The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

87% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(5,687 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 the… More 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 the priesthood in a seminary. But Boyce decides to drop out of school, and with the help of his father (Pat Hingle), a FBI agent, he gets a job working for the CIA in a message-routing center. While reading the messages, Boyce is shocked to learn that the CIA is involved in fixing Australian elections. Watching the Watergate hearings on television, he feels an ever-mounting sense of outrage at the arrogance of the U.S. government and decides to do something about it. Deciding to supply the CIA messages to the Russians, he enlists his childhood friend Daulton Lee (Sean Penn) to help him. Lee is to deliver the CIA secrets to a Russian operative (David Suchet) at the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City. But Lee is an unreliable drug dealer, and his sloppy spy trail leads the two old friends into more trouble than they bargained for. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: John Schlesinger
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 25, 1985 Wide
On DVD: Aug 15, 2001

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.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

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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
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 very good. But by today's stndards with the Cold War over, the film looks dated of course. However there's something still appealing, and interesting about this story. The film is not perfect by any means, and does look a little cheap, but for what it is, The Falcon and the Snowman is a thriller worth watching. For the espionage buff and the cold war buffs out there, The Falcon and the Snowman is a very interesting film and will definitely appeal to them. There are of course better thrillers out there, but this is still a very engaging film with tense moments But considering that this was made in the 80's, what do you expect? A good, entertaining thriller, but it's nothing truly groundbreaking or really memorable. I've seen a lot better. I wasn't disappointed in the film, as I knew what to expect, but what is a little irritating is how much praise the film has gotten. I view it as an average good thriller with good acting. But some critiques of the film have gone overboard and prtaising it and saying it was a pulse pounding film. It was, but it lacked also enough fire in it's belly to make this truly a remarkable film.
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
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 stakes of the game, he manages to continue weaseling his way out of binds with his smooth-talking, savvy, rhetorical tactics. In an "Informant" kind of way, this has plenty of entertainment value. Schlesinger really seals the deal with a finely directed and edited climax that helps this story come full circle and sheds light on the ways the characters come to term with their actions.

Cast

            Timothy Hutton as Christopher Boyce

            Sean Penn as Daulton Lee

            David Suchet as Alex

            Lori Singer as Lana

            Pat Hingle as Mr. Boyce

            Dorian Harewood as Gene

            Richard Dysart as Dr. Lee

            Mady Kaplan as Laurie

            Macon McCalman as Larry Rogers

            Boris Leskin as Mikhael

            George C. Grant as Karpov

            Jennifer Runyon as Carole

            Joyce Van Patten as Mrs. Boyce

            Priscilla Pointer as Mrs. Lee

            Chris Makepeace as David Lee

            Burke Byrnes as U.S. Customs Agent

            Philip Carey as Pan Am Clerk

            Anatoly Davydov as Guard

            Abel Franco as Interrogator

            Jaime Garza as Raul

            Stanley Grover as NSA Inspector

            Jerry Hardin as Tony Owens

            Lara Harris
            
            Betty Lou Henson as Debra

            Sam Ingraffia as Kenny Kahn

            Michael Ironside as F.B.I. Agent

            Raul Martinez as Police Sergeant

            Daniel McDonald as Clay

            Marvin J. McIntyre as Ike

            Tom Nolan as Undercover Cop

            Vic Polizos as FBI Interrogator

            Nicholas Pryor as Eddie

            Guillermo Ríos as Drug Dealer

            Carlos Romano as Inspector Estevez

            Drew Snyder as F.B.I. Interrogator

            Karen West as Boyce Child

            Valerie Wildman as U.S. Embassy Official

            Stephen E. Miller as Newscaster

            Bob Nelson as F.B.I. Agent

            Bob Arbogast as Guard

            George Belanger as U.S. Consul

            Martha Campos as Carmen

            Arturo Comacho as Boyce Child

            Steve Duffy as Barman

            Leopoldo Francés as Nigerian Diplomat

            James Hardie as Police Interrogator

            Annie Kozuch as Boyce Child

            Rob Newell as Boyce Child

            Rob Reed as Boyce Child

            Jeff Seyfried as Pool Man

            Arthur Taxier as F.B.I. Agent

            Herbie Wallace as Pet Shop Owner

            Richard A. Dysart
            
See full cast