The film was not released in its native widescreen version on VHS and laserdisc by its owner, RCA/Columbia then Sony, and the widescreen version has been available to rent or download from Apple and Amazon for years. No legal issue prevented its release on DVD, until Sony eventually got around to releasing a Blu-ray in April 2024.
The dramatic narration performed in the cop bar by Rizzo (Tony Denison) is from the opening of the late 50s TV show Highway Patrol.
Gina Gershon only had a small role, but she said it led to getting several offers for other projects.
The film cast includes one Oscar winner: Chris Cooper; and three Oscar nominees: David Strathairn, John Sayles and Angela Bassett.
"Due to legal rights issue, the film has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray. Amazon Prime only offers the pan-and-scan version online over John Sayles' preferred widescreen version." These statements are no longer true, and as directed, I submitted a new paragraph, corrected, which is now also on the current trivia section. This old, wrong, version should retire in deference to the newer entry.