Editing Con Air

{{Short description|1997 American action thriller film by Simon West}}
{{hatnote group|{{About|the 1997 film|other uses|Conair (disambiguation){{!}}Conair|}}
{{Redirect|Cyrus the Virus|the rapper|Cyrus Da Virus|the wrestling personality|Don Callis}}}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name                 = Con Air
| image                = Conairinternational.jpg
| alt                  =
| caption              = Theatrical release poster
| director             = [[Simon West]]
| producer             = [[Jerry Bruckheimer]]
| writer               = [[Scott Rosenberg]]
| starring             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Nicolas Cage]]
* [[John Cusack]]
* [[John Malkovich]]
* [[Steve Buscemi]]
* [[Ving Rhames]]
* [[Colm Meaney]]
* [[Mykelti Williamson]]
* [[Rachel Ticotin]]}}
| music                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mark Mancina]]
* [[Trevor Rabin]]}}
| cinematography       = [[David Tattersall]]
| editing              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Chris Lebenzon]]
* Steve Mirkovich
* [[Glen Scantlebury]]}}
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[Touchstone Pictures]]
* [[Jerry Bruckheimer Films]]}}
| distributor          = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]]
| released             = {{Film date|1997|06|06}}
| runtime              = 115 minutes
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| budget               = $75&nbsp;million<ref name=BOM/>
| gross                = $224&nbsp;million<ref name="BOM"/>
}}

'''''Con Air''''' is a 1997 American [[action thriller film]] directed by [[Simon West]] and starring [[Nicolas Cage]], [[John Cusack]] and [[John Malkovich]] in the lead roles. Written by [[Scott Rosenberg]] and produced by [[Jerry Bruckheimer]], the film centers on a [[Prison escape|prison break]] aboard a [[Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System|JPATS]] aircraft, nicknamed as "Con Air". It features an [[Ensemble cast|ensemble supporting cast]] of [[Steve Buscemi]], [[Ving Rhames]], [[Colm Meaney]], [[Mykelti Williamson]] and [[Rachel Ticotin]], with [[Monica Potter]], [[Dave Chappelle]], [[M.C. Gainey]], and [[Danny Trejo]] in minor roles.

''Con Air'' was released theatrically on June 6, 1997 by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures]] through [[Touchstone Pictures]] and was a box office success, grossing over $224&nbsp;million against a production budget of $75&nbsp;million. The film received mixed reviews from critics with praise for its acting, musical score and action sequences. The film achieved a [[cult following]] among the Nicolas Cage fanbase.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2017/jun/06/con-air-weirder-with-age-nicolas-cage-john-malkovich | title=Muscles, mullets and Malkovich: Has Con Air got even weirder with age? | website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=June 6, 2017 | access-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421135602/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2017/jun/06/con-air-weirder-with-age-nicolas-cage-john-malkovich | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/con-air-an-unmatched-90s-action-movie/ | title=Con Air: An Unmatched '90s Action Movie | date=June 6, 2019 | access-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421135601/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/con-air-an-unmatched-90s-action-movie/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/best-nicolas-cage-movies/#12-bad-lieutenant-port-of-call-new-orleans | title=The 25 Best Nicolas Cage Movies | date=February 7, 2022 | access-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421135601/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/best-nicolas-cage-movies/#12-bad-lieutenant-port-of-call-new-orleans | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/nicolas-cage-best-films/ | title=12 Best Nicolas Cage Films, Ranked | date=November 20, 2021 | access-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421135802/https://movieweb.com/nicolas-cage-best-films/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.slashfilm.com/833452/the-best-nicolas-cage-movies-ranked/ | title=The 20 Best Nicolas Cage Movies Ranked - /Film | date=April 15, 2022 | access-date=April 21, 2022 | archive-date=April 16, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416164540/https://www.slashfilm.com/833452/the-best-nicolas-cage-movies-ranked/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It received [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]] and [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]] for "[[How Do I Live]]", performed on the soundtrack by [[Trisha Yearwood]].

==Plot==
<!--per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], plot summaries should be between 400 and 700 words-->
Decorated [[75th Ranger Regiment (United States)|Army Ranger]] Cameron Poe is convicted of involuntary manslaughter for killing a gangster in self-defense when the latter drunkenly attacks him and his pregnant wife, Tricia. Eight years later, he is [[parole]]d and boards a flight to [[Alabama]] on the ''Jailbird'', a [[Fairchild C-123 Provider]] converted to a prison transport plane, so he can be reunited with Tricia and their daughter Casey, whom he has never met. Accompanying Poe is his [[diabetic]] cellmate and best friend Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell.

Most of the inmates boarding the flight are convicts being transferred to a [[supermax prison]], including mass murderer William "Billy Bedlam" Bedford, serial rapist John "Johnny 23" Baca, [[Black Guerrilla Family|Black Guerrilla]] Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones, and [[professional criminal]] Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom. The flight is overseen by [[U.S. Marshal]] Vince Larkin while [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] agent Willie Sims plans to go on an [[Undercover operation|undercover mission]] to get information from [[narcoterrorism|narcoterrorist]] Francisco Cindino, who is being picked up en-route.

After taking off, inmate Joe "Pinball" Parker sets another prisoner on fire as a distraction, allowing Grissom and Jones to take over the plane. They plan to land at [[Carson Airport]] as scheduled, pick up and transfer other prisoners and fly to a non-[[extradition]] country. Sims tries to retake control, but Grissom kills him.

The plane arrives at Carson City and the inmates exchange commences, with the ground crew unaware of the hijacking. Amongst the new passengers are Cindino, pilot Earl "Swamp Thing" Williams and [[serial killer]] Garland Greene. The authorities discover the hijacking upon finding evidence in Grissom's old cell and a tape recorder planted by Poe on one of the disguised guards but cannot prevent the plane from taking off. Meanwhile, Pinball disposes of the plane's [[transponder]], but he is crushed to death by the landing gear during takeoff.

The inmates agree to land at Lerner Airfield, a desert airstrip, and transfer onto another plane owned by Cindino and his [[Drug cartel|cartel]]. Poe finds Pinball's corpse trapped in the landing gear and writes a message to Larkin on the body before throwing it out. Larkin learns of the news and heads to Lerner after contacting the [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]]. Bedford, raiding the cargo, discovers Poe's identity, forcing Poe to kill him.

The ''Jailbird'' is grounded at Lerner, with no sign of the transfer aircraft. Grissom orders the others to fuel up the plane and get it ready for takeoff. Poe leaves to find Baby-O a syringe to give him [[insulin]], meeting Larkin and informing him of the situation. They discover Cindino planning to escape on a hidden [[private jet]], which Larkin sabotages by lowering a crane arm onto it. Grissom executes Cindino by igniting the plane's fuel. Greene meets a little girl playing tea party near the hangar and is tempted to kill her, but he resists his homicidal urges. Johnny 23 spots a National Guard convoy approaching and gives the alarm. As the National Guard arrives, the inmates launch an assault, but Larkin uses a [[bulldozer]] as a makeshift shield. The surviving inmates return to the ''Jailbird'' and take flight.

Poe's identity is revealed when Bedford's body is found. Baby-O takes the blame and is shot by Grissom, when Larkin and Sims' partner, Duncan Malloy, arrive in [[attack helicopter]]s, damaging the ''Jailbird''{{'}}s fuel tank. Poe takes command of the cockpit, and Larkin instructs him to have the plane land at [[Harry Reid International Airport|McCarran International Airport]], but Swamp Thing is forced to land it on the [[Las Vegas Strip]], causing mass destruction and killing Johnny 23. Grissom, Jones, and Swamp Thing escape on a [[fire truck]], pursued by Poe and Larkin; the chase results in the deaths of all three escapees. Poe reunites with his family and the surviving inmates are apprehended - except for Greene, who gambles in a casino.

==Cast==
{{Div col}}
* [[Nicolas Cage]] as Cameron Poe, a paroled former [[75th Ranger Regiment|Army Ranger]] who works with the authorities to retake the titular flight.
* [[John Cusack]] as [[U.S. Marshal]] Vince Larkin, a U.S. Marshal who discovers Poe's role in retaking the plane.
* [[John Malkovich]] as Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, a highly-intelligent career criminal and mastermind of the escape plot.
* [[Steve Buscemi]] as Garland "The Marietta Mangler" Greene, a notorious [[serial killer]]. Director Simon West and Buscemi based the character on real-life serial killers [[Ed Gein]], [[Ted Bundy]], [[Charles Manson]], [[Jeffrey Dahmer]], [[John Wayne Gacy]] and [[Edmund Kemper]].
* [[Ving Rhames]] as Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones, a [[black nationalist]] convicted of [[terrorism]] and Grissom's second-in-command.
* [[Colm Meaney]] as [[DEA]] Agent Duncan Malloy
* [[Mykelti Williamson]] as Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell, Cameron Poe's diabetic friend and cellmate.
* [[Rachel Ticotin]] as Officer Sally Bishop, the flight's only female corrections officer who is protected by Poe after being attacked by Johnny 23.
* [[Monica Potter]] as Tricia Poe, Cameron Poe's wife.
* [[Dave Chappelle]] as Joe "Pinball" Parker, a low-level inmate convicted of heroin, armed robbery, and arson charges.
* [[M. C. Gainey]] as Earl "Swamp Thing" Williams, a convict with aviation expertise who serves as Cyrus' pilot.
* [[John Roselius]] as Deputy Marshal Skip Devers.
* [[Renoly Santiago]] (credited as "Renoly") as Ramon "Sally-Can't Dance" Martinez, a [[cross-dressing]] inmate convicted of narcotics charges.
* [[Danny Trejo]] as John "Johnny 23" Baca, a serial [[rapist]], nicknamed for his number of sex offense convictions.
* [[Jesse Borrego]] as Francisco Cindino, a treacherous South American drug baron and terrorist who helps Grissom (offscreen) plot the hijacking. Borrego studied Colombian narcoterrorist kingpin [[Pablo Escobar]] for the portrayal of this character.
* [[Nick Chinlund]] as William "Billy Bedlam" Bedford, a mass murderer convicted for [[Parricide|killing his unfaithful ex-wife's family]].
* [[Angela Featherstone]] as Ginny.
* [[José Zúñiga (actor)|Jose Zuniga]] as [[DEA]] Agent Willie Sims
* [[Landry Allbright]] as Casey Poe, Cameron Poe's seven-year-old daughter.
* [[Steve Eastin]] as Officer Falzon, the leader of corrections officers onboard the flight.
* [[Kevin Gage (actor)|Kevin Gage]] as Billy Joe, a drunken bar patron whom Poe kills in self-defense.
{{Div col end}}

Additional actors include [[Ty Granderson Jones]] as "Blade", [[Emilio Rivera]] as Carlos, [[Doug Hutchison]] as Officer Donald, [[Jeris Lee Poindexter]] as Watts, [[David Ramsey]] as Londell, [[Conrad Goode]] as white supremacist inmate "Viking", [[John Diehl]] as Poe's defense attorney, and [[Don S. Davis]] as the motorist whose car Pinball's corpse falls on. [[Powers Boothe]] makes an uncredited [[voice-over]] cameo in the opening credits as the Army officer at Poe's leaving ceremony. John Cusack's brother Bill Cusack appears as a Las Vegas [[Emergency medical technician|EMT]].

Malkovich was considered early for the role of Grissom. [[Jason Isaacs]], [[Mickey Rourke]], [[Willem Dafoe]] and [[Tom Sizemore]] auditioned for the role. [[Bruce Willis]] turned down the role.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://collider.com/jason-isaacs-con-air-interview-simon-west-skyfire/ |title=Here's Jason Isaacs' Wild 'Con Air' Audition Story (That Led to Him Getting Cast in 'Skyfire') |last=Miller |first=Liz Shannon |date=January 7, 2021 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |publisher=Valnet, Inc. |access-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423220207/https://collider.com/jason-isaacs-con-air-interview-simon-west-skyfire/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Godfrey |first=Alex |date=June 6, 2022 |title=Con Air At 25: The Anarchic Making Of Nicolas Cage's Action Classic |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/con-air-at-25-the-anarchic-making-of-nicolas-cage-action-classic/ |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |location=UK |publisher=[[Bauer Media Group]] |access-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-date=December 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209071936/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/con-air-at-25-the-anarchic-making-of-nicolas-cage-action-classic/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Production==
[[File:Jailbird.jpg|thumb|[[Fairchild C-123 Provider|C-123]] used for taxi scenes at Wendover Airport, c. 2011.]]
With [[second unit]] work beginning on June 24, 1996, principal photography began shortly after in [[Salt Lake City]], on July 1, 1996 and continued until October 29, 1996, at a number of locations.<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/324215/con-air#notes "Con Air (1997): Miscellaneous notes."]  ''Turner Classic Movies.'' Retrieved: December 19, 2011.</ref> While most of the interiors of the [[Fairchild C-123 Provider]] transport aircraft were filmed in [[Hollywood Center Studios]] soundstage #7, [[Wendover Airport]] in [[Utah]], as the stand in for the fictional Lerner Airfield, was used for the C-123 flying and taxi scenes.<ref name="Production">Rigoulot, Leslie. [http://www.filmscouts.com/scripts/matinee.cfm?film=con-air&file=productn "Con Air: About The Production."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426041426/http://www.filmscouts.com/scripts/matinee.cfm?film=con-air&file=productn |date=April 26, 2012 }} ''Film Scouts,'' 2008. Retrieved: December 20, 2011.</ref> Director Simon West chose the barren and remote Wendover area "because it looked like the surface of the moon ... My idea was that it was perfect for the convicts who had been locked up for 10, 20, 30 years in little cells."<ref name="Locations"/> The old wartime [[Wendover Air Force Base|bomber base]] was also used for the [[aircraft boneyard]] scenes while the original swimming pool at the base was used in a scene where Garland Greene was talking to a young girl.<ref name="Bateman">Bateman 2004, p. 248.</ref>

On August 29, 1996, Phillip Swartz, a welder employed by Special Effects Unlimited, a Los Angeles-based firm, was crushed to death at Wendover when a static model of the C-123 used in the film fell on him. The film credits end with "In Memory of Phil Swartz".<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-31-me-39486-story.html "Plane Crushes Worker on Disney Film Set."] ''[[Los Angeles Times]],'' August 31, 1996. Retrieved: December 17, 2011.</ref>

Other filming locations included [[Ogden Airport]] where the exchange of prisoners is seen. The scene where the aircraft's left wing hits the [[Fender Stratocaster]] sign of [[Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)|Hard Rock Hotel and Casino]] (which later played host to the film's premiere), was filmed using a replicated guitar sign and a ''Jailbird'' miniature model. The crash site was filmed in the [[Sands Hotel]] before its demolition on November 26, 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/con-air-at-25-the-anarchic-making-of-nicolas-cage-action-classic/|title=Con Air At 25: The Anarchic Making Of Nicolas Cage's Action Classic|date=6 June 2022|work=Empire Magazine|access-date=7 June 2022|archive-date=June 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606212327/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/con-air-at-25-the-anarchic-making-of-nicolas-cage-action-classic/|url-status=live}}</ref> Producer Jerry Bruckheimer found the right spot for the climactic finale, originally planned for a crash at the [[White House]], but Las Vegas was more in keeping with the theme and visual pun of convicts "cashing in". "We got very lucky ... The Sands was going to be demolished anyway. They blew up the tower on their own. We arranged to blow up the front of the building." The [[2nd Street Tunnel]] in Los Angeles was also used for the tunnel chase scene near the end of the film.<ref name="Locations">Girod, Russell W. [http://www.cinemareview.com/static-htm/059718n2.htm "Con Air: About The Locations."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128055012/http://www.cinemareview.com/static-htm/059718n2.htm |date=January 28, 2010 }} ''Touchstone Pictures & Five Star Publishing,''1997. Retrieved: December 20, 2011.</ref>
[[Image:ConAirC123crashdenali.JPG|thumb|Crash site of the C-123 from ''Con Air'', Mount Healy, Denali National Park, Alaska]]
Three C-123's were used during production and were painted with the ''Jailbird'' livery. The actual flying C-123 model used during flight scenes in the film had a series of both military and private owners. In December 2003 it was sold to All West Freight Inc. in [[Delta Junction, Alaska]].<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20100801-0 "Accident Report: Fairchild C-123K Provider, August 1, 2010."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026235712/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20100801-0 |date=October 26, 2014 }} ''Aviation Safety Network.'' Retrieved: December 21, 2011.</ref> On August 1, 2010, the C-123 was destroyed when it crashed into [[Mount Healy]] within [[Denali National Park]] in [[Alaska]].<ref>Rettig, Molly. [http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/8980392/article-Federal-investigators-arrive-at-Denali-crash-site--victims-identified?instance=home_news_window_left_top_1 "Federal investigators arrive at Denali crash site; victims identified."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807062500/http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/8980392/article-Federal-investigators-arrive-at-Denali-crash-site--victims-identified?instance=home_news_window_left_top_1 |date=August 7, 2010 }} ''newsminer.com,'' August 2, 2010. Retrieved: December 17, 2011.</ref> The three member flight crew was killed in the crash.<ref>[http://wireupdate.com/wires/8300/authorities-identify-victims-of-alaska-con-air-movie-plane-crash/ "Authorities identify victims of Alaska "Con Air"-movie plane crash."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806192143/http://wireupdate.com/wires/8300/authorities-identify-victims-of-alaska-con-air-movie-plane-crash/ |date=August 6, 2010 }} ''[[BNO News]],'' August 3, 2010. Retrieved: December 17, 2011.</ref><ref name="old wings">van der Voet, Aad. [http://www.oldwings.nl/content/con_air/con_air.htm "C-123 Providers starring in 'Con Air'."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502203734/http://www.oldwings.nl/content/con_air/con_air.htm |date=May 2, 2009 }} ''oldwings.nl,'' August 2, 2010. Retrieved: December 17, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.adn.com/2010/08/02/1392511/probe-starts-into-deadly-crash.html "Probe starts into deadly crash at Denali."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804201907/http://www.adn.com/2010/08/02/1392511/probe-starts-into-deadly-crash.html |date=August 4, 2010 }} ''Anchorage Daily News'' via ''adn.com,'' August 2, 2010. Retrieved: December 17, 2011.</ref> Another C-123, formerly registered as N94DT, was used for the crash scene in Las Vegas and then scrapped following production. The third ''Jailbird'' movie model used for the taxi scenes was later donated by the filmmakers to the [[Wendover Air Force Base|Historic Wendover Airfield Foundation]], where it remains on display at the ramp as an attraction for visitors.<ref name="Bateman" />

The film used several highly detailed models at 1/15th scale, and a multitude of military and private aircraft assembled for the desert boneyard scene.{{refn|A [[Convair C-131 Samaritan]] transport aircraft and [[Piasecki H-21]] helicopter were prominent among the scattered wreckage of the boneyard scene.<ref name="IMPD">[http://www.impdb.org/index.php?title=Con_Air "Con Air."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208112850/http://impdb.org/index.php?title=Con_Air |date=February 8, 2012 }} ''The Internet Movie Plane Database.'' Retrieved: December 20, 2011.</ref>|group=Note}}

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Con Air: Music from the Motion Picture
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = [[Trevor Rabin]], [[Mark Mancina]]
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = June 17, 1997
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Soundtrack]]
| length     = {{Duration|m=44|s=19}}
| label      = [[Hollywood Records]]
| producer   = Paul Linford, Mark Mancina, Trevor Rabin
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1=[[AllMusic]]
|rev1score={{rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/con-air-music-from-the-motion-picture-mw0000023216 | title=Mark Mancina / Trevor Rabin: Con Air [Music from the Motion Picture] | publisher=[[AllMusic.com]] | first=Jason | last=Ankeny | access-date=December 10, 2015 | archive-date=December 11, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211133923/http://www.allmusic.com/album/con-air-music-from-the-motion-picture-mw0000023216 | url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

The film featured the [[Diane Warren]]–penned [[LeAnn Rimes]] hit single "[[How Do I Live]]", performed by [[Trisha Yearwood]] for the film.<ref name="Rimes"/>{{refn|[[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Motion Picture Group]] (which owns Touchstone Pictures) chose Rimes' version but thought the version had too much of pop feeling, with [[Trisha Yearwood]]'s version used instead. Both versions were released on May 27, 1997.<ref name="Rimes">[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000000CQF "Leann Rimes, Music: How Do I Live / My Baby."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202062904/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000000CQF |date=February 2, 2016 }} ''Amazon.com.'' Retrieved: December 21, 2011.</ref>|group=Note}}

The ''Con Air'' soundtrack album omits two songs featured in the film: "How Do I Live", written by [[Diane Warren]] and performed by Trisha Yearwood and "[[Sweet Home Alabama]]" by [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]. Although a key element of the film, Mick LaSalle of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' noted, "The soundtrack kicks into loud, obtrusive gear ... [and] remains so loud throughout the picture that it practically functions as a distancing device."<ref>LaSalle, Mick. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1997/06/06/DD23780.DTL "Con Job: Nicolas Cage drives his newest action vehicle into a wall, where it explodes."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203014154/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F1997%2F06%2F06%2FDD23780.DTL |date=February 3, 2008 }} ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', June 6, 1997. Retrieved: December 19, 2011.</ref>
# "Con Air Theme" – 1:34
# "Trisha" – 1:04
# "Carson City" – 3:05
# "Lear Crash" – 4:44
# "Lerner Landing" – 3:28
# "Romantic Chaos" – 1:23
# "The Takeover" – 3:52
# "The Discharge" – 1:09
# "Jailbirds" – 0:59
# "Cons Check Out Lerner" – 1:56
# "Poe Saves Cops" – 2:25
# "The Fight" – 0:23
# "Battle In The Boneyard" – 7:41
# "Poe Meets Larkin" – 1:16
# "Bedlam Larkin" – :49
# "Fire Truck Chase" – 4:22
# "Overture" – 4:19

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Con Air'' opened June 6, 1997 on 2,824 screens in the United States and Canada and grossed $24.1 million in its opening weekend, [[List of 1997 box office number-one films in the United States|topping the US box office]] above ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-10-ca-1789-story.html|title='Con Air' Flies Over 'Lost World'|website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 10, 1997 |access-date=April 7, 2023|archive-date=April 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407210934/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-10-ca-1789-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For its second weekend, the film dropped into second place behind ''[[Speed 2: Cruise Control]]'', but still made $15.7 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Horn |first=John |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-despite-armada-of-naysay/133491165/ |title=Despite armada of naysayers, 'Speed 2' debuts in first
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015175338/https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-despite-armada-of-naysay/133491165/ |date=June 18, 1997 |access-date=October 15, 2023 |archive-date=October 15, 2023 |page=51 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=[[Chicago Tribune]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> It also opened in the [[List of 1997 box office number-one films in the United Kingdom|UK]], Hong Kong, Israel and parts of Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico grossing $5 million for the weekend, for a total worldwide opening of $29 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hollywood spends more bucks for bangs|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=June 13, 1997|page=29|last=Carver|first=Benedict}}</ref> In the US and Canada, it grossed $15.7 million in its second weekend and $10.4 million in its third, finishing second and third, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2253030913/weekend/?ref_=bo_rl_tab#tabs |title=Con Air |access-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-date=July 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704005812/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2253030913/weekend/?ref_=bo_rl_tab#tabs |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film grossed $101.1&nbsp;million in the United States and Canada, and $122.9&nbsp;million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $224&nbsp;million.<ref name=BOM>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0118880/?ref_=bo_rl_ti "Con Air (1997)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304101512/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0118880/?ref_=bo_rl_ti |date=March 4, 2022 }} ''[[Box Office Mojo]].'' Retrieved: December 29, 2009.</ref>

===Critical response===
According to review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 58% of 71 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Con Air'' won't win any awards for believability – and all involved seem cheerfully aware of it, making some of this blockbuster action outing's biggest flaws fairly easy to forgive."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/con_air |title=''Con Air'' (1997) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224175011/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/con_air |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 52 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/con-air |title=''Con Air'' Reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=February 27, 2018 |archive-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024192647/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/con-air |url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://m.cinemascore.com |title=CinemaScore |work=cinemascore.com |access-date=July 4, 2021 |archive-date=December 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210223808/https://m.cinemascore.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]], reviewing the film for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', awarded it three out of four stars, saying it "moves smoothly and with visual style and verbal wit," although he criticized Cage for playing Poe as a "slow-witted [[Elvis Presley|Elvis]] type who is very, very earnest and approaches every task with tunnel vision".<ref>{{cite web|first=Roger|last=Ebert|authorlink=Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/con-air-1997|title=Con Air Review|website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=June 6, 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101074201/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/con-air-1997 |archive-date=January 1, 2021 }}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]], reviewer for ''[[The New York Times]]'' considered ''Con Air'' an exemplar of the "thrill ride genre".<ref>{{cite web|first=Janet|last=Maslin|authorlink=Janet Maslin|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F01E1D81E3DF935A35755C0A961958260|title=Signs and Symbols on a Thrill Ride: Con Air (1997)|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 6, 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704005740/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/06/movies/signs-and-symbols-on-a-thrill-ride.html |archive-date=July 4, 2021 }}</ref> In contrast, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' reviewer [[Peter Travers]] decried the "flip, hip"  and ultimately, "depressing ... pandering" present in the treatment.<ref>{{cite web|first=Peter|last=Travers|authorlink=Peter Travers|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/con-air-19970606|title=Con Air|website=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=June 6, 1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831000638/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/con-air-19970606 |archive-date=August 31, 2017|accessdate=December 19, 2011}}</ref>

[[Andrew Johnston (critic)|Andrew Johnston]], reviewer for ''[[Time Out New York]]'', stated: "Leaving [[The Rock (film)|''The Rock'']] last summer, I thought it seemed physically impossible for a more over-the-top action movie to be made. That was pretty short-sighted of me, since it was only a matter of time until producer Jerry Bruckheimer topped himself as he does with the wildly entertaining ''Con Air''."<ref>Time Out New York, June 5–12, 1997, p. 67</ref>

''[[Maxim (magazine)|Maxim]]'' put the film's climactic Las Vegas plane crash at the top of their 2007 list of "The Top Ten Most Horrific Movie Plane Crashes", a decision that was derided by ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2007/01/flotsam-jetsam-4-2/|title=Flotsam, Jetsam for 01/25/2007|magazine=Wired|via=www.wired.com|date=January 25, 2007|access-date=August 1, 2022|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124130842/https://www.wired.com/2007/01/flotsam-jetsam-4-2/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[70th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref name="Oscars1998">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998 |title=The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners |access-date=November 19, 2011 |work=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |publisher=AMPAS |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109213426/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998 |archive-date=November 9, 2014}}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]
| "[[How Do I Live]]" <br> Music and Lyrics by [[Diane Warren]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]]
| [[Kevin O'Connell (sound mixer)|Kevin O'Connell]], [[Greg P. Russell]] and [[Art Rochester]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[ALMA Award]]s
| Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
| [[Rachel Ticotin]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards]]
| Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
| "How Do I Live" <br> Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]]
| Favorite Actor – Action/Adventure
| [[Nicolas Cage]] {{small|(also for ''[[Face/Off]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actor – Action/Adventure
| [[John Cusack]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actress – Action/Adventure
| Rachel Ticotin
| {{nom}}
|-
| Favorite Song from a Movie
| [[Trisha Yearwood]] – "How Do I Live"
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BMI Film & TV Awards]]
| Film Music Award
| [[Mark Mancina]]
| {{won}}
|-
| colspan="3"| Bogey Awards
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[18th Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://razzies.com/asp/content/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=37 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426070620/http://razzies.com/asp/content/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=37 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 26, 2012 |title=1997 Archive |last=Wilson |first=John |publisher=[[Wayback Machine]] |date=March 23, 1998}}</ref><ref>Wilson, John. [http://razzies.com/asp/content/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=37 "1997 Archive."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017202441/http://razzies.com/asp/content/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=37 |date=October 17, 2014 }} ''Golden Raspberry Awards.'' Retrieved: December 20, 2011.</ref>
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song|Worst Original Song]]
| "How Do I Live" <br> Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Motion Picture Sound Editors#Golden Reel Awards|Golden Reel Awards]]
| [[Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Dialogue and ADR for Feature Film|Best Sound Editing – Dialogue & ADR]]
| David Williams, Robert Ulrich, Gail Clark Burch, Jeff Clark, Richard Corwin, <br> Susan Kurtz, Carin Rogers, Zack Davis, Stephen Janisz and Kerry Dean Williams
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Feature Film|Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects & Foley]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[40th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/40th-annual-grammy-awards| title=1997 Grammy Award Winners| publisher=Grammy.com| access-date=1 May 2011| archive-date=August 17, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817154747/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/40th-annual-grammy-awards| url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media|Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television]]
| "How Do I Live" <br> Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Jupiter Award (film award)#20th Jupiter Award / 1998|Jupiter Awards]]
| Best International Actor
| Nicolas Cage {{small|(also for ''Face/Off'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| Online Film & Television Association Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-awards/2nd-annual-film-awards-1997/ |title=2nd Annual Film Awards (1997) |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016002955/http://www.oftaawards.com/film-awards/2nd-annual-film-awards-1997/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Best Original Song
| "How Do I Live" <br> Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[24th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Steve Buscemi]]
| {{nom}}
|}

==See also==
* [[List of American films of 1997]]
* [[List of films set in Las Vegas]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Bateman, Ronald R. ''Wendover Winds of Change: A History.'' Wendover, Utah: Ronald R. Bateman, 2004. {{ISBN|0-9745983-2-1}}.
* {{cite book |last=Beck |first=Simon D. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/955778635 |title=The aircraft-spotter's film and television companion |publisher=McFarland |others=James H. Farmer |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4766-6349-4 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |pages=65–66 |oclc=955778635 |language=en |access-date=March 18, 2022 |archive-date=November 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129000436/https://search.worldcat.org/title/955778635 |url-status=live }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0118880|Con Air}}
* {{TCMDb title|324215|Con Air}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|con_air|Con Air}}
* {{mojo title|conair|Con Air}}

{{Simon West}}
{{Jerry Bruckheimer}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:1997 action films]]
[[Category:1997 action thriller films]]
[[Category:1997 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1997 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:1990s prison films]]
[[Category:American action thriller films]]
[[Category:American aviation films]]
[[Category:Cross-dressing in American films]]
[[Category:Films about the Drug Enforcement Administration]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about aircraft hijackings]]
[[Category:Films about aviation accidents or incidents]]
[[Category:Films about Colombian drug cartels]]
[[Category:Films about terrorism in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about United States Army Rangers]]
[[Category:Films directed by Simon West]]
[[Category:Films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mark Mancina]]
[[Category:Films scored by Trevor Rabin]]
[[Category:Films set on airplanes]]
[[Category:Films set in the Las Vegas Valley]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films set in Utah]]
[[Category:Films shot in the Las Vegas Valley]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in Salt Lake City]]
[[Category:Films shot in Utah]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Scott Rosenberg]]
[[Category:Touchstone Pictures films]]
[[Category:Jerry Bruckheimer Films films]]
[[Category:Films about the United States Marshals Service]]
[[Category:Golden Raspberry Award–winning films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Monument Valley]]
[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]