City of Industry

City of Industry

Year: 1997

Runtime: 97 mins

Language: English

Director: John Irvin

ThrillerCrime drugs and gangstersHeists and thrilling actionViolent action guns and crimeGritty crime and ruthless gangsters

A retired thief is driven by the urge to kill the madman who murdered his brother and former partner. Determined to avenge them, he flees the authorities while lugging the stolen loot, forced into a high‑stakes chase where his quest for revenge becomes the only reason he stays alive.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – City of Industry (1997)

Explore the full timeline and setting of City of Industry (1997). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Port Arthur, Texas

The story unfolds across sunlit Palm Springs where the jewelry heist is set, moves through the sprawling streets of Los Angeles as Roy plots, and ends with a relocation to Port Arthur, Texas. The film paints a gritty urban landscape shaped by crime networks, loan sharks, and mob involvement. The shifting locations reflect a life on the run and the collision between glamorous veneer and dangerous underworlds.

🏜️ Desert setting 🏙️ Urban crime world 🌴 California to Texas

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:55

Main Characters – City of Industry (1997)

Meet the key characters of City of Industry (1997), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Roy Egan (Harvey Keitel)

A retired thief who resurfaces to help his younger brother, Roy remains cool under pressure and ruthless when necessary. He navigates a web of debt and betrayal with wit and grit, using calculated moves to stay ahead. His arc blends fierce family loyalty with a willingness to cross lines for survival.

🗝️ Protagonist 🧠 Strategist 🗡️ Ruthless

Lee Egan (Timothy Hutton)

Roy’s younger brother who embodies camaraderie and risk-taking. His death during the early confrontation with Skip propels Roy into a relentless search for answers and retribution. He personifies the costs of bold plans in a world where loyalty can be fatal.

⚔️ Brother 🧭 Loyal

Skip Kovich (Stephen Dorff)

A ruthless debt-enforcer who weaponizes others to settle scores. He brazenly manipulates the situation to avoid taking the fall, escalating violence and deepening the criminals’ web. His calculated moves drive the film toward a brutal, decisive finale.

🗡️ Manipulator 💰 Debt-driven

Gena (Dana Barron)

Skip’s girlfriend who becomes entangled in the debt and danger surrounding the heist. She is drawn into the money game and ultimately becomes a casualty of the escalating conflict. Her presence highlights the collateral damage of criminal schemes.

💄 Casualty 🧱 Link

Rachel Montana (Famke Janssen)

Jorge’s widow who negotiates with Roy for information and protection. She becomes a wary ally, guiding Roy to key contacts and sharing survival knowledge about cash laundering and street networks. Her resilience helps Roy navigate the danger around him.

🗺️ Navigator 🕯️ Survivor

Jorge Montana (Wade Dominguez)

Lee’s ally whose death spurs Roy into action and reveals the breadth of the money trail. His loss demonstrates the precarious nature of alliances in a violent world. His contacts leave a lasting impact on Roy’s pursuit of justice and answers.

💔 Victim 🧭 Networker

Uncle Luke (François Chau)

A Chinese mob figure who launders cash and commands a brutal network. He stands as a significant obstacle to Roy, representing the organized-crime architecture behind Skip’s operation. His threat intensifies as Roy edges closer to the core of the money trail.

🕴️ Crime Boss 🗡️ Threat

Odell Williams (Michael Jai White)

A heavy who enforces debt and wields intimidation to protect the loan operation. He aligns with the mob to track Roy, embodying the financial underbelly that sustains criminal power. His presence ensures money and violence remain tightly linked.

💵 Enforcer 🛡️ Protector

Sunny (Tamara Clatterbuck)

Roy’s wife who confronts the personal costs of her husband’s criminal world. She represents the domestic fallout of a life entangled with danger and violence. Her perspective underscores the stakes of Roy’s choices for his family.

👰 Spouse 🧊 Calm under pressure

Harvey (Elliott Gould) - Loan Shark

The moneylender connected to the mob who uses leverage to push pursuit and profit. He thrives on debt and connections, illustrating how financial predators enable violent crime. His role heightens the sense that money fuels the chase as much as bullets.

💼 Banker/Criminal 🧩 Connector

Cathi Rose (Lucy Liu)

A character who operates within the film’s murky criminal network. Her presence hints at the broader web of players surrounding the core trio and adds depth to the crime-world setting. She contributes to the film’s multi-layered tension and dynamics.

🕵️‍♀️ Informant 🧭 Connector

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:55

Major Themes – City of Industry (1997)

Explore the central themes of City of Industry (1997), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🤝 Loyalty

Loyalty fuels the relationships at the core of the story, especially Roy's commitment to family and those who help him. The plot tests trust as debts, favors, and threats pull characters in opposing directions. The cost of staying true to kin escalates violence and personal risk, underscoring the moral tension between loyalty and self-preservation.

🔪 Revenge

Revenge is the driving force behind Roy’s pursuit of Skip after a brutal betrayal. Every confrontation intensifies danger and blurs lines between hunter and prey. The pursuit exposes how vengeance consumes objectives and tests humanity in the face of lethal opposition.

💰 Crime & Consequences

The film lays bare a web of crime—heists, loan-sharking, and mob ties—and examines how money fuels power and fear. Characters gamble with risk for cash and leverage, paying steep prices when plans unravel. The narrative portrays crime as a spiral that entangles both criminals and bystanders alike.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:55

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City of Industry Summary

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City of Industry Summary

City of Industry Timeline

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City of Industry Timeline

City of Industry Spoiler-Free Summary

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City of Industry Spoiler-Free Summary

More About City of Industry

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