Basic (film)

Basic
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn McTiernan
Written byJames Vanderbilt
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySteve Mason
Edited byGeorge Folsey Jr.
Music byKlaus Badelt
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • March 28, 2003 (2003-03-28) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50 million[1]
Box office$42.8 million[2]

Basic is a 2003 mystery-action thriller film directed by John McTiernan, written by James Vanderbilt, and starring John Travolta, Connie Nielsen and Samuel L. Jackson. It is the second film starring Travolta and Jackson after working on Pulp Fiction. The story follows a DEA agent solving the mystery of a bungled training exercise that leads to the deaths of multiple Army Ranger trainees and their instructor. Basic received negative reviews from critics regarding its overall plot and numerous twist endings. It was a box-office bomb, grossing only $42.8 million worldwide against a $50 million budget. As of 2024, it is McTiernan's most recent film given his subsequent criminal charges and eventual incarceration related to wiretapping.

  1. ^ "Movie Basic". The Numbers. Archived from the original on October 31, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  2. ^ "Basic (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on May 9, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2011.