Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) has formed a close bond with his six-year-old daughter Lynn (Courtney Chase) after recently becoming widowed. Gene is very mild-mannered and works as an accountant until one day when his life is thrown into turmoil. He and Lynn are both kidnapped while in Los Angeles’s Union Station. The kidnappers, Mr Smith (Christopher Walken) and Mrs Jones (Roma Maffia) thrust a loaded gun into Gene’s hand and tell him that he has 90 minutes to assassinate the governor of California (Marsha Mason) or he will never see his daughter again. Gene is sent to a local hotel where the governor is making a speech. Very conscious of the time line set Gene attempts to outsmart his daughters and kidnappers before it is too late.