Main Cast: Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin, Dennis Rodman, Casper Van Dien, Ron Silver
Release Year: 2000
Country: US
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Vic Cooper (Stephen Baldwin) is an undercover agent with U.S. Customs who is dedicated to his job, but has a bad habit of getting too close to his adversaries for his own good. Back on the force after a suspension, Cooper is assigned to infiltrate a group of nomadic sky-diving enthusiasts led by Red Line (Tom Berenger), who are believed to be smuggling drugs to support their lifestyle. Red Line and the other members of his group call themselves "cut aways" -- people who have cut their ties with conventional society to feed their appetite for the adrenaline rush of sky-diving full time. Cooper impresses Red Line and his second-in-command, Turbo (Dennis Rodman), with his sky-diving skills, and he's soon invited to join the group. But true to form, as Cooper develops a closer friendship with Red Line, he finds it harder to report his wrongdoings, and Cooper doesn't do himself any more favors when he becomes romantically involved with Star (Maxine Bahns), a beautiful female diver. Cutaway also features Casper Van Dien as Red Line's nemesis Delmira. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A U.S. Customs Agent, Victor "Vic" Cooper (Stephen Baldwin), is about to make a drug bust as a plane lands, but the pilot (Cat Stone) and the plane are searched and no evidence is found. Cooper later suspects that the drugs are being jettisoned by parachute and goes to a drop zone to investigate. He notices a picture of the pilot and then seeks to infiltrate a group of skydivers, led by a man named Red Line (Tom Berenger), believing they are involved in drug smuggling. The group is training for an upcoming competition where teams compete to be the fastest to form a ring formation of eight people during free-fall. Cooper trains in a vertical wind tunnel with a man in the Army, Delmira (Casper Van Dien), in order to quickly improve his skills. Cooper falls for a women in the group named Star (Maxine Bahns) and clashes with another member of the group named Turbo (Dennis Rodman). Lieutenant Brian Margate (Ron Silver) questions Agent Cooper's judgement and later questions his loyalty as Cooper becomes more and more enmeshed in the group.
The term "cutaway" is used in reference to the jumpers cutting away (leaving) from the former life (family, jobs, etc) to skydive.