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In the Line of Fire poster

In the Line of Fire

year 1993decade 90sdirector Wolfgang Petersengenre Dramagenre Mysterygenre Thriller

128 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Clint Eastwood Frank Horrigan
John Malkovich Mitch Leary
Rene Russo Lilly Raines
Dylan McDermott Al D’Andrea
Gary Cole Bill Watts
Fred Dalton Thompson Harry Sargent
John Mahoney Sam Campagna
Gregory Alan-Williams Matt Wilder
Jim Curley President
Sally Hughes First lady
Clyde Kusatsu Jack Okura
Steve Hytner Tony Carducci
Tobin Bell Mendoza
Bob Schott Jimmy Hendrickson
Elsa Raven Booth’s landlady
Arthur Senzy Paramedic
Patrika Darbo Pam Magnus
Ryan Cutrona LAPD brass
Lawrence Lowe FBI technician
Brian Libby FBI supervisor
Eric Bruskotter Young agent
Patrick Caddell Political speaker
John Heard Professor Riger
Alan Toy Walter Wickland
Carl Ciarfalio CIA agent Collins
Robert Peters Hunter
Tyde Kierney Police captain Howard
Anthony Peck FBI official
Rick Hurst Bartender
Doris E. McMillon DC news anchor
Robert Sandoval Bellboy
Joshua Malina Agent Chavez
William G. Schilling Sanford Riggs
Michael Kirk Computer technician/Bates
Richard Camphuis Party fat cat
Robert Alan Beuth Man at bank
Susan Lee Hoffman Woman at bank
Donna Hamilton Reporter at Dulles
Bob Jimenez Reporter at hotel
Cylk Cozart Agent Cozart
Michael Zurich Agent Zurich
Rich DiDonato Undercover agent
Jeffrey Kurt Miller Undercover agent
Kirk Jordan Agent

In the Line of Fire | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanproducer Craig Horlbeck
Explore episodeClose episode

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:57Read transcript
  • Ebert’s rating is stated as three and a half stars; no scale is spoken.
  • The quoted review praises the villain and compares the story with Dirty Harry.
  • The first Dirty Harry is described as a crazier version of this story.
  • The quoted review calls this Eastwood’s best genre work since Tightrope.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Final phone call and rooftop chase

In the discussion (21)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:17Read transcript
  • The opening boat scene is praised, including Tobin Bell and McDermott with a bag over his head.
  • Whether Frank can identify an unloaded gun by weight is debated; a magician’s card-counting-by-weight demonstration makes the premise seem plausible.
  • Frank meeting Lily and trading chauvinist jokes is a scene candidate; her amused pushback is praised.
  • Frank’s introductory insults and overt flirting would be unacceptable in a modern workplace.
  • The second phone call’s Kennedy discussion is praised, especially Frank’s pause before conceding his critics may have been right.
  • The villain’s dismissive judgment of Kennedy’s favorite poem is enjoyed.
  • The bank visit is a scene candidate, especially the instant the invented Minneapolis high school exposes Mitch and he decides to kill the clerk.
  • The ice-cream walk and window-dressing argument are scene candidates, despite Frank’s objectionable manner.
  • Lily looking back as Frank hopes she will is a praised romantic beat.
  • Frank’s demographic joke and regretful address to Lincoln are enjoyed.
  • Frank’s bronchitis-related breakdown while protecting the president is a scene candidate.
  • The phone call framing the contest as offense versus defense is a scene candidate.
  • Frank’s encounter with the CIA and the description of Mitch as a wet boy are scene candidates.
  • Mitch killing the hunters with his homemade gun is a scene candidate.
  • The furious phone confrontation flowing into the chase is agreed as the most rewatchable scene.
  • Treating all the phone calls as a single scene is suggested as a possible cheat.
  • The rooftop pursuit is praised, while McDermott’s inability to keep up is mocked.
  • Mitch saving Frank and the reportedly improvised gun-in-mouth gesture are praised.
  • Frank identifying the assassin and the final gun confrontation are scene candidates.
  • The elevator climax is praised, especially breaking the light bulbs and using the walkie-talkie to direct Lily to aim high.
  • The last phone call followed by the chase is reaffirmed as the shared scene choice.

What’s Aged the Best?

Wall collage; too-old-for-this trope; Castle Rock; Washington; flawed cops; Secret Service cooperation; flirting; binoculars; assassination plan; disguises; archival footage; elevator; answering machine

In the discussion (17)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:55Read transcript
  • The villain’s assassination wall collage is an aged-best choice; its apparent replacement by online conspiracy activity is debated.
  • The familiar too-old-for-this warning is praised as an effective action-movie device.
  • The 1990s Castle Rock run is praised.
  • 1990s Washington locations are praised.
  • The functional alcoholic cop with poor social skills is praised as a recognizable hero type.
  • The Secret Service’s reported first full cooperation with a film is praised, with irony noted that the story centers on its greatest failure.
  • Frank’s horny but self-aware flirtation with Lily is an aged-best choice.
  • Tiny assassin binoculars are an aged-best choice.
  • Mitch’s donation-based access plan is praised as carefully designed, while its lack of an escape plan is acknowledged.
  • The homemade gun is raised as both impressive and frightening; the woodshop dedication is joked about.
  • Mitch’s outfits, disguises and deliberate weight gain are praised.
  • Young Eastwood footage incorporated into Kennedy material is praised as convincing.
  • Frank’s quiet description of Dallas the night before the final assassination attempt is singled out as a strong scene.
  • The Bonaventure elevator is praised as an iconic movie location, compared with elevators in The Silence of the Lambs, Die Hard and Dressed to Kill.
  • The roommates’ theatrical outgoing answering-machine message is an aged-best choice, prompting memories of shared messages.
  • Assassins making unnecessary trips to other cities is an enjoyed trope.
  • Mitch’s Hunter S. Thompson-like travel disguise is praised.

Grossest Use of Food

Mitch Leary’s diet (proposal)

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:20Read transcript
  • Mitch Leary’s diet prompts a proposed Grossest Use of Food category.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Al D’Andrea

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:44Read transcript
  • McDermott’s Al is the weak-link choice, described as overwhelmed and unable to navigate or solve problems.
  • Al’s fearfulness and disastrous pursuit make his suitability for the Secret Service implausible.
  • The character is said to have damaged appreciation of McDermott, though being so memorably irritating could imply an effective performance; the characterization is still judged an unnecessary miss.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Tackling dummy better than Al; Russo the most entertaining 1990s actress

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:44Read transcript
  • The hot take asks whether a tackling dummy would be a better agent than Al.
  • Russo is proposed as the most entertaining actress of the 1990s, with nine rewatchable films offered in support.
  • Roberts’s competing filmography is considered, but Russo remains the preference.
  • The vehemence of the Russo preference is questioned as possibly an impression rather than a sincere take.
  • Bullock’s 1990s filmography is another challenge to the Russo claim, but Russo’s Thomas Crown Affair finish sustains the preference.
  • The Russo list names Lethal Weapon 3, Freejack, In the Line of Fire, Outbreak, Get Shorty, Tin Cup, Ransom, Lethal Weapon 4 and The Thomas Crown Affair; Major League is raised and excluded before the nine-film list.
  • The Roberts comparison names Pretty Woman, Flatliners, Sleeping with the Enemy, The Player, The Pelican Brief, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Conspiracy Theory, Notting Hill and Runaway Bride; Erin Brockovich is explicitly placed in 2000. Pretty Woman’s year is corrected from1989to1990.
  • The Bullock comparison names Love Potion No.9, The Vanishing, The Thing Called Love, Demolition Man, Speed, While You Were Sleeping, The Net, A Time to Kill, Speed2, Practical Magic and Forces of Nature; it is an unranked filmography comparison.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Score (disputed); answering-machine ending; harassment; cockamamie; old photos; murders; hotel association; age-gap sex; small talk

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:47Read transcript
  • The score, especially the opening, is called cheesy; another view disagrees.
  • The crucial answering-machine message is considered dated, but ignoring the dead villain’s final statement is defended as a joke about his self-importance.
  • Frank’s sexual harassment is an aged-worst choice.
  • Cockamamie is considered dated even for 1993.
  • The altered old photos of Malkovich are criticized, unlike Eastwood’s convincing images.
  • The abrupt neck-breaking murders of Sally and Pam are judged insufficiently scary and physically implausible.
  • The ineffective German shepherd is mocked.
  • Malkovich reportedly wanted the dog killed too, but Petersen refused.
  • Staying at the Bonaventure is imagined as uncomfortable because of the movie’s murder association.
  • Eastwood’s age and the absence of Viagra in 1993 prompt jokes about the romance.
  • Al’s mundane family small talk is criticized as a pre-internet conversational habit; sports or modern podcast chatter are suggested alternatives.

Casting What-Ifs

Hoffman, Redford, Hackman, Jones or Connery as Frank; De Niro, Harris or Dafoe as Mitch; Close or Stone as Lily

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:02Read transcript
  • Hoffman reportedly was originally attached as Frank with Michael Apted directing; the script had circulated since around 1987.
  • Redford is a reported Frank possibility.
  • Hackman is a reported Frank possibility.
  • Tommy Lee Jones is a reported Frank possibility.
  • Connery is a reported Frank possibility.
  • De Niro reportedly was offered Mitch after Eastwood joined but was making A Bronx Tale; the discussion imagines overlap with his other sinister roles.
  • Glenn Close reportedly declined Lily.
  • Sharon Stone reportedly declined Lily.
  • Ed Harris reportedly was considered for Mitch.
  • Willem Dafoe reportedly was considered for Mitch.
  • Both alternatives are thought capable, but neither would reproduce Malkovich’s particular performance.

Recasting Couch

Pullman, Baldwin or Mulroney as Al; Ridgely or Hall as president; Washington, Gyllenhaal, Crowe and Larson for a modern version

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:30Read transcript
  • Redford as Frank opposite Hoffman as Mitch is an imagined All the President’s Men reunion.
  • Bill Pullman is suggested as Al and receives agreement.
  • William Baldwin is also suggested as Al.
  • Robert Ridgely is proposed to make the largely anonymous president more memorable.
  • Philip Baker Hall is another proposed president.
  • Dermot Mulroney is proposed instead of Dylan McDermott, though the problem is judged a mismatch between actor and character.
  • Denzel Washington is proposed for a modern Frank; a fictional disgrace could replace the Kennedy history.
  • Gyllenhaal is proposed as a modern Mitch.
  • Gosling is questioned as insufficiently explosive for Mitch.
  • A Washington–Russell Crowe reunion is floated, with concern about Crowe’s physical suitability.
  • Brie Larson is proposed for a better role in a modern version.
  • A more vulnerable, self-deprecating treatment of Washington’s age would be appealing.
  • Laura Linney is mentioned as another possible casting fit.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Wheelchair gun expert (Professor Finley actor)

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:25Read transcript
  • Fred Thompson is described as a former that-guy who became recognizable by name.
  • Tobin Bell is another former that-guy.
  • Gary Cole is a former that-guy, though he still qualified in 1993.
  • John Mahoney is described as having graduated from that-guy status around Say Anything.
  • Brian Libby is a that-guy candidate, with Silent Rage and Shawshank roles recalled.
  • Joshua Malina is another former that-guy.
  • Clyde Kusatsu is a that-guy candidate among the investigators.
  • Steve Hytner is another investigator that-guy candidate.
  • Anthony Peck is another that-guy candidate, with his Die Hard with a Vengeance role recalled.
  • Kusatsu and the actor playing Seinfeld’s Kenny Banya are runners-up.
  • The wheelchair gun expert, recognized as Professor Finley from 90210, is the final that-guy choice; the actor’s name is not recalled.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Railsback

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:37Read transcript
  • The wheelchair gun expert is also a heat-check candidate.
  • The suspicious bank clerk is a heat-check candidate.
  • Fred Thompson is a heat-check candidate.
  • Tobin Bell is a heat-check candidate for a single scene.
  • The choice is transcribed Railsback; The Stunt Man and a Manson performance are recalled. No first name is supplied.
  • John Heard is praised but considered underused; more scenes with him are desired.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Sets; digital campaign footage; Clinton endorsement; Malkovich isolation; effects cost; trailer failure; studio split

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:39Read transcript
  • The White House scenes reportedly reused an existing set.
  • The Air Force One set reportedly cost $250,000 to build.
  • Bush and Clinton campaign footage reportedly was digitally altered for the fictional reelection campaign.
  • The filmmakers reportedly decided against using Clinton’s endorsement in marketing.
  • Malkovich reportedly isolated himself for over a month to prepare, but was sociable and professional on set.
  • The digital effects reportedly cost $4 million.
  • An early trailer reportedly drew laughter at Eastwood’s final line and had to be remade; the trailer was not located during preparation.
  • A credit and contribution dispute reportedly led Castle Rock to leave Columbia the next year.

Apex Mountain

Bonaventure hotel; early 1990s adult thrillers

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:58Read transcript
  • Eastwood is rejected as an Apex choice.
  • Malkovich’s competing peaks are discussed; Being John Malkovich is preferred, with Rounders’s later growth and this film’s constant cable presence contributing context.
  • Russo is rejected here in favor of Tin Cup, while Two for the Money is recalled as a weaker role.
  • Tobin Bell is rejected as an Apex choice.
  • The rooftop chase is strongly praised, but a definitive Apex is left open to audience alternatives including Bourne, Skyfall and The Matrix.
  • Assassination movies are rejected here in favor of JFK.
  • Petersen’s peak is placed at Das Boot rather than this film.
  • The Bonaventure hotel is an unequivocal Apex choice.
  • The early 1990s adult-thriller era is affirmed as a peak, especially 1992–1994.
  • Washington as a movie location is rejected here in favor of All the President’s Men and the 1970s paranoid-thriller period.

Picking Nits

Frank’s reinstatement; Lily’s availability; false alarm; ballroom escape; elevator decisions; unpaid bet; Oswald account; phone tracing; rescue; gun drawing

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:25Read transcript
  • Returning Frank immediately to protection without even a fitness test is criticized as implausible.
  • Lily’s apparent availability and attraction to an older troubled man are questioned; the characterization of Frank as a raging alcoholic is disputed.
  • Frank remaining involved after the balloon false alarm is questioned.
  • Repeated official dismissal of Frank’s credible threat warnings is criticized.
  • Mitch surviving the failed shot and moving Frank to the elevator without being shot or restrained is considered implausible; crowd confusion is a tentative explanation.
  • Mitch’s failure to kill Frank in the elevator is criticized as an overlong victory speech.
  • Mitch’s failure to recognize that Frank is transmitting instructions is criticized.
  • An unpaid $20 Super Bowl bet lingering for years is questioned; the opponent is corrected from Buffalo to Denver.
  • The film’s unquestioning acceptance of the Oswald account is questioned given its release shortly after JFK.
  • Mitch’s repeated ability to defeat phone tracing is questioned; specialized assassin technology offers a possible explanation, and the keep-him-talking trope is enjoyed.
  • Frank trying to save Mitch is questioned, with duty and the distinction between death and justice offered in response.
  • The wheelchair expert openly drawing a gun before agents is considered implausible without a violent response.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Best model turned actress; missing Washington thrillers; Eagles tush push

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:21Read transcript
  • Russo is affirmed as the best model turned actress over the listed alternatives Lauren Hutton, Farrah Fawcett, Rebecca Romijn and Famke.
  • Andie MacDowell is a serious alternative, but Russo remains preferred.
  • Whether MacDowell deserves additional credit for having an actress daughter becomes a joking extension of the comparison.
  • The disappearance of strong Washington political thrillers is questioned; filming expense is a tentative explanation and House of Cards a recent example.
  • The ballroom evacuation is jokingly compared with the Eagles’ tush-push play.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Wooden gun; opera glasses; wheelchair

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:49Read transcript
  • The wooden gun is the principal memorabilia choice, despite personal reluctance to own it.
  • Mitch’s opera glasses are a memorabilia alternative.
  • The professor’s wheelchair is another memorabilia choice.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

No second chances with presidential safety; do not warn the Secret Service

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:09Read transcript
  • Do not give a second chance when presidential safety is at stake is one life lesson.
  • Do not repeatedly warn the Secret Service about a planned assassination is another life lesson.

Producer review

Entertaining and grounded in history; Eastwood’s delivery too slow

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:40Read transcript
  • The film is enjoyed, with a nearby listener’s reactions used as evidence of compelling scenes.
  • The grounding in real history is praised.
  • Major stars playing terrible people is praised as a less common contemporary practice.
  • The immediate boat-scene opening is praised instead of a slow Washington montage.
  • Eastwood’s slow delivery is criticized from a younger viewer’s perspective.
  • Another view notes that this is relatively lively by Eastwood’s standards, while the complaint that he always seems too old remains.

More from the conversation

The summer 1993 release schedule is celebrated for adult-oriented, self-contained star-driven films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:40Read transcript
The director, cinematographer, score and lead casting are credited with elevating a premise that could have become a routine thriller.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:54Read transcript
Malkovich joins a praised run of unusual prestigious actors playing major action villains; his cerebral, neurotic quality contrasts with Eastwood.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:19Read transcript
The Killing Fields, Empire of the Sun and Dangerous Liaisons are recalled as formative Malkovich performances; Of Mice and Men is also praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:30Read transcript
Later Malkovich performances developed a recognizable larger-than-life persona; Mitch initially feels more like an unnerving ordinary stranger.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:28Read transcript
The phone conversations are considered the most thrilling scenes; they reportedly were shot continuously, explaining repeated wardrobe.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:09Read transcript
The agent’s chance to redeem his failure to save Kennedy is a strong premise, enhanced by the villain’s psychological intensity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:01Read transcript
The antagonist’s attempted bond with the hero is compared with The Vanishing, Die Hard, Silence of the Lambs and Heat; both men voice disillusionment with their country, but Frank rejects kinship.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:17Read transcript
Malkovich’s balance of excess and restraint is considered difficult to replace; the sharp phone dialogue makes a physically distant threat feel immediate.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:49Read transcript
A recalled Matt Damon anecdote describes Malkovich initially experimenting with Teddy KGB’s Russian accent.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:58Read transcript
Malkovich’s distinctive face, silence and seductive manner create menace; contemporary model-like casting is contrasted with memorable unusual faces.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:57Read transcript
The supporting-actor Oscar field is praised: winner Tommy Lee Jones alongside Malkovich, Pete Postlethwaite, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ralph Fiennes; Hackman in The Firm is a noted omission.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:01Read transcript
The film’s Kennedy premise is placed after JFK and Seinfeld’s assassination references; Clint Hill’s emotional interview is described as inspiration.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:09Read transcript
Alternative Kennedy-assassination theories and a visit to the Dallas Book Depository prompt speculative political jokes.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:05Read transcript
Eastwood’s early 1990s run turns aging and regret into character strengths while retaining believable action ability.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:02Read transcript
Newman in The Color of Money and Jones in No Country for Old Men are comparisons for late-career reflection; Cruise is jokingly treated as resistant to aging.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:15Read transcript
Eastwood’s repeated career revivals are compared with Jack Nicklaus and Aaron Rodgers.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:29Read transcript
The Russo romance is seen as a reach today and even in 1993, but chemistry and Eastwood’s established screen history help sell it.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:19Read transcript
Romance is considered a weaker part of Eastwood’s film persona; the discussion wanders through confused Western recollections, Sondra Locke casting and the appeal of the orangutan films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:45Read transcript
Russo’s 1990s run and succession of major leading men are celebrated.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:14Read transcript
Russo’s transition from prominent 1970s modeling to acting is recounted.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:47Read transcript
Russo is proposed as perhaps the most successful model turned actress, with her late acting breakthrough emphasized.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:16Read transcript
Russo’s chemistry with Eastwood is praised because her skepticism about his dinosaur-like chauvinism feels believable.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:38Read transcript
Fast 10 and Brie Larson’s recent choices prompt criticism of the disappearance of well-written mid-budget star vehicles like Russo’s 1990s films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:47Read transcript
Long Shot is praised as a modern vehicle with a Russo-like leading-woman role; a geriatric remake with Eastwood becomes a joke.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:40Read transcript
Petersen’s varied career from German films through Das Boot and The NeverEnding Story to commercial thrillers is praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:06Read transcript
A future submarine-movie month is proposed around The Hunt for Red October, Das Boot and a repeat Crimson Tide; it is not this episode’s theme.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:44Read transcript
The film reportedly received supporting-actor, original-screenplay and editing Oscar nominations; the script had circulated for years.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:20Read transcript
The film is considered a predecessor to later White House action thrillers and 24.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:38Read transcript
Washington’s cinematic appeal and the film’s use of its monuments are praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:02Read transcript
A reported $40 million budget and$187 million gross are discussed; this was one of several 1993 films immediately revisited in theaters.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:47Read transcript
The Fugitive is favored among the repeatedly seen summer 1993 thrillers, with Jurassic Park also mentioned.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:30Read transcript
The school-name exchange prompts jokes about a fictional Archbishop Simmons school and tangents about Boston airport security and youth soccer.
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:33Read transcript
Rooftop chases evoke childhood jumping risks and examples from The Untouchables, The Godfather, Vertigo and Mission: Impossible, with Taken 2 uncertain.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:53Read transcript
Thomas Crown Affair, The Hunt for Red October and Almost Famous are jokingly reserved for particular future podcast participants.
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:44Read transcript
The hosts discuss listeners watching before or after the podcast and the desire to keep category answers surprising.
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:14Read transcript
The closing credit names producer Craig Horlebeck; an older horror film is announced for next week, not as the current episode theme.
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:04Read transcript