Plot
Retired master car thief Randall "Memphis" Raines (Nicolas Cage) is forced to return to Long Beach, California and his former trade to steal 50 cars in 72 hours for British crime boss Raymond "The Carpenter" Calitri (Christopher Eccleston). Calitri is threatening to kill Memphis's younger brother Kip (Giovanni Ribisi) after Kip and his associates failed to make the deadline to deliver the stolen cars. Memphis quickly reassembles his old crew including his mentor Otto (Robert Duvall), former girlfriend Sway (Angelina Jolie), former colleagues Donny (Chi McBride) and Sphinx (Vinnie Jones). Raines also reluctantly agrees to allow Kip and his crew to participate after being told by Otto that the job would be impossible without them.
L.A.P.D. Detectives Roland Castlebeck (Delroy Lindo) and Drycoff (Timothy Olyphant) get wind of Raines's return to town and begin investigating. Raines decides to steal all 50 cars in one night so that the police won't be on to the thefts until it's too late. As the thefts begin, the plan is changed midstream when Castlebeck learns the identity of three cars to be stolen and stakes them out. Recognizing the police surveillance, Raines instead brazenly steals three alternate cars from a police lot.
After discovering the list of cars to be stolen, Castlebeck predicts that Memphis will save the 1967 Custom Fastback Mustang codenamed Eleanor, for last. Memphis had unsuccessfully tried to steal the same model car numerous times in the past but each attempt ended badly. When Detective Castlebeck catches Memphis in the act of stealing Eleanor a high-speed chase ensues through Long Beach. The chase ends when Raines jumps the car over a traffic jam on the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
Memphis arrives at Calitri's salvage yard 12 minutes after the deadline. Calitri and Memphis argue over the deadline and the condition of the car, which sustained damage during the police chase. Calitri decides to make an example out of Memphis and orders his men to kill Raines and crush the car. Memphis manages to break free with the help of Attly Jackson (Will Patton) and Kip, and confronts Calitri himself. Calitri is interrupted from killing Raines by the arrival of Castlebeck, who has learned of Memphis's true reasons for pulling the job. Memphis manages to kill Calitri by pushing him over a railing. Castlebeck, indebted to Raines for saving his life, lets Memphis go. In return Memphis tells him where the stolen cars are.
The film ends at a barbecue held by Raines's crew in celebration of the success of the job. As a token of his gratitude, Kip presents Memphis with a pair of keys in a small box. As Memphis is wondering what the keys are for, Otto invites everyone inside. Memphis realizes that Kip bought a rusty old Fastback Mustang for him to restore as his own. Memphis is worried that Kip stole the car but is assured that Kip actually sold his chopper to buy it. The film ends with Memphis and Sway driving off in the car, which stalls out.
Read more about this topic: Gone In 60 Seconds (2000 film)
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