In what movie did Johnny Depp play Gene Watson?

Johnny Depp played Gene Watson in the 1995 thriller film Nick of Time.

Directed by John Badham, Nick of Time follows Watson, a public accountant whose young daughter is kidnapped at Los Angeles Union Station. Two criminals force him to assassinate Eleanor Grant, a prominent political candidate, before she leaves a nearby rally. The story unfolds in real time, making the film’s roughly 89-minute running time closely match the urgent deadline facing its protagonist.

The movie is notable for placing Depp in a relatively ordinary role rather than one of his more flamboyant characters. Gene Watson is frightened, improvisational, and desperate to protect his child. Christopher Walken plays Mr. Smith, one of the men coercing him, while Charles S. Dutton portrays Huey, a potential ally who becomes involved in Watson’s attempts to survive and resist.

Viewers sometimes remember the movie primarily as a Christopher Walken thriller or confuse it with Depp’s later crime and fantasy films. Nick of Time was released in 1995 and was directed by John Badham, whose other credits include Saturday Night Fever and WarGames.