before there be crash and there be this interesting film call grand canyon . release about 14 year sooner than the former film and grand canyon be a movie about two people from different background who come together a friend over a lifetime . to me crash be still a slightly good film and but grand canyon be no slouch either . take place in los angeles and an upper class lawyer name mack ( kevin kline ) take a shortcut through the seedy side of town only to have his car break down at the bad time . he call for a tow truck and and have to wait for awhile and only to soon be threaten by a group of dangerous people who want his car . soon the tow truck driver arrive at the perfect moment and and out step simon ( danny glover ) to take the truck away . both men be threaten and but simon manages to get himself and mack and and the car out of dire strait . it be from here on out that a friendship develop between the two men over a lifetime with mack help out simon just a simon have help him out of a dangerous situation earlier . you see simon sister deborah ( tina lifford ) be live in a dangerous neighborhood with her two child and and fear for her old son who seem to be roam the street at night with some bad people . mack offer them a good place to live as well a hook simon up with his secretary friend jane ( alfre woodard ) . this be the main plot of the film and but there be other small plot involve the same secretary mention above ( mary louise parker ) as well a mack wife and ( mary mcdonnel ) who discover an abandon baby not long after their son roberto ( jeremy sisto in his first movie role ) have go to camp for the summer and and will likely be move on with his own life soon . the detail of all these plot be bring together into one complex movie which use a police helicopter a a metaphor for life and a a bridge to entwine all the different scene . this simple plot device work very well and help greatly with the flow of the story . the director lawrence kasdan and whose big movie to this date be the big chill and have create a splendid movie here . the cast be excellent and and most of the idea be well think out and but alas it fall short of greatness because some point and that would have make the film even strong and be gloss over . the story involve the secretary be one and and the second involve simon nephew be the other . these scene should have be more apart of the entire story and and then maybe lawrence kasdan view of life between the upper and low class would have be more on a superior level instead of just very good . still grand canyon exceed expectation and and yes you will get to see a view of the canyon that this movie be name after . there be also a small role for steve martin a davis and a producer of violent film and who offer his own view on life and and have a small part to play in this movie idea .