The Net (film)

The Net is a movie released in 1995, starring Sandra Bullock. The storyline is based on the public fear of Big Brother in United States.

Bullock plays Angela Bennett, a computer technician whose life so completely revolves around computers that she rarely ever has to leave her house. The company that she works for is located in another state and she works from home; even simple tasks like ordering dinner are done via the internet. Her interpersonal relationships are also internet-chat exclusive, which has limited her interaction with real people in her own community. This is partially triggered by Angela's sadness over her Alzheimer's suffering mother (Blythe Danner).

When a coworker sends Angela a new game on a disc they unknowingly discover a backdoor to a new computer security software that is being installed on major government and military systems across the globe. No sooner does Angela discuss this with him than he dies in an airplane accident. Attempting to escape the tragedy Angela takes a trip to Cozumel, Mexico where she meets handsome British man Jack Devlon (Jeremy Northam).

Jack sweeps Angela off of her feet; they seem to have everything in common, including the same favourite cocktail (a Gibson, which is a Martini made with onions). On one evening Jack even protects Angela from a mugging where her purse is stolen. The two set out on a boat for a romantic which leads to lovemaking. When Jack steps away, Angela puts on his jacket and discovers a gun. She confronts him.

Jack reveals that he was actually sent by a terrorist group known as the Praetorians. He has been stalking her on the internet to find out all of her likes/dislikes so that he could seduce her. They intend for him to retrieve the disc in question and kill her. A struggle ensues and Angela escapes on a motorboat only to crash into some rocks. When she awakes she is in a Mexican hospital. She goes to customs to try and return home, applying for a temporary visa (as her passport was stolen along with her purse, a theft which turns out to have been arranged by Jack).

The woman at customs presents Angela with a temporary visa form with the wrong name on it. Desprate to return home Angela signs the name next to her photo on the application: "Ruth Marx." When Angela gets home in the evening she finds her house to be completely empty. She is startled by a real estate agent who thinks she is a late straggler for an open-house viewing and offers to show her the property.

The police are called in but no one can identify Angela is the resident of the house. A neighbour is brought in but she has never met Angela; a woman claiming to be Angela came and arranged for the possessions to be moved out and for the sale of the house. Angela realizes something very serious is going on and so, and the police ask for her identification. She gives them the "Ruth Marx" visa, and one of the cops goes to call it in.

Angela escapes through the bathroom just as the cop is coming back to arrest her. He has run "Ruth Marx" through the system; it brings up outstanding warrants for her arrest for things like prostitution and theft (with Angela's photograph). Angela begins to wander the streets; she stole the real estate agent's cellular phone. She calls her workplace hoping to find someone who can identify her, but when saying that it is "Angela Bennett calling" she is transferred TO Angela Bennett, or more precisely, someone posing as her.

The fake Angela has begun working at the company's location and advises the real Angela to "give us the disc and we'll give you back your life." Angela, in a complete panic, contacts her friend and former lover (and also former therapist) Alan Champion (Dennis Miller), the only person she can think of who knows her by sight. With Jack hot on her tail (he's triangulated the location of the cellular she was using), the skeptical Alan puts Angela up in a hotel.

Angela utilizes the internet to uncover the master plan of the Praetorians, which involves the death of a homophobic senator whose medical records they altered to show that he was HIV+. She manages to make contact with an online aquaintence, "Cyberbob," who agrees to meet her somewhere in public. Jack hones in on this online chat and kills "Cyberbob," taking his place and trying to kidnap Angela. Template:Wikiquoteparde:Das Netz (Irwin Winkler)