In the Line of Fire (1993)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writer (WGA):

Jeff Maguire (written by)

Release Date:

9 July 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them...

Plot:

Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan couldn't save Kennedy, but he's determined not to let a clever assassin take out this president.

Plot Keywords:

Airforce One | President | Tense | Maniac | Assassination Plot

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan
John Malkovich	...	Mitch Leary
Rene Russo	...	Secret Service Agent Lilly Raines
Dylan McDermott	...	Secret Service Agent Al D'Andrea
Gary Cole	...	Secret Service Presidential Detail Agent-In-Charge Bill Watts
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	White House Chief of Staff Harry Sargent
John Mahoney	...	Secret Service Director Sam Campagna
Gregory Alan Williams	...	Secret Service Agent Matt Wilder (as Greg Alan-Williams)
Jim Curley	...	President
Sally Hughes	...	First Lady
Clyde Kusatsu	...	FBI Agent Jack Okura
Steve Hytner	...	FBI Agent Tony Carducci
Tobin Bell	...	Mendoza
Bob Schott	...	Jimmy Hendrickson
Juan A. Riojas	...	Raul

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

128 min | Portugal:138 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints) | SDDS (8 channels) (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #32342) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:R-18 | Peru:14 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Biltmore Hotel - 506 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This is so far the last film that Clint Eastwood has starred in without also directing.

Goofs:

Continuity: When they first meet in the White House, when Watts leaves the room, John Mahoney crosses his legs; the shot changes and he crosses them again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Al D'Andrea: [running late] Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, Frank, thank God. Thank God. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Homer and Apu (#5.13)" (1994)

Crackling excitement!

In The Line of Fire gives us a great game of cat and mouse. Clint Eastwood is plagued by John Malkovich in this riveting film. Malkovich says he's going to kill the president, and he purposely calls Eastwood, and pushes his buttons. He questions Eastwood's ability to protect someone. Malkovich brings a cold, but very intelligent mindset to his character. Everything he does, he does for a reason, and he's not shy about killing. Eastwood has to overcome the suspicions of his superiors in order to catch Malkovich, but no one wants to listen to him. The result is a film that crackles with suspense that escalates to a tense scene in a ballroom at the Bonneventure Hotel. Wolfgang Peterson ratchets up the tension and we feel every turn.