Congo | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Frank Marshall |
Produced by |
Kathleen Kennedy Sam Mercer |
Screenplay by | John Patrick Shanley |
Based on |
Congo by Michael Crichton |
Starring | |
Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
Cinematography | Allen Daviau |
Edited by | Anne V. Coates |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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109 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $50 million |
Box office | $152 million |
Congo is a 1995 action adventure film loosely based on Michael Crichton's novel of the same name. It was directed by Frank Marshall (a frequent collaborator of Steven Spielberg, who directed another film based on Crichton's work, Jurassic Park). It stars Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, Grant Heslov, and Joe Don Baker. The film was released on June 9, 1995, by Paramount Pictures.Congo opened to negative reviews but performed better than Paramount expected.
While testing a communications laser in a remote part of the Congo jungle, TraviCom employees Charles Travis (Bruce Campbell) and Jeffrey Weems (Taylor Nichols) discover the ruins of a lost city near a volcanic site. Karen Ross (Laura Linney), assisting at TraviCom's headquarters, does not hear back from their team and activates a remote camera at the camp, discovering the camp destroyed and numerous corpses; something large suddenly knocks over and destroys the camera. Karen alerts TraviCom's CEO and Charles' father, R.B. Travis (Joe Don Baker), who informs her that the group was really there looking for a rare blue diamond only found there which would greatly enhance their capabilities, but does not offer any hope to rescue them. Travis implores Karen to lead an expedition and she makes Travis swear that he is sending her to look for Charles, not the diamond.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Elliott (Dylan Walsh), a primatologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and his assistant Richard (Grant Heslov) teach human communication to primates using a gorilla named Amy (voiced by Shayna Fox). With a special backpack and glove, her sign language is translated to a digitized voice. Despite the success, Peter is concerned that Amy is having nightmares and psychological problems, due to several drawings Amy has made of jungles and the Eye of Providence. Peter attempts to gain funding to take Amy to Africa, but the university is reluctant, and Peter begins inquiring elsewhere. Romanian philanthropist Herkermer Homolka (Tim Curry) offers to fund the expedition; Karen, having learned of the trip, offers to fund it as well and to come along, hoping to discover the fate of her team.