In the Line of Fire poster & wallpaper

Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo

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

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22,070 ratings

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97% liked it

35 critics

R, 2 hrs. 8 min.

Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen

Release Date: July 9, 1993

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DVD Release Date: April 29, 1997

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Flixster Reviews (1,188)

  • DrZeek
    May 17, 2009
    DrZeek
    Frank Horrigan: What to do you see when you're in the dark, and the demons come?
    Mitch Leary: I see you, Frank. I see you standing over the grave of another dead president.
    Frank Horrigan: That's not going to happen. I'm onto you.
    Mitch Leary: Forget it, Frank. I am willing to tr...( read more)ade my life for his. I am smart, and I am willing, and that is all it takes. That president is coming home from California in a box.
    Frank Horrigan: Where in California?
    Mitch Leary: Uh, the address? Come on, Frank. I'll keep you in the game, but I'm not going to throw it for you.

    Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich star as rivals in this top notch assassination thriller from director Wolfgang Peterson. The story involves a clever assassin toying with a secret service agent, who years prior failed to react during Kennedy's assassination.

    Eastwood is Agent Frank Horrigan, a senior agent who suddenly finds himself the pawn of Malkovich's Mitch Leary, a man bent on making Horrigan's life hell as he taunts him with plans of murdering the president. Soon, Horrigan, his partner played by Dylan McDermott, and a female agent played by Rene Russo, among others are all part of the investigation hoping to catch Leary before its too late.

    This is a very enjoyable thriller. Its quick paced, works well with its premise, provides a fun and exciting cat and mouse game, and treats its two best aspects very well. Eastwood is rocking it hard with his cool yet remorseful secret service agent, while Malkovich is quite slimy and crafty as the assassin. Russo also plays well with the obligatory yet workable female interest.
    .
    Frank Horrigan: How's the First Lady? She ask about me?
    Lilly Raines: Have you gotten to know them yet?
    Frank Horrigan: Well, I normally prefer not to get to know the people I'm protecting.
    Lilly Raines: Oh, yeah? Why's that?
    Frank Horrigan: Well, you never know. You might decide they're not worth taking a bullet for.

    It was also a nice touch having Ennio Morricone (of Eastwood's famous westerns) compose the score for this flick. Its just another thing that fits in nicely with a Peterson film, who knows how to give a big Hollywood production what it needs. But there are more redeeming factors at play here.

    There are two great monologues in this movie, that I chose not to post because of how good they are. One has Malkovich question Eastwood's defining career moment from the past and the other is Eastwood sharing his own thoughts on this matter for the first time to another. In a Hollywood thriller like this, its the way these characters handle these scenes that represents why this is an all around solid film.

    Mitch Leary: I have a rendezvous with death, and so does the President, and so do you if you get too close.
    Frank Horrigan: You have a rendezvous with my ass, motherfucker!
  • PvtCaboose91
    September 27, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "You know, for years now I've listened to all these idiots on barstools, with their pet theories on Dallas. How it was the Cubans, or the CIA, or the white supremacists, or the Mob. About whether there was one weapon, or whether there was five. None of that's meant much to me....( read more) But Leary... he questioned whether I had the guts to take that fatal bullet."


    In the Line of Fire still remains the indomitable king in the realm of political action-thrillers. It may seem that a majority of the basic plot elements appear somewhat proverbial to a mainstream audience (i.e. an aging law enforcement officer who's passed his prime, a bureau reluctant to trust the aging officer, a psycho killer who establishes communication with the hero, the psycho killer endeavouring to get into the head of the aging protagonist, etc), but with the impeccable Clint Eastwood in front of the camera and acclaimed director Wolfgang Peterson at the helm...In the Line of Fire is far from ordinary.

    The movie is a supremely crackling political thriller featuring intricate and artistic direction, an intriguing screenplay, and it moves at a feverish pace from one fascinating plot point to the one succeeding it. Clint Eastwood may have been in his early 60s when the cameras rolled for this film, but it's the greatest modern Eastwood actioner since the original Dirty Harry. In fact, In the Line of Fire confidently positions itself in the league of Unforgiven as well as other classic Eastwood westerns. The film benefits mostly from the meticulous script by Jeff Maguire that contains intelligent scenarios and witty dialogue. Every shot in itself is a work of art, created by a director who excels at his craft.

    Veteran Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan (Eastwood) has passed his golden years. Back in the 1960s, he was personally picked by John F. Kennedy and was his favourite Secret Service agent. But on November 22 1963, Frank failed to react to the bullets that blew Kennedy's head apart. His failure to protect the president has haunted him for decades. 30 years later Frank is doing undercover work to bust counterfeiters for the Treasury Department. Frank and his new young partner Al (McDermott) are assigned to investigate what appears to be a routine, commonplace threat to the current president's life. But the man behind the threat begins calling Frank at his home. He shares his thoughts with Frank and boasts of his intentions to kill the President of the United States. The alleged assassin calls himself "Booth" (Malkovich) in honour of John Wilkes Booth (who killed President Lincoln...just in case you didn't know). As communication between the two intensifies, Booth begins to torment Frank in relation to his failure to take a bullet for the president back in the 1960s. Driven by his determination not to let another president die, Frank quickly finds himself having to confront his inner demons to catch Booth and prevent the proposed assassination from coming to fruition.

    The theatrical release date for In the Line of Fire was between The Firm and The Fugitive, not to mention that the film was also sandwiched between the two significant Eastwood tentpoles of Unforgiven and A Perfect World. Out of these aforementioned films, In the Line of Fire and Unforgiven are the best of show: each film respectively marking a return to form for Eastwood, with a western (like his breakthrough performance in the western A Fistful of Dollars) and an intense action-thriller (similar to the original Dirty Harry).

    Jeff Maguire's remarkable screenplay earned an Oscar nomination, and rightfully so. The intelligent script tracks an extraordinary game of cat-and-mouse of superlative quality. This thriller is certainly a cut above the pack, due mainly to Maguire's outstanding script. There's a high amount of realism and detail in the storytelling. The depiction of the Secret Service is thoroughly accurate. The methods shown are apparently quite precise. Most impressive are the surprising plot twists of which there are plenty. The characters are realistic as well. What could have been a two-dimensional slate of characters are instead given astounding depth. The psycho villain in particular is bequeathed with comprehendible motives and a fascinating personality. Probably the only drawback would be a number of clichés. It's mostly forgivable though, because a majority of these clichés were invented by this film.

    German director Wolfgang Peterson is probably most recognised for the critically acclaimed Das Boot. Following In the Line of Fire, Peterson went on to direct such films as Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Outbreak, and several others. He crafts his movies with wonderful filmic merits present in each shot. The final showdown is probably the strongest 15 minutes in the flick. It's suitably intense, nail-biting and clever. You will be kept on the edge of your seat until we're allowed to breathe again.
    Probably the main highlight of the film is its terrific score courtesy of composer Ennio Morricone. Morricone's music constantly sets the tone to great effect. With a great editor handling great material shot by a great cinematographer, the only touch making it better is the tingling sound of Morricone's music.

    The remarkable characters are performed by an above average cast. Clint Eastwood hasn't lost his touch. Some compare this film to the original Dirty Harry, and with good reason. If the name of Frank Horrigan was changed to Harry Callahan, it could have worked as a fitting farewell to the trademark action hero. The only thing missing would be the wisecracks and badass attitude. Despite that, there are a lot of Eastwoodisms to be found. One of the most interesting Eastwood moments is when he's making love to Secret Service agent Lilly Raines (Russo). They attempt to remove each other's clothes and the irritatingly excessive hi-tech equipment...and then Lilly is called away. "Damn!" Eastwood finally says, looking disappointed and annoyed. "I've got to put all that shit back on, damn it!"
    John Malkovich was nominated for an Oscar for his electrifying, career-best performance as the villain. He does a sneeringly terrific job, pulling off multiple appearances as his character creates new disguises for himself. Malkovich has the look of a cool, calm killer as he relentlessly murders people without hesitation and only rarely losing his temper. When on the phone to Eastwood's character, he's menacing and chilling. Apparently to add further credibility to the frequent phone conversations between Eastwood and Malkovich, they were filmed for real.

    The rest of the cast are given the unfortunate task of working in the shadow of two tremendously talented actors. Rene Russo is likeable as always in her performance as the committed female Secret Service agent. The only real drawback of the film is in Russo's character. Not that her performance was faulty, but the way she was written is slightly disappointing. Being a love interest for Eastwood doesn't fit. In addition to the baffling age gap, it appears to weaken and cheapen the supposedly solid character. All other cast members do their job effectively.

    Overall, In the Line of Fire is a fantastic political action-thriller that moves at an invigorating pace and provides solid entertainment for its 125-minute duration. The film benefits from top-notch moviemaking in every aspect. From directing to cinematography, editing to scoring, sound effects to visual effects...the faults are too scarce to notice. It's been a number of years since the film's initial release, yet it has hardly dated. Perhaps the digital insertion of Eastwood into old JFK footage is a little obvious, however little else is flawed. The film may not encompass the outlandish action of Con Air or Peterson's later Air Force One, but nevertheless the film stands confidently on its own merits.
  • sononothing
    July 7, 2008
    sononothing
    The last time Clint Eastwood was directed by another was this 1993 thriller that came out on the heels of Eastwood's masterpiece Unforgiven. Eastwood plays Frank Horrigan, an over the hill Secret Service agent that gets caught up in an assassination plot designed by the wonderful...( read more)ly psychotic John Malkovich. The little plot device thrown into this is that Horrigan was on JFK's detail in Dallas the day he was assassinated.
    Wolfgang Petersen directs this thriller that takes us into the Secret Service for the first time. Eastwood plays Horrigan like Dirty Harry- even more so than the actual Dirty harry film The Dead Pool. But the true standout is Malkovich who plays the psychotic Mitch Leary with such calmness and delight you almost feel sad when he leaves the screen.
  • Chiefilms
    March 1, 2008
    Chiefilms
    John Malkovich is great, Clint Eastwood is still BA
  • AgentLexi2132
    February 3, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    Pending Review...

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  • MarcosFog
    November 10, 2009
    MarcosFog
    Muy entretenida mantiene un ritmo constante. Clint Eastwood es uno de mis favoritos pero reconozco que quien sobresale en la pelicula es Malkovich, simplemente genial. Si tengo algo que criticar es el romance entre los protagonistas que no resulta creible. Por lo demas muy buena..
  • SheTVM
    October 20, 2009
    SheTVM
    In a breathtaking thriller you can be delight with the duel of two characters and two major interpretations: Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich.

  • xcalibr377
    September 18, 2009
    xcalibr377
    Pretty Good! Could have done without the formulaic romance portion.
  • ElCochran90
    September 18, 2009
    ElCochran90
    Good thriller by Mr. Petersen, with a great cast.

    59/100
  • scottharpham
    September 12, 2009
    scottharpham
    A great thriller which is tense and exhilarant. John Malkcovich is brilliant as the creepy and stirring assasinator

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  • katabug
    September 20, 2006
    katabug
    This was a GREAT movie! John Malkovich does a SUPERB job as Mitch! He just has every movement, every line, every detail exactly flawless! WOW!
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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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