Matthias "Matt" Lee Whitlock is the respected Chief of Police of the fictional Florida Keys small town of Banyan Key, Florida. Recently separated, Whitlock is currently seeing local resident Anne Merai-Harrison, an old flame from high school whose husband Chris, a former professional quarterback seemingly oblivious to the relationship, abuses her. While attending Anne to the doctor, Whitlock finds out she has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Whitlock is also going through a divorce from his wife, homicide detective Alex.
Anne intends to reward Whitlock's loyalty to her by making him the sole beneficiary of her $1,000,000 life insurance policy. Whitlock suggests that she should travel to Switzerland to undergo a newly-developed, groundbreaking treatment. The problem is that Anne does not have any money. Desperate to help her, Matt takes $480,000 out of evidence and gives it to her so she can make the trip. When the $480,000 goes up in flames in a suspicious house fire that kills Anne and Chris, Whitlock is horrified to find their charred remains.
When the Drug Enforcement Administration agents call the next day to get the evidence money in order to bust a higher drug lord, Matt responds erratically. He also discovers a person who visited Anne. He finds out that the money is now with this new person and that Alex is about to bust him. He rushes to the hotel and after a brief struggle, he accidentally kills the stranger, takes the money and flees. Although Matt is seen by the police, he is thought to have come to protect Alex. The stranger is revealed to be Paul Cabot, the doctor who diagnosed Anne with cancer....
Directed by Carl Franklin
Produced by
Jesse Beaton
Damien Saccani
Neal H. Moritz
Written by David Collard
Starring
Denzel Washington
Eva Mendes
Sanaa Lathan
Dean Cain
Music by Graeme Revell
Cinematography Theo van de Sande
Edited by Carole Kravetz