John Travolta is Sam, a misguided museum guard who loses his job, then tries to get it back at gunpoint. Dustin Hoffman is Max, TV reporter taken hostage with schoolchildren when Sam locks down the museum. It's a desperate move for Sam, a career move for Max. Now on the inside of an exclusive, Max must give Sam's story a heroic spin, keep a cynical network anchor (Alan Alda) at bay, and above all, keep America watching.