Mel Gibson stars as Graham Hess, the family patriarch, who is tested in his journey to find the truth behind the unfolding mystery. Joaquin Phoenix is Merrill Hess, brother to Graham and a former minor league baseball star.
After proving himself on the field of battle in the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin wants nothing more to do with such things, preferring the simple life of a farmer. But when his son Gabriel enlists in the army to defend their new nation, America, against the British, Benjamin reluctantly returns to his old life to protect his son, now serving under his command, and his family from British tyranny.
Nick Marshall, a high-flying, chauvinistic Chicago advertising executive, who, like his musical idol, Frank Sinatra, calls women "baby" and believes he has the world on a string. Nick experiences a rude awakening when the creative director position he coveted goes to Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), a savvy outsider--and a woman--who intends to aggressively pursue the lucrative woman's market. While trying to brainstorm ideas for "feminine" products, Nick experiences a freak accident that gives him the ability to hear women's thoughts.
The heist goes smoothly enough. The cash is already hot. So when Porter and Val steal it, they're in the clear. Time comes around to split the take and Val makes three grave mistakes: he takes Porter's cut; he takes Porter's wife and tries to take Porter's life. Problem is, when you kill this guy, you better make sure he's dead. Porter soon resurfaces, reborn with a serious case of tunnel-vision. He wants his cut and doesn't care what he has to do to get it. Now, everyone in the city's criminal underworld, including an air-tight syndicate called The Outfit, have Porter's cross-hairs trained on them.