"Crash": Linked Lives in L.A. Trivia Quiz

Answer: Paul Haggis

Haggis began his career in television on shows such as "thirtysomething" and "Northern Exposure". "Crash" is his feature film debut as a director. He was the first director for 2004's "Million Dollar Baby" for which he also adapted the screenplay, but Clint Eastwood requested that he be able to direct the film. Haggis agreed, and Eastwood subsequently won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. Haggis's screenplay lost to "Sideways". An interesting side note is that Haggis was inspired to write the screenplay to "Crash" after getting his car stolen. Carjacking is an event which occurs a number of times in the movie.

Answer: John

Matt Dillon's character's first name is barely revealed, but if you listen closely, you can hear his partner Officer Hanson (Ryan Phillippe) call him John. Officer Ryan is a police officer who is frustrated with his life because his father needs medical attention, but cannot afford it.

He blames this on a black woman (Loretta Divine) who works for his medical insurance company. He takes out his anger on a black man named Cameron (Terence Howard) who he pulls over, and even goes so far as to molest Cameron's wife Christine (Thandie Newton)! The next day, Officer Ryan is forced to take a hard look at his racist attitude when he tries to pull Christine out of a burning car, and she refuses to be rescued by him because she is afraid of him.

Answer: Anthony and Peter

Anthony and Peter make their living stealing cars and taking them to a chop shop. At the beginning of the movie, the two of them come out of a restaurant and Anthony complains that they got poor service because they were black. Peter counters this by stating that their waitress was black as well. Anthony replies that she knew two black guys would not tip well (so he gave her what she expected).

He goes on to gripe that even though they are in a white neighborhood, people on the sidewalk are trying to avoid them as much as possible.

He proves that this complaint is about as valid as his first one when he and Peter proceed to steal a white couple's (Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock) SUV at gunpoint.

Answer: Tony Danza

Danza has a brief role as Fred on the show that Cameron is directing. Fred is clearly racist. He intimidates Cameron into changing the lines of a black character in the show so that he sounds less intelligent, which he believes is accurate. Cameron grudgingly agrees, realizing that his wife Christine is right about the fact that he avoids racial confrontation. Later in the day, Anthony and Peter try to carjack him, but he loses his temper and soon winds up in a showdown with the police. Officer Ryan's ex-partner Officer Hanson manages to keep the police from shooting Cameron by telling them that he knows him, and warns Cameron not to press the matter.

Answer: Farhad

Farhad (Shaun Toub) is buying a gun and bullets at the beginning of the movie for protection in his store because the lock on his front door is broken. He calls a locksmith (Michael Peņa) who tells him that the problem is the door and not the lock. Farhad thinks he is being cheated, and refuses to pay for the service.

He comes into the store the next day to find it has been looted and vandalized by people who want him out of the neighborhood because they think he is a terrorist. When the insurance representative arrives, he claims that since Farhad did not heed the locksmith's advice, insurance will not cover the damage to the store.

Answer: A fairy

Daniel's daughter Lara (Ashlyn Sanchez) is hiding under her bed when Daniel comes home from work. When he asks her why, she tells him that she thought she heard a gun. In their old neighborhood, a bullet went through her window while she was sleeping.

At this point, he tells her his story about the fairy who gave him his cloak. He pretends to take it out, and he puts it around her, telling her that it will keep her safe. The next day, Farhad manages to track down Daniel with the intention of shooting him, to get revenge for his store.

When Lara sees a gun being pointed at her father, she jumps in front of him to protect him just as the gun is fired. This is the most heart-wrenching part of the movie as Daniel cries out in agony. Then he realizes that Lara is all right. We later find out that Farhad's daughter Doori (Bahar Soomekh) bought him blanks instead of regular bullets. Farhad believes that Lara is his guardian angel, who kept him from doing something horrible.

Answer: Ria

Graham (Don Cheadle) is the detective we see at the beginning of the movie who is philosophizing about life in L.A. Graham is arguably the main character of "Crash". Ria (Jennifer Esposito) is his girlfriend, who gets into an accident with an Asian-American woman. Later in the movie, they are in bed, and Graham's mother (Beverly Todd) calls him.

She wants him to find his younger brother who was missing. Graham tells her that he is busy having sex with a white woman. This angers Ria, both because she does not like how he talks to his mother, and she is Hispanic.

He claims that being Mexican is the same thing as being white, but he wanted to annoy his mother. She gets angrier, telling him that her parents are from Puerto Rico and El Salvador, and neither are Mexican.

Answer: False

Fraser's character, Rick Cabot, is the senior District Attorney of an indeterminate district of Los Angeles. After getting his car stolen by two black men, he has to spin the situation so that he does not lose votes from the black community. His staff recommends that he give a citation to a black law enforcement official.

The case that Graham is currently working on, involving a white cop killing a black cop, is used by Rick's staff as an example of a black hero. However, Graham objects because he is not sure the black officer was innocent.

Answer: Yes

York has a brief appearance as Officer Johnson. The song is very soulful, and emphasizes the dramatic action in the movie.

Answer: Peter

After their thwarted attempt to steal Cameron's car, Peter and Anthony split up, and Peter begins hitchhiking on the highway. Officer Hanson finally picks him up after a few hours. They listen to a Country music station on the radio, and this leads to an argument. Hanson is sure that his passenger is carrying a gun, and Peter knows this. Peter angrily reaches into his pocket, so Hanson shoots him. Peter was actually going to show him the St. Christopher figurine he always carries with him. Hanson realizes that he is just as racist as his ex-partner.

He leaves Peter's body in a field, and sets his car on fire. In the beginning of the movie, Graham is investigating the site where Peter's body is found. We then find out that Peter is Graham's missing brother.

When Graham tries to console his grief-stricken mother at the hospital, she blames him for Peter's death, claiming that he would not be dead if he had tried to find him.