Spike Lee then expressed an interest in directing the film. However, after the script was written, Maguire became pre-occupied with the Spider-Man film and had to abandon the plan, although he would later act as a producer on the film that was made. He acquired the option for a potential film project and asked Benioff to adapt it into a screenplay. Six months before the book's publication a preliminary trade copy was circulated which Tobey Maguire read, and he was interested in playing the role of Monty Brogan. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Jacob Elinskyīenioff completed the book The 25th Hour while studying at the University of California Irvine, and it was published in 2001.When the vision stops, they are past the bridge, still driving towards prison. As they drive up the turnpike, James suggests they take the George Washington Bridge to go west, into hiding, and gives Monty a vision of a future where he avoids imprisonment, reunites with Naturelle, starts a family, and grows old. On the drive to prison, Monty once again sees a parade of faces from the streets of the city. Naturelle tries to comfort him as Monty's father arrives to take him to Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville. Frank refuses, and Monty goads Frank into taking out his frustrations, leaving Monty bruised and bloody, with a broken nose. He admits that he is terrified of being raped in prison, whereupon he asks Frank to beat him, believing that he might have a chance at survival if he enters the prison ugly. He then hands Doyle over to Jacob in the park.

Monty returns to his apartment and apologizes to Naturelle for mistrusting her. Monty walks out, leaving Kostya to be killed by the Russian mobsters. Monty refuses, reminding Nikolai that he was the one who told Monty to trust Kostya in the first place. Nikolai then reveals it was Kostya who betrayed Monty, and offers him a chance to kill Kostya in exchange for protecting his father's bar. Monty and Kostya go to see Nikolai, who gives Monty advice on surviving in prison. Jacob, meanwhile, finds the courage to kiss Mary, but both are shocked afterwards and go their separate ways. The argument culminates with Frank insulting Naturelle's ethnicity, followed by her slapping Frank and leaving. Frank accuses Naturelle of living high on Monty's money despite knowing its origins, but she retorts that Frank also knew but said nothing. Discussing what kind of a future Monty can have after prison, Frank says they can open a bar together, even though he told Jacob that he believes Monty deserves his sentence for dealing drugs. Jacob sees Mary outside the club, and Monty invites her inside with them. He then asks Frank to find out if it was Naturelle who betrayed him. Monty remembers how he met Naturelle hanging around his old school, and how happy they were. Monty refused to turn state's evidence against Nikolai, but is unsure about Nikolai’s actions. Kostya tries to persuade Monty it was Naturelle who betrayed him, since she knew where he hid his drugs and money.

In a flashback, Monty remembers the night he was arrested: DEA agents raided Monty's apartment and quickly found the drugs he was selling for Uncle Nikolai, a Russian mobster. Facing himself in the mirror, Monty lashes out in his mind against everyone in New York before finally turning on himself, angry for becoming greedy and not giving up drug dealing before he was caught. James was able to establish the bar with Monty’s drug money, and remorsefully sneaks a drink when Monty goes to the bathroom. Monty visits his father, James, a former firefighter and recovering alcoholic at his bar, to confirm their plans to drive to the prison the following morning. He plans to meet childhood friends Frank, a boorish Wall Street trader, and Jacob, an introverted high school teacher with a crush on his student Mary, at a club with his girlfriend Naturelle. He sits in a park with Doyle, the dog he rescued, on his last day of freedom. Monty intends to perform a mercy kill and shoot him, but changes his mind after he looks it in the eye he takes the dog to a nearby clinic instead.Ī few years later, Monty is about to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence for dealing drugs.

The film was subsequently ranked 26th on the BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century list.Ī car pulls up on a New York City street, which Monty Brogan exits with his friend Kostya to look at an injured dog lying in the road. Adapted by David Benioff from his own 2001 debut novel The 25th Hour, it tells the story of a man's last 24 hours of freedom as he prepares to go to prison for seven years for dealing drugs.Ģ5th Hour opened to positive reviews, with several critics since having named it one of the best films of its decade and praising it for its portrayal of New York City after the September 11 attacks. 25th Hour is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Edward Norton.

Edward norton 25th hour