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Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole ... see more see more... , Fred Dalton Thompson , John Mahoney , Jim Curley , Sally Hughes , Clyde Kusatsu , Steve Hytner , Tobin Bell , Patrika Darbo , John Heard , Robert Alan Beuth , Eric Bruskotter , Richard G. Camphuis , Carl Ciarfalio , Cylk Cozart , Ryan Cutrona , Susan Lee Hoffman , Rick Hurst , Tyde Kierney , Brian Libby , Lawrence Lowe , Walt MacPherson , Joshua Malina , Anthony Peck , Elsa Raven , William G. Schilling , Bob Schott , Arthur Senzy , Gregory Alan Williams , Alan Toy , Donna Hamilton , Jane Jenkins , Janet Hirshenson , Juan A. Riojas , Aaron Michael Lacey , Robert Peters , Michael Kirk

Clint Eastwood delivers one of his finest performances, as a secret service agent haunted by his past in Wolfgang Petersen's taut thriller In the Line of Fire. Eastwood plays Frank Horrigan, a secret ... read more read more...service agent who keeps thinking back to November 22, 1963, when, as an agent hand-picked by President Kennedy, he became one of the few agents to have lost a president to an assassin. Decades later, psychotic Mitch Leary (John Malkovich) is stalking another president (Jim Curley) running for re-election. He has spent long hours studying the psyche of Frank Horrigan, and he taunts Horrigan (feeling that there is a bond between them), telling him of his plans to kill the president. After his conversation with Leary, Horrigan makes sure he is assigned to presidential protection duty. Horrigan has no intention of failing his president this time around, and he is more than willing to take a bullet. But everything goes Leary's way -- he is smart and cagey and the president's aides refuse to alter the itinerary. As the election draws closer, Horrigan's chances to catch Leary look to be less and less a possibility, and he begins to doubt his own abilities -- both now and in the past, when Kennedy was murdered. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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72% liked it

52,020 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

41 critics

R, 2 hr. 7 min.

Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen

Release Date: July 9, 1993

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DVD Release Date: April 29, 1997

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Stats: 1,416 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,416)

  • ironclad1609
    March 1, 2012
    ironclad1609
    The secret agent who was on duty in Dallas when Kennedy was shot wants a second chance as a maniac starts to threaten the president. John Malkovich delivers one of his greatest performances as ruthless psychopath (or is he?) who starts playing mind games with protagonist Eastwood... read more, who is far from over his failure in the past. While the agent has to deal with a new team of coworkers, his past and his age, the stalker seeks the contact to him, raising questions like whether or not a president is worth taking a bullet for. Their phone conversations are great scenes of two worthy opponents, with the psycho having the advantage on his side for the longest times. Thankfully, the film never gets overly political or even patriotic, but sticks to its thriller theme and works great there. Of course, things lead to a very exciting showdown. A very satisfying, entertaining and engaging thriller.
  • cosmo313
    February 24, 2012
    cosmo313
    Featuring an excellent script, great direction, and some wonderfully solid performances, this is a very exciting film, and one of the most taut, and suspense, and first-rate thrillers out there. Frank Horrigan is a veteran secret service agent who failed to save JFk from being as... read moresassinated. He's still haunted by his past three decades later, and it all comes rushing back to him when he starts receinving menacign phone calls from a sadistic man who stalks him and keeps making threats to not only take out the current president, but Frank as well. This new threat really starts to wear Frank down even more, but the situation also provides him with a long awaited chance at both redemption and closure.

    Oh sure, the film is slick, Hollywood-ized and not without some cliches, but despite all that, this is a tightly wound, occasionally very smart, and engaging thriller. What really makes a lot of it work is Jeff Maguire's great script, and the standout performances from a talented and notable cast. Eastwood brings genuine class, heart, and authenticity to the role of Frank, and John Malkovich, though he's now typecasted for this sort of thing, is truly mancing and scary as the cunning, devious, and psyche bruising antagonist. He's played some really great and chilling villains before, but this one easily deserves to be somewhere very near, if not right on top of that list. He brings jsut the right touch to keep the character from becoming a cartoon, or just mindless.

    Rene Russo is nice as a tough field chief working with Frank who, despite a rocky start, does begin to warm up to him and become one of the few people he can really trust, which is even more important when things really start to build up to the climax. Dylan McDermot is also fine, though a little rough around the edges in his turn as a rookie agent. It's fun seeing Gary Cole in a pre-Brady Bunch and Office Space role that's as far from comedic as you can get.

    I could really nit-pick if I wanted to, but it's really not all that necessary. This isn't the most ingenious film ever, but it's never dull, got a great set up, some really good characters, and the themes of guilt, redemption, and the commonalities between predator and prey are all examined in a well done and entertaining manner. I did like Ennio Morricone's score, but, honestly, I think that might be the only there here that could really be seen as rather weak and a little disappointing.

    All in all though, this really does have a great plot and is one of the best thrillers out there. Definitely give this one a watch and prepare yourself for Wolfgang Petersen and his great cast giving some of their best work. As a nice bonus, there's actually some good humorous moments as well that surprisingly fit in instead of sticking out awkwardly.
  • SajinPA
    August 6, 2011
    SajinPA
    It's not easy being a Hollywood villain, especially when you're up against the charisma that is Clint Eastwood. But John Malkovich does an excellent job delivering a toe-to-toe performance with the grand daddy of heroes. His and Eastwood's performances push forward what would hav... read moree been an average, done-a-lot-before movie into an exciting thrill ride.
  • thmtsang
    July 21, 2011
    thmtsang
    Excellent performances by Clinton and John. Clint is a secret service agent who failed to save JFK. He is taunted by an assassin who wants to kill the present day president. Good plot.
  • TomBowler
    June 13, 2011
    TomBowler
    Thrilling and suspenseful with a tight script, great direction and incredible performances. Full review later.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    April 12, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Wolfgang Petersen's In The Line Of Fire is a near flawless thriller about an active Secret service agent who served under JFK and who was on duty when Kennedy was assassinated. Following a plot by an assassin to kill the current President. Assassin Mitch Leary brilliantly played ... read moreby John Malkovich torments Agent Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) that he will kill the President and that there is nothing that Horrigan can do to stop his plans. I thoroughly enjoyed In The Line Of Fire it has everything that you'd expect from a good Thriller. Clint Eastwood is in top form, and he delivers his best performance since the first Dirty Harry film. John Malkovich is excellent as Mitch Leary, he is the perfect choice to play the role of Leary. Malkovich lights up the screen in every scene he's in and he proves he's worthy adversary to Clint Eastwood's character. Wolfgang Petersen's directing is top notch, and
    the story he tells never lets up. In The Line Of Fire is very tense up until the climax, and is edge of your seat entertainment. Like I've mentioned before, In The Line Of Fire is an almost perfect Thriller, but a few parts where cheesy and could have been better. But for the most part, this film succeeds in being a terrific film. In The Line Of Fire, for me is one of the best Thrillers to ever be released. With Clint Eastwood (whom I am a big fan of) and John Malkovich that go head to head, it's a very exciting film going experience. Two brilliant actors give excellent performances and this is quite possibly the best, most smartly crafted Thriller in a long time. Truly unique, and jaw dropping entertainment.
  • emilebond007
    December 15, 2010
    emilebond007
    Of course, the flaws you can find in this movie is in its very Hollywoodian treatment, but when you face that fact, this film is pretty much perfect in the genre.
  • ythelastman89
    December 5, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Just about as awesome as Clint Eastwood classics get. This has it all: great action, one-liners, interesting characters and an ingenious plot. One of Clint Eastwood's all time greatest lines is "Well I'll be thinkin' about that when I'm pissin' on your grave." You'd think a mid 6... read more0's man would be a little fragile, but I think he does more damage in this than most do in their entire careers. John Malkovich was completely deranged, which is always such a treat. It's perfect for anyone who loves conspiracy or political thrillers, but everyone should at least be able to find something they love about it.
  • SirPant
    November 19, 2010
    SirPant
    A typical Hollywood/Clint Eastwood thriller. He plays a 'I'm getting too old for this shit', sexist, ex-alcoholic who has to save the president. The idea of a psychotic CIA agent turning on the man who let JFK die is clever enough, and it's well acted by Malkovich, but I wouldn't... read more say this film is packed with intellectual qualities. Even for 1993 this type of film was becoming dated but it's entertaining enough, it's not the classic it's hyped up to be though. I still can't stand Rene Russo.
  • Deano78
    August 21, 2010
    Deano78
    A cool thriller with a strong cast as Eastwood tries to stop an assassination on the president......something he has failed at in the past!

View All In the Line of Fire Reviews

Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
March 26, 2009
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Director Wolfgang Petersen sends the story efficiently down its straight and narrow track, deftly engineering the battle of wills between two desperately committed men. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

The most uproariously entertaining movie of the summer so far. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Hands down, Malkovich's assassin is the best thing about this solid thriller -- a villain that rivals Hannibal Lecter for intelligence and cold, calculated viciousness. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Despite the familiar plot elements ... In the Line of Fire is not a retread but a smart, tense, well-made thriller -- Eastwood's best in the genre since Tightrope. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Malkovich does such wonderfully unexpected things, especially with his line readings, that he leaves us dumbfounded. No other performer is more effortlessly unnerving than this perversely gifted actor. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

[It] is not a brilliant movie. But thanks to Eastwood, it feels like one. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
July 9, 1993
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Though the movie is engrossing, it lacks something: fire, weirdness, originality. Full Review

Peter Canavese
June 30, 2008
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

You have a rendezvous with Dirty Harry's 62-year-old ass! And if you don't know what that means, you'd better figure it out! Full Review

Chris Cabin
June 4, 2008
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com

It's Dirty Harry goes to Washington Full Review

Emanuel Levy
December 12, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

This well-executed picture demonstrates the validity of Hitchcock's claim that a thriller is as good as its villain. John Malkovich is an excellent villain, but the film also has a good, flawed hero, ... Full Review

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In the Line of Fire Trivia

  • In which movie did Clint Eastwood portray the character of Frank Horrigan, a Secret Service Agent assigned to protect the President of the United States?  Answer »
  • What Historic Tragedy Haunts Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) In the movie in the line of fire?  Answer »
  • In what movie did Clint Eastwood first cry?  Answer »
  • what song did johnny cash sing in the movie walk the line that his wife june carter originally wrote?  Answer »
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