The Mexican

The story follows Jerry Welbach (Pitt) as he travels through Mexico to find an antique gun, The Mexican, and smuggle it into the United States. Five years earlier Wellbach had caused a traffic accident in which he hit the car of local mobster Arnold Margolese (Gene Hackman), who was jailed for five years after the police searched his car following the crash. In compensation for the jail time, Welbach has been sent on various errands by Margolese's second-in-command, Bernie Nayman (Bob Balaban). This will be his final errand. Welbach has a girlfriend, Samantha (Julia Roberts), who constantly argues with him, among other things about his lack of commitment to their relationship.The gun has a legendary history, involving a curse involving its likelihood to misfire and its involvement in a jilted love-triangle where it is used as a suicide weapon. The gun smith's assistant was in love with the gunsmith's daughter, and was killed by another interested nobleman, prompting the suicide of their object of affection. The legend is reprised in the story. In a climactic scene, Welbach, Samantha and Margolese's "assistant" Nayman are involved in a brief standoff, with Samantha holding the "cursed" gun.