The Falcon and the Snowman

The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

  • 87% of critics liked it
    (15 reviews)

  • 61% of users liked it
    (5,811 ratings)

John Schlesinger directed this fact-based drama - adapted from Robert Lindsay's bestseller of the same title -- about two Californians, friends since boyhood, who are caught selling government secrets to the Soviet Union. Christopher Boyce (Timothy Hutton) is an all-American boy, studying for… More

R,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Jan 25, 1985 Wide

Critic Reviews

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    Though Penn and Hutton perform admirably, the film fails to be interesting.

  • Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

    An exercise in vagueness.

  • Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

    intriguing but a bit dry

  • Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)

    A smart, nuanced spy thriller that's all about the gray areas.

  • Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

    Fresh and invigorating political thriller.

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jeff "


    The Falcon and the snowman is fairly good thriller. The story surrounds two friends who sell U.S government secrets to the Soviet Union. The Falcon and the Snowman has a good mix of drama thrown into it's real life thrilling story. The acting by Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton is… More

  • Mike T


    Badly dated, but still a mostly solid political thriller with sure-handed direction by John Schlesinger. Zaillian's screenplay isn't perfect, but it moves at an effective pace and works well for the most part. Features great acting from Timothy Hutton and a young Sean Penn.

  • Richard F


    This movie looks and "feels" outdated, really "80ish". At times I felt like I was watching a TV show from that era. That aside, the story is a bit slow, but Daulton Lee's character (played by Sean Penn) is too captivating to resist this movie. As he ups the… More

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Cast

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