Why Me? (1990 film)


Why Me? is a 1990 American caper comedy film directed by Gene Quintano and starring Christopher Lambert, Kim Greist, Christopher Lloyd, and J. T. Walsh. The screenplay is credited to Donald E. Westlake and Leonard Maas Jr., and is based on the fifth book in Westlake's series of John Dortmunder novels.

Plot

The Byzantine Fire, a sacred ruby on loan from Turkey to the United States for exhibition, no sooner arrives in Los Angeles than it is stolen by Eastern religious extremists and hidden inside the safe of a local jewelry store. When professional burglar and jewel thief Gus Cardinale breaks into the store and inadvertently steals the Byzantine Fire, he finds himself being chased around Los Angeles by the LAPD, the entire Los Angeles criminal element, two less-than-competent CIA agents, Turkish government agents and a not-too-tightly-wrapped female Armenian terrorist. Now Gus, with the help of his wacky partner Bruno and his girlfriend June, must figure out a way to not only return the Byzantine Fire without getting caught but also stay alive long enough to do so and just maybe make a profit out of the whole deal.

Cast

The film was released on April 20, 1990 in the United States.