Grand Canyon (1991 film)

Grand Canyon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lawrence Kasdan
Produced by	Michael Grillo Lawrence Kasdan Charles Okun
Written by	Lawrence Kasdan Meg Kasdan
Starring	Danny Glover Kevin Kline Steve Martin Mary McDonnell Mary-Louise Parker Alfre Woodard
Music by	James Newton Howard
Cinematography	Owen Roizman
Edited by	Carol Littleton
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	December 25, 1991 (1991-12-25)
Running time	137 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$40,991,329 (worldwide)

Grand Canyon is a 1991 American drama film directed and produced by Lawrence Kasdan, and written by Kasdan with his wife Meg. Featuring an ensemble cast, the film is about random events affecting a diverse group of people, exploring the race- and class-imposed chasms which separate members of the same community.

The film was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox and was released on Christmas Day, 1991. Grand Canyon was advertised as "The Big Chill for the '90s", in reference to an earlier Kasdan film.

After attending a Lakers basketball game, an immigration lawyer named Mack (Kevin Kline) finds himself at the mercy of potential muggers when his car breaks down in a bad part of Los Angeles late at night. The muggers are talked out of their plans by Simon (Danny Glover), a tow truck driver who arrives just in time. Mack sets out to befriend Simon, despite their having nothing in common.

In the meantime, Mack's wife Claire (Mary McDonnell) and his best friend Davis (Steve Martin), a producer of violent action films, are experiencing life-changing events. Claire encounters an abandoned baby while jogging and becomes determined to adopt her. Davis suddenly becomes interested in philosophy rather than box-office profits after being shot in the leg by a man trying to steal his watch, vowing to devote the remainder of his career to eliminating violence from the cinema.

The film chronicles how these characters—as well as various acquaintances, co-workers and relatives—are affected by their interactions in the light of life-changing events. In the end, they visit the Grand Canyon on a shared vacation trip, united in a place that is philosophically and actually "bigger" than all their little separate lives.