Speed is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Jan de Bont in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Keanu Reeves , Dennis Hopper , Sandra Bullock , Joe Morton , Alan Ruck , and Jeff Daniels . The film tells the story of an LAPD police officer who tries to rescue civilians on a city bus rigged with a bomb programmed to explode if the bus slows down below 50 mph. It became a sleeper hit , critically and commercially successful, grossing $350.4 million on a $30 million budget and winning two Academy Awards , for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing , at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995.