continue production and find a replacement. type valve because of the triangular handle on the valve. Instead, editors Haygood and Wall revisited Burnham's scenes and chose takes in which the character would appear less sympathetic. [76], A Blu-ray version of the film has yet to be released. [6] Foster was reportedly paid $12 million for her role. or it's an adult Home Alone. Meg Altman breaks the mirror with the sledgehammer then walks over the razor sharp shattered glass with her bare feet. No way a guy could be hit by a sledgehammer directly in the head and be anything but critically injured. Koepp's screenplay is conceptually quite strong but turns out to be not only a shelter for plot holes you could build a panic room in, but also a collection of ideas that you could call 'tried-and-tested'. As Burnham flees, Raoul crawls back and overpowers Meg, preparing to bludgeon her with the sledgehammer. Meg struggles with Raoul, who is thrown into the panic room, his gun knocked from his hand. [3] Rumored actors included Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, and Robin Wright. [78] The Art Directors Guild nominated Panic Room for the Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Award. In contrast, the female protagonist "gives in to her fear, turns delusional and vulnerable to suggestion"; Kapur cites Meg Altman in Panic Room as such a depiction with her divorcee status and her residence in a home too big for her and her daughter Sarah. If production was shut down then restarted, it would cost the studio $10 million, necessitating a quick replacement for Kidman. Entering production, he initially planned to film the first half of the film in near-total darkness but decided that it required too much patience from audiences. save. Khondji said he was fired after a conflict with a crew member that he did not want to name, but David Fincher said he and Khondji could not agree "on aspects of production". [57] It was commercially released in the United States and Canada on March 29, 2002. The film stars Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart as a mother and daughter whose new home is invaded by burglars, played by Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam. Soundtracks. Junior says that Meg had closed escrow. Fincher said, "What we were just trying to do with CG was to say, there's no camera operator, there's no crew, there's no track, and the camera can go everywhere. [62] In the United States and Canada, Panic Room ranks fifth among David Fincher's films in box office gross. When E.S.U. This thread is archived. When Meg is taping up the vents, she leaves the bottom of the vent unsealed. [32] When Kidman left the project, Fincher continued filming scenes that did not include her character. [74] Author John T. Caldwell cites the special edition DVD of Panic Room as an example of demonstrating directorial control to "aesthetically elevate" the film. Her departure threatened the completion of the film, but Foster quickly replaced Kidman. Burnham, hearing Sarah's screams, rushes back and shoots Raoul, killing him. [35] Editor Wall said there were 2,073 set-ups for the film with most set-ups having two cameras. on those phones. What does she need all of that space for? Yes, there are moments when I want to shout advice at the screen, but just as often the characters are ahead of me. [4] The casting change also led to Meg's being rewritten to be similar to her daughter, whereas Meg had been different from her before. In Panic Room there is a room built into a house which is impenetrable. Three versions of the room were built so Fincher could film scenes from multiple angles. [22], Fincher envisioned Panic Room as a popcorn movie about survival.