Main Cast: Dabney Coleman, Matt Frewer, Teri Garr, Barry Corbin, Joe Pantoliano
Release Year: 1990
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Gregg Champion, the son of dance stars Marge and Gower Champion, made his feature film directorial debut with this sitcom-influenced cop comedy. Dabney Coleman stars as Burt Simpson, a police detective one week short of retirement, who is told he has a rare blood disease called Wechsler's Curtain and that he will be dead within two weeks. Before receiving the dire news, Burt was the kind of guy who made it a point to be cautious when in pursuit of criminals. He also was unable to tell his wife (Teri Garr) that he loved her. But now that he has only two weeks to live, Burt undergoes a complete personality reversal -- much to the shock of his partner Ernie Dills (Matt Frewer). Burt throws his well-known caution to the wind and volunteers for double-duty in the city's most dangerous neighborhood to take on the notorious psychotic Carl Stark (Xander Berkeley). The reason for this sudden turnaround? Burt figures that if he is killed in the line of duty, his son can go to Harvard on the $320,000 worth of department insurance, rather than die after retirement and collect a paltry $22,000 on his regular insurance policy. Paradoxically, Burt finds that comedy is easy but dying is hard. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Xander Berkeley - Carl Stark; Rob Roy - Dan Miller; Kaj-Erik Eriksen - Dougie Simpson; Deejay Jackson - Spivak; Shawn Clements - Older Dougie; Jack Ammon - Elderly Man; Gillian Barber - Nurse; Jack Bastow - Sidewalk Preacher; Paul Batten - Dr. Goldman; Jay Brazeau - Cop; Brenda Crichlow - Nurse; Gordon Doerkson - Cop; J. McRee Elrod - Priest; Gene Heck - Stark's Cohort; Paul Jarrett - Jonas Lutz; Kim Kondrashoff - Michael Lutz; Dwight Koss - Car Salesman; Jack Little - Hospital Cop; Sam Malkin - Hostage; Kevin McNulty - Dr. Drexler; Tony Pantages - Vito; Fred Perron - Cop; Betty Phillips - Clerk; Russell J. Roberts - Waiter; Alvin Sanders - Cop; Enid Saunders - Elderly Woman; David Symons - Cop; Wes Tritter - Coffin Salesman; Kimelly Anne Warren - Soap Opera Woman; Jerry Wasserman - Cop; Meredith Bain Woodward - Psychiatrist; Steven Wright - Helicopter Pilot; Peter Yunker - Soap Opera Man; Tony Morelli - Stark's Cohort; Beverly Hendry - Soap Opera Policewoman
Credit
Eric Fraser - Art Director, Lynne Carrow - Casting, Rob Cowan - Co-producer, Christopher Ryan - Costume Designer, Gregg Champion - Director, Frank Morriss - Editor, Michael Borofsky - Executive Producer, Joe Wizan - Executive Producer, Ira Newborn - Composer (Music Score), Derek Power - Musical Direction/Supervision, Steve Winwood - Songwriter, Jayne Dancose - Makeup, Michael S. Bolton - Production Designer, John Connor - Cinematographer, Todd Black - Producer, Malcolm R. Harding - Producer, Gwendolyn Margetson - Set Designer, Rory Cutler - Special Effects, Conrad Palmisano - Stunts, William Osborne - Screenwriter, Michael Berry - Screenwriter, John Blumenthal - Screenwriter, William Davies - Screenwriter, Gary Ross - Screenwriter
Short Time is a 1990 comedy movie by Gregg Champion and starring Dabney Coleman, Matt Frewer and Teri Garr. The film was released only on VHS and never released on DVD.
Plot
Seattle detective Burt Simpson (Coleman) is mistakenly told he has two weeks to live due to a medical mix-up after a routine checkup. He finds out that his family will not be entitled to his retirement fund if he dies of natural causes; they can only get benefits if he is killed in the line of duty. For the remainder of the movie, he takes greater and greater risks in the hopes that a suspect ends up killing him.
