Traffic [Blu-ray/DVD]

Director: Steven Soderbergh, Marshall Herskovitz, Laura Bickford

Overview

Described by director Steven Soderbergh as "Nashville meets The French Connection," this multi-character drama explores the effects of international drug trafficking on all fronts: from their source, to the U.S. border, to the federal government, to the private lives of users. Based upon a miniseries originally aired on Britain's Channel 4, Traffic divides its time among three main storylines and almost a dozen locales. The first and primary plot thread, set in Ohio and Washington, D.C., concerns freshly-appointed drug czar Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas), whose enthusiasm for his new prestige position is quickly offset when he realizes his 16-year-old daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) is graduating from recreational drug use to habitual abuse -- a secret that his wife, Barbara (Amy Irving), has kept from him. South of the border, Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) attempts to wage his own war on drugs, heading off a cocaine shipment in the middle of the desert with his less-than-virtuous partner Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas). Surrounded by corruption, Javier approaches the drug war with an attitude of patience and compromise, which opens him up to investigation from General Arturo Salazar (Tomas Milian), the country's dubious drug-enforcement liaison to the U.S. Meanwhile, San Diego drug kingpin Carlos Alaya (Steven Bauer) is caught in a sting operation spearheaded by DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman), leaving behind his very pregnant and very oblivious wife, Helena (Catharine Zeta-Jones). At the behest of Carlos' lawyer and shady confidante, Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid), Helena decides to carry on the family business -- with tragic consequences. Adapted by Rules of Engagement scribe Stephen Gaghan, Traffic marked Soderbergh's second major release in 2000 after the critical and box-office success of Erin Brockovich, as well as his second feature as cinematographer (credited under the pseudonym Peter Andrews). A favorite with various guild and critics' awards, Traffic won four Academy Awards in 2001, including statues for Best Supporting Actor (Del Toro) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Gaghan), and surprise wins for Steven Mirrone's editing and Soderbergh's direction.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/27/2010
UPC:	0025192064739
Original Release:	2000
Rating:	R
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:28:00
Sales rank:	27,511

Special Features

Blul-ray excluisve; Additional features: 24 deleted scenes; Inside Traffic

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael Douglas	Robert
Benicio Del Toro	Javier
Don Cheadle	Montel
Catherine Zeta-Jones	Helena
Dennis Quaid	Arnie
Luis Guzman	Ray
Miguel Ferrer	Eduardo,Eduardo Ruiz
Amy Irving	Barbara
Albert Finney	Chief of Staff
Erika Christensen	Caroline
Benjamin Bratt	Juan
Peter Riegert	Adler
Topher Grace	Seth
Steven Bauer	Carlos Ayala
Jacob Vargas	Manolo Sanchez
Clifton Collins Jr.	Francisco Flores
Tomas Milian	General Arturo Salazar
Marisol Padilla S?nchez	Ana Sanchez
Joel Torres	Porfilio Madrigal
D.W. Moffett	Jeff Sheridan
James Brolin	General Ralph Landry
Jsu Garcia	Pablo Obregon
Salma Hayek	Madrigal's Mistress (uncredited)
Corey Spears	F.-Up Bowman
Majandra Delfino	Vanessa
Alec Roberts	David Ayala,DEA Agent, Public Storage
Bill Weld	Himself
Don Nickles	Himself
Harry Reed	Himself
Jeff Podolsky	Himself
Barbara Boxer	Herself
Orrin Hatch	Himself
Charles Grassley	Himself
James Pickens Jr.	Prosecutor Ben Williams
Rudy M. Camacho	Customs Official
Yul Vazquez	Tigrillo/Obregon Assassin
Jack Conley	Agent Hughes
Eddie Velez	Agent Johnson
Craig N. Chretien	Director of EPIC
John Brown	Assistant Director of EPIC
Mike Siegel	DEA Representative
Steve Rose	Marty
Kimber Fritz	Rehab Counselor
Daniella Kuhn	Tourist Woman
Brandon Keener	Tourist Man
George Blumenthal	Partygoer No. 1
Stephen Dunham	Lobbyist
Margaret Travolta	Economist
Jewelle Bickford	Partygoer No. 2
Dave Hager	Partygoer No. 3
Tucker Smallwood	Partygoer No. 4
Victor Quintero	Salazar Soldier
Toby Holguin	Salazar Soldier
Ramiro Gonzalez	Salazar Soldier
Viola Davis	Social Worker
Elaine Kagan	Judge Reed
John Slattery	ADA Dan Collier
Jim Ortega	Arrested Man in Apartment
Greg Boniface	Tackled Man No. 1
Tom Rosales	Tackled Man No. 2,Van Passenger
Harsh Nayyar	Witness No. 1
Mary Pat Gleason	Witness No. 2
Vincent Ward	Man on Street
Gregory Estevane	Polygraph Adminsitrator
Alex Procopio	Polygraph Assistant
Rita Gomez	Mrs. Castro
Kaizaad Navroze Kotwal	Teacher
David Jensen	`John'
Jay Fernando Krymis	Waiter No. 1
Mike Malone	Waiter No. 2
Rene Pereya	Doctor
Kymberly S. Newberry	Press Secretary
Carroll Schumacher	Ayala Security
Michael Showers	Meeting Leader
Rena Sofer	Helena's Friend
Stacey Travis	Helena's Friend
Jennifer Barker	Helena's Friend
Dean Faulkner	Helena's Friend
Andrew Chavez	Desert Truck Driver
Michael Saucedo	Desert Truck Driver
Jose Yenque	Salazar Soldier/Torturer
Emilio Rivera	Salazar Soldier No. 2
Michael O'Neill	Lawyer Rodman
Russell G. Jones	Clerk
Lorene Hetherington	State Capitol Reporter No. 1
Eric Collins	State Capitol Reporter No. 2,Actor
Beau Holden	DEA Agent CalTrans
Peter Stader	DEA Agent CalTrans
James Lew	DEA Agent CalTrans
Jeremy Fitzgerald	DEA Agent CalTrans
Russell Solberg	DEA Agent CalTrans
Don Snell	DEA Agent, Trailer
Enrique Murciano	DEA Agent, Trailer
Gary Carlos Cervantes	DEA Agent, Trailer
Carl Ciarfalio	Ruiz's Assistant
Steve Lambert	Van Driver,Actor
Rick Avery	DEA Agent, Public Storage,DEA Agent, Public Storage
Eileen Weisinger	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Ken Johnston	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Mike Watson	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Kurt Lott	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Lincoln Simonds	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Steve Tomaski	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Buck McDancer	DEA Agent, Public Storage
John Callery	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Ousaun Elam	DEA Agent, Public Storage
Peter Reichardt	Actor
Leticia Bombardier	Actor
Benicio De Toro	Actor
Clifton Collins Jr	Actor
Cliff Martinez	Composer

Technical Credits

Stephen Gaghan

Simon Moore

Stephen Gaghan	Screenwriter
Laura Bickford	Producer
Kevin Hannigan	Special Effects
Marshall Herskovitz	Producer
Cameron Jones	Executive Producer,Producer
Graham King	Executive Producer,Producer
Andreas Klein	Executive Producer,Producer
Mike Newell	Executive Producer,Producer
John Robotham	Stunts
Richard Solomon	Executive Producer,Producer
Debra Zane	Casting
Edward Zwick	Producer
Simon Moore	Screenwriter
Richard A. Benoit	Special Effects
Rusty Amodeo	Sound Effects
David Betancourt	Sound Effects
Larry Blake	Sound Effects
Joseph Brennan	Sound Effects
Matt Coby	Sound Effects
Werner Hahnlein	Special Effects
William Harrison	Special Effects
Michael Roundy	Special Effects
Gunter Anderson	Special Effects
Jim Dunn	Stunts
Paul Ledford	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Traffic
1. Javier and Manole Make a Bust [3:04]
2. General Salazar [2:33]
3. Robert Leaves Ohio [2:23]
4. Ray and Monte Meet Eddie Ruiz [5:10]
5. Caroline and Seth After School [2:19]
6. Helena Lunches With Friends [1:39]
7. Robert Briefed In Washington [1:35]
8. General Landry [1:42]
9. Javi and the Tourists [1:44]
10. Robert At a Georgetown Party [1:36]
11. Visiting Ruiz In the Hospital [1:42]
12. Carl Is Arrested [:57]
13. Salazar Asks Javier For Help [2:18]
14. Robert Back At Home In Ohio [1:21]
15. Arnie Metzger Briefs Helena [1:26]
16. Javier Picks Up Frankie Flowers [2:07]
17. Caroline At a Party [3:54]
18. Frankie's Interrogation [1:14]
19. Arnie Explains Carl's Business [2:37]
20. Caroline At Jail [1:48]
21. Robert and Barbara Question Caroline [2:15]
22. Salazar Plays "Good Cop" to Frankie [1:40]
23. Ball Is Denied [3:16]
24. Ruiz Gives a Statement [2:00]
25. Salazar Eats Dinner With Frankie [2:58]
26. Obreg?n Cartel Is Hit With Arrests [1:12]
27. Robert Inspects the Border [1:09]
28. "Tell Me What to Do" [1:19]
29. Caroline and Seth Score Drugs [2:21]
30. Helena Is Threatened At the Beach [1:45]
31. Ana Is Looking For Manolo [2:28]
32. Robert Gets a Tour of Epic [1:46]
33. Robert Talks to His Staff "Out of the Box" [1:29]
34. Helena Asks Arnie For Money [2:00]
35. Manolo Sees the Scorpion [3:14]
36. Robert and Barbara Argue In the Car [1:51]
37. Robert Catches Caroline [2:14]
38. The Pool Scene [2:17]
39. Helena Makes Lemondae For Ray and Monte [2:32]
40. Caroline In Rehab [1:47]
41. Helena Puts the Pieces Together [3:05]
42. Robert Visits Salazar In Mexico City [1:54]
43. Ruiz Visits His New Home; Testimony [:47]
44. Helena Meets With Frankie [1:06]
45. Caroline Escapes Rehab [1:31]
46. Ana Is Worried About Man [:40]
47. Robert Looking For Caroline (Day) [1:12]
48. Caroline Pays For Her Drugs [1:09]
49. Ruiz Escorted to Court: Frankie Is Sighted [1:54]
50. Frankie Stalks Ruiz [2:09]
51. Manolo In San Diego [3:15]
52. Two Graves In the Desert [1:23]
53. Robert Looking For Caroline (Night) [2:29]
54. Javier Comforts Ana [1:21]
55. Helena Makes a Deal With Juan Obreg?n [1:48]
56. Javier Goes On the Wire [2:33]
57. Monte At the Funeral [1:14]
58. Sheridan Calls Robert About Salazar [1:42]
59. Robert Takes Seth On a "Field Trip" [1:21]
60. Robert Meets Caroline's Dealer [1:36]
61. Javier Talks to Ana About Manolo [1:37]
62. Robert Follows Seth [1:27]
63. Eddie Ruiz's "Big Day" [2:06]
64. Javier Makes Another Bust in the Desert [3:10]
65. Robert's White House Press Conference [2:37]
66. Carl Talks With Arnie; Monte Comes Over [4:19]
67. "We'r Here to Listen"; Night Baseball [3:07]
68. End Titles [4:28]
1. Manolo's Anxiety Escalates [1:06]
2. Javier Warns Manolo [:34]
3. Surveillance [1:03]
4. Old Friends [1:34]
5. Legalization [:52]
6. Auction [:46]
7. Arnie Comforts Helena [:34]
8. Madrigal's Mistress & Manolo [:39]
9. Helena Wants To Help [:43]
10. Art Appraisal [1:01]
11. Helena Gets Involved [:49]
12. Robert's Lunch With Seth [2:43]
13. Helena Asks To Meet Obreg?n [1:28]
14. Factory [1:00]
15. Robert Finds Caroline's Drugs [:58]
16. Obreg?n Tests Helena [1:56]
17. Helena Searched At Border [1:40]
18. Arnie Comes Through [:49]
19. Helena's Meeting At Fun Zone [:52]
20. Robert Drives Caroline Home [:51]
21. Javier Makes Obreg?n An Offer [1:03]
22. Robert Meets Javier [1:42]
23. Madrigal's Mistress & Javier [:42]
24. Monte Continues Surveillance [:27]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Traffic
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Inside Traffic
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Editorial Reviews

Steven Soderbergh's magnum opus on the drug war, Traffic offers yet another one of the director's efforts to take conventionally engrossing, Hollywood-formula material and imbue it with a sense of authenticity, unpredictability, and vitality, much as he did with his wildly successful Erin Brockovich earlier in the year. Some seams still show -- namely, the all-too-ironic script conceit that the country's new drug czar happens to have an addict for a daughter -- but by and large, Traffic is issue-oriented storytelling of the highest order. To call the film a tour de force would be misleading; it's an intimate epic, and Soderbergh seems determined to make all of the script's grand statements resonate on a personal level. To this end, he's helped by his stable of performers: Michael Douglas is appropriately stiff as the conservative Ohio judge who learns he's in over his head in his new position; Catharine Zeta-Jones makes a believable transformation from naïve, pampered housewife to hard-edged schemer; Erika Christensen takes the aforementioned addict-daughter character and makes it her own, suggesting that habitual abuse can arise from the most banal of circumstances; and Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman provide subtle shadings to what could have been a standard buddy-cop routine. Best of all is Benicio Del Toro, whose cunning, straight-arrow cop, Javier Rodriguez, provides the film's heart and soul. Soderbergh's cinematography (credited under the pseudonym Peter Andrews) complements the performers, eschewing establishing shots, grandiose camerawork, and traditional Hollywood framing in favor of simple shifts in color and film stock to indicate place, mood, and time. Steven Mirrone's editing also flatters the audience's ability to make connections on their own, halting scenes as soon as a point has been made, and allowing others to linger onscreen to create palpable atmosphere. Instead of favoring the loud, overbearing rhythms which accompany most hot-button "issue films," Soderbergh quietly and consistently tightens his vice grip on the audience, allowing a breather only in the film's semi-hopeful dénouement. Though it may provide all of the pleasures of conventionally grand melodrama, Traffic feels unlike any epic that has come before it.

10/06/2014
Yolen and her children present 19 true stories about unusual animals. While anchored in reality, the vibrant storytelling and Ishida’s bold, posterlike acrylics occasionally invoke the feeling of folktales, as in the story of a flock of sacred geese that inadvertently aided besieged Roman soldiers in 390 B.C.E. Animals well-established in popular culture—Pale Male, Owen and Mzee, Seabiscuit, and Christian the lion, among them—join less familiar accounts, including one about an orphaned seal pup that learned to utter several phrases, including “How are ya?” and “Come over here,” in a thick Maine accent. Sidebars provide historical, scientific, and social context, and moments of humor, warmth, and surprise run throughout this collection. All ages. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"This engaging large-format volume offers 19 surprising, amusing, and endearing stories of real animals doing unusual things...Well suited to reading alone or reading aloud to younger children, this handsome book is a treasury of highly enjoyable animal stories." - Starred Review from Booklist

"Moments of humor, warmth, and surprise run throughout this collection." —Publishers Weekly

"Readers will appreciate this dynamically written collection of inspiring true animal stories. These quick, satisfying reads are accompanied by factual sidebars...Readers will enjoy this compendium and may even be motivated to seek out additional information on their favorites." - School Library Journal

From the Publisher

This charming compilation of animal stories gives young readers a great variety of stories to “ooh” and “ahh” over. The variety of animals—from hawk to sled dog, pigeon to elephant, tortoise to orca—and the time frames in which the stories are found—390 B.C to May 2012—as well as the variety of countries—China to Kenya to the forests of New Mexico—provide a story for everyone. Included are the more familiar names like Balto the sled dog who helped to save the children of Nome, Alaska, in 1925, Keido the Orca who became famous after starring in “Free Willy,” and Hotfoot Teddy who became the first Smokey the Bear. But there are also amazing stories about the classically trained Balanchine Dancing Elephants, Lonesome George (the last tortoise of his kind), and pigs Butch and Sundance nicknamed the Tamworth Two. An excellent timeline at the end of the book, along with a map placing each story as well as a short biography of each animal provides additional information. The book also houses one of the most extensive recourse and further reading sections that I have ever seen in a children’s text, but is absolutely excellent for parents or teachers who would like to provide more information to interested younger readers. I would consider this an excellent resource for any elementary teacher. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.; Ages 7 to 12.

Children's Literature - Jean Boreen

12/01/2014
Gr 2–4—Readers will appreciate this dynamically written collection of inspiring true animal stories. These quick, satisfying reads are accompanied by factual sidebars (for instance, the tale of Washoe, a chimp who was taught sign language by scientists, also contains material on Nim Chimpsky, another chimpanzee who learned language). The authors have selected 19 tales, including the story of famed racehorse Seabiscuit; Keiko, the orca featured in the film Free Willy; Greyfriar's Bobby, a terrier who mourned at his owner's gravesite for years; Owen and Mzee, respectively a hippopotamus and a tortoise in Kenya who bonded during the tsunami; and Lonesome George, a tortoise who was the last of his subspecies. The gentle, digitally enhanced acrylic illustrations are attractive, though they lean toward the saccharine. One story recounts how sled dogs, including Balto, carried medicine through a treacherous snowstorm to save the children of Nome, AK, from life-threatening diphtheria; however, the art depicts doggy smiles, light snow, and an easy terrain. The back matter is valuable, including a map pinpointing the animals' locations, a chronology, character listing, and an author's note. Readers will enjoy this compendium and may even be motivated to seek out additional information on their favorites.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA

School Library Journal