Rose DeWitt Bukater Reviews

Underrated and overlooked to an almost criminal extent, 1998's Hard Rain is a supremely enjoyable action film from the genre's old-school glory days. Written by Graham Yost (Speed, Broken Arrow), Hard Rain distinguishes itself from other genre pictures by setting the action in a natural disaster, making the film appear aesthetically similar to other '90s disaster pictures like Twister and Dante's Peak. The second directorial undertaking for cinematographer-turned-director Mikael Salomon (A Far Off Place), this is not a notable film or even a classic, but it is entertaining and unpretentious, making for a satisfying sit if you enjoy well-made genre efforts of this ilk. If you enjoy no-frills, nuts-and-bolts '90s action movies with one-liners, shootouts, creative kills and spectacular special effects, Hard Rain delivers with utmost confidence.


With heavy rainstorms resulting in dangerous flooding, an evacuation order is in place for Huntingburg, Indiana, coordinated by Sheriff Mike Collig (Randy Quaid) and his police officers. Tom (Christian Slater) and his uncle, Charlie (Edward Asner), work as armoured car drivers collecting money from the local banks. But when their vehicle becomes stuck in flood waters, the pair are ambushed by a group of armed robbers, led by Jim (Morgan Freeman), who are determined to acquire the millions of dollars they are transporting. One of Jim's men kills Charlie in a shootout, but Tom manages to escape, hiding the cash and fleeing while Jim's gang remains in hot pursuit. While fleeing, he is mistaken for a looter and taken to the police station, where he also meets a local named Karen (Minnie Driver), who refuses to leave the area.

If Hard Rain was made in the 2020s, it would probably look like Rob Cohen's PG-13, digital-looking Hurricane Height. Thankfully, however, Hard Rain is a gloriously old-fashioned '90s production without any phoney-looking digital trickery to behold. With a massive $70 million budget, the film comes to life through enormous sets, practical effects, location shooting, miniatures and matte paintings, and the illusion still stands over twenty years later despite a couple of imperfect shots. (For example, Slater's face being digitally imposed on a stuntman does not hold up.) The film even opens with a hugely impressive aerial tracking shot showing flooded areas and disaster preparation, ending on the street next to the town's police officers coordinating the evacuation. There's a strong sense of atmosphere, and it never feels like the action is taking place on sets or soundstages. Hard Rain is a blockbuster action film, but it is exceptionally well made, with exhilarating action sequences and palpable tension when the main characters are in danger. It might be B-grade in terms of content, but the execution is undeniably A-grade; it never looks like a cheap or nasty direct-to-video effort. Additionally, Hard Rain is an R-rated action film, and director Salomon does not hold back on the violence. The visceral punch to the shootouts makes the film a must-see for genre fans and further distinguishes it from this century's seemingly never-ending glut of vanilla, PG-13 action flicks.


Yost's screenplay is not airtight, as there are plot contrivances and conveniences to allow the protagonists to escape at a critical time, but it's not too distracting. Furthermore, despite the movie's relatively short 96-minute running time, a sense of repetition admittedly begins to sneak in towards the end, with the premise starting to wear a tad thin during the third act. However, the climax is worth the wait. Although none of the main characters are necessarily three-dimensional, the actors effectively bring their respective roles to life, with the charismatic Christian Slater (who also co-produced) making for a fun and engaging protagonist. Slater knows how to deliver a one-liner, leading to several fun moments of levity. (While desperately trying to acquire the keys to his jail cell, he finds a set of car keys and exclaims, "Perfect, I can drive out of here!") Alongside him, the always-reliable Morgan Freeman makes a terrific impression, handling the material with a straight face. Even though Freeman is an antagonist, his character is level-headed and easy to like. As the token female and love interest, Minnie Driver is perfectly adequate but unremarkable, while the late Edward Asner brings a touch of class to the role of Tom's uncle. Randy Quaid also appears as the town's sheriff, chewing the scenery with gusto to broadly play the somewhat thankless role. Meanwhile, the legendary Betty White is on hand as a stubborn resident who refuses to evacuate, adding ample colour and humour to the production in a way that only White can do.

Hard Rain is full of memorable moments and set pieces, from an enjoyable jet ski chase through a flooded school to an intense shootout in a cemetery and a showdown in a church. Although not on the same level as the best action or disaster movies from the 1990s, it's hugely entertaining and competently made, with fun action sequences and effective comic relief. In 2024, there's something intrinsically charming and nostalgic about old-school blockbusters like Hard Rain that look like proper films, have no political agenda, and manage to be entertaining without insulting anybody's intelligence.

7.3/10

First Appearance: Titanic
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Green

Background and Characteristics

Appearing in the “number eight” spot for sexiest redheads is the gorgeous Rose DeWitt Bukater, who made her first appearance in the hit movie, Titanic. Played by the lovely Kate Winslet, Rose is portrayed in the movie as an American socialite and future actress who was born in Philadelphia during the late 1800s. In the movie, Rose is seen returning to America aboard the RMS Titanic with her fiancé, Caldeon Hockley, where she inadvertently falls in love with third-class passenger (and artist), Jack Dawson. Stepping out of her well-to-do lifestyle to be with Jack (and experience all that love has to offer), the two fall madly in love with one another before tragedy strikes only a few days later (when Titanic is sunk by an enormous iceberg in the North Atlantic). Clinging aboard wreckage from the ship, Jack helps Rose escape death by propping her on a wooden door, giving up his life so that Rose may live.

Physical Appearance

Regarding her outward appearance and traits, Rose DeWitt Bukater is a remarkably attractive woman renowned for her curly red hair, emerald-green eyes, and stunning body. Standing 5’7” in height and weighing approximately 139 pounds, Rose is both tall and curvaceous for her stature, with impressive body measurements in the vicinity of 37-25-36, respectively. Some of Rose’s most recognizable physical qualities include large C-cup breasts, long arms and legs, a well-rounded butt, and broad hips that are dazzling to view on the big-screen. Showcasing each of these features is Rose’s signature attire in the movie that consists of form-fitting dresses that highlight each of her natural curves (and cleavage). Rose even appears nude in a lengthy scene involving the handsome Jack Dawson (leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination of viewers). When viewed in conjunction with her round face, fair skin, and plump red lips, Rose DeWitt Bukater’s “number eight” spot on our current list is well-deserved and earned.

To be honest, I  wasn't really expecting much from this flick buts since I have a weak spot for Christian Slater and even more for Morgan Freeman, I thought I might as well check it out. Well, unfortunately, it turned out to be rather lame, I'm afraid. First of all, even though the concept was not bad, it was also terribly limited. The funny thing with this movie is that the story was sometimes so tedious that I kept wondering how did they manage to shoot with all this water. Was it on location or in a studio ? Anyway, it must have been a hell for all the actors involved. Recently, I saw 'The Revenant', the shooting conditions were also terribly difficult and it went on for months but the big difference was that 'The Revenant' was a huge critical success and I don't think it was really worth it to be constantly wet for such a poor end-result. The other disappointing thing was that even though it was pretty neat to see Morgan Freeman playing the bad guy, unfortunately, towards the end, they suddenly changed his status which was a really poor idea. To conclude, even though it wasn’t  very bad,  it was still an average action flick and I don't think it is really worth a look.

This is typical Christian Slater for those of us who enjoy he subtle strength. Minnie Driver is my hero in this movie! She makes me feel like I'm not so alone in this world. ;-)