The film is based on the excellent short novel STRAY DOGS by John Ridley, who also served as one of the film's producers. U-TURN stars Sean Penn as Bobby, a gambler on the run who has the misfortune to have his radiator hose blow in a godforsaken Arizona hole-in-the-wall. He quickly meets the stunning Grace McKenna (Jennifer Lopez), and they go to her place to become better acquainted. When her husband, real estate king Jake (Nick Nolte), catches the two together in the bedroom, they fight, but at a later meeting, he proposes that Bobby kill his wife for a reasonable sum. At first the gambler turns him down, but when all his money is torn to shreds in a freak accident, he realizes that he won't be able to get his car fixed unless he goes along. Grace's considerable charm, combined with her account of the mistreatment she's suffered at her husband's hands, dissuades Bobby from the job. But she now offers him the same deal to kill Jake. To add to his problems, Bobby is being hawked by… more »

The film is based on the excellent short novel STRAY DOGS by John Ridley, who also served as one of the film's producers. U-TURN stars Sean Penn as Bobby, a gambler on the run who has the misfortune to have his radiator hose blow in a godforsaken Arizona hole-in-the-wall. He quickly meets the stunning Grace McKenna (Jennifer Lopez), and they go to her place to become better acquainted. When her husband, real estate king Jake (Nick Nolte), catches the two together in the bedroom, they fight, but at a later meeting, he proposes that Bobby kill his wife for a reasonable sum. At first the gambler turns him down, but when all his money is torn to shreds in a freak accident, he realizes that he won't be able to get his car fixed unless he goes along. Grace's considerable charm, combined with her account of the mistreatment she's suffered at her husband's hands, dissuades Bobby from the job. But she now offers him the same deal to kill Jake. To add to his problems, Bobby is being hawked by the suspicious sheriff (Powers Boothe) and has been targeted by local badass Toby (Joaquin Phoenix), who thinks Bobby is after his girlfriend, Jenny (Clare Danes). Penn turns in a fine performance in this overripe noir, and the photograpy is excellent. A noirish departure for issue-oriented director Oliver Stone