What is interesting about this film is what develops between Alice and Terry. Their relationship drives the meaning of the story. From the moment these two meet, he feels a connection to her. No longer is this just a job for him; this is something more personal.
Crowe has an incredible ability to display the emotions of his character through his eyes. Before he met her, there was only contentment in his eyes. Then in this first meeting, his eyes sparkle. When they separate due to money constraints, you see his disappointment. When he returns to help her, you can see the passion in his eyes. She gives him a purpose in life that was not there before.
Alice responds to him in a different way. Meg Ryan gives her character vulnerability, one of her trademark characteristics. On some level, she senses Terry's feelings. Rather than shy away from him, she allows him to pursue his emotions. She mirrors his behaviors, but not with her eyes. She shows her affections with her actions. You see it in her words and her touch. She opens herself up to him on a deeper level, without taking it too far. He gives her the reciprocation that she needed from her husband.
How their relationship drives the story has more to do with the effort they put into the ransom negotiations. Though Terry begins to care deeply about Alice, he puts all his passion into his work. Again, she responds to his fervor with physical responses. How this is intriguing to me is that she never loses that renewed sense of purpose I mentioned in the last article. In spite of everything, her love for Peter never diminishes. At the same time you see her becoming increasingly attracted to Terry, you see her continue to fight to get her husband back. Interestingly enough, Terry mirrors her behavior. He uses his affection as a motivation to get her husband back.
The simultaneous path Peter takes is more obvious. During his captivity, he uses his time to think about his life with Alice. He sees all that he has taken for granted. At some point, he realizes what he has with her is truly special. It is almost painful to see him this way, only because of the developing bond between his wife and his hostage negotiator.
I do not want to venture too far into the ending of the movie. I will say that the journey these characters take creates the metaphor. The term "proof of life" has to do with the hostage negotiations. Before you set the price, you ask for proof that your victim is still alive. In a way, what these characters go through is their proof of life. The relationships that they build facilitate their testimonies. When you face a life-threatening situation, you must force yourself to look at your life from a different perspective. All the things in your life that you care about receive an elevated sense or importance. For Peter, he chooses his job over his marriage. Alice on the other hand chooses to let go of the past. Now she looks forward to a new beginning with her husband. Lastly, Terry no longer puts his own needs on the back burner. He can go on with his life and search for new meaning.
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