Miles Logan, a skilled jewel thief who stashed his diamond in the air ducts of a building under construction which would later become a police station, served time behind bars for his thievery. Though Blue Streak (1999) is an action– comedy movie, it can be examined through a criminological lens to gain insight into the characters’ criminal behavior. Two relative theories to this movie are the Rational Choice theory which is demonstrated by Miles Logan’s assessment of risk vs reward as he continues his lawless activity in his quest to regain his stolen diamond and the Differential Association theory which explains how his criminal identity and techniques were shaped by long term exposure to deviant peers with immoral values. These theories together uncover a duality in Logan’s character in which he is both a strategic actor and a product of his environment.
Miles Logan’s behavior throughout the film demonstrates the calculated nature of the rational choice theory which states that individuals commit crime after considering the potential benefit(s) vs the risk of getting caught and the expected punishment for that crime (Seigal, 2021). The story begins with Miles carefully stealing a $17 million dollar diamond, and just prior to his plan completely failing he was able to stash the diamond away in the air ducts of a building under construction which would ironically become a police station. This turn of events led to Miles making calculated decisions to continue lawless activity such as impersonating a police officer to get his prize. From forging documents to continually manipulating his “colleagues” he shows a persistent pattern of calculated risk taking. Miles Logan doesn’t act irrationally either, but every move is a calculated decision which he believes would maximize his chances of success while minimizing detection.
The behavior of Miles Logan can also be related to the Differential Association theory which argues that individuals learn values, techniques, and motives through interactions with others who are already engaged in crime (Seigal, 2021). From the beginning of the film Miles is shown with Tulley and Eddie who both reinforce a lifestyle full of deception, theft, and evasion from law enforcement. Criminal conduct has been normalized for these characters due to their longstanding actions and involvement in crime. This idea is supported by the fact that Miles immediately reconnected with Tulley after his release from prison, who helped him infiltrate the police department so he could get his diamond. While not inherently deviant, Miles is a product of his environment and his social interactions.
By the end of the film Miles is successful in his calculated endeaver and is able to outsmart both criminal and law enforcement to escape into Mexico with his diamond. In the final scene of the movie after Miles heroically ended the life of Deacan, who had betrayed him in the original heist, Miles is confronted by Detective Carlson as he stands just across the border to Mexico after one final ill-fated attempt at deception where he attempted to convince the detectives he was actually a Federale. Carlson admits they had learned to think like a criminal as Miles had suggested and had uncovered the truth about who he was but would instead let him walk free this time. Mile’s final escape represents the ultimate payoff of his many calculated decisions related to rational choice theory. His ability to utilize deception and choice to continue a life of crime rather than reintegrate into society ties in with the Differential association theory, suggesting his behavior is both that of logic and learned values.
Cited:
Film Citation – Blue Streak Becker, L. (Director). (1999). Blue streak [Film]. Columbia Pictures.
Book Citation – Criminology: The Core (7th ed.) Siegel, L. J. (2021). Criminology: The core (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.