DIRECTOR: Wolfgang Petersen

CAST: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, John Mahoney, Gary Cole, Fred Dalton Thompson

REVIEW:

As a teenager, Jeff Apple was fascinated by the Secret Service agents protecting President Lyndon Johnson during a motorcade.  Twenty years later, now a successful film and television producer, Apple began to research the agency for a feature film.  In 1990 he assigned the script to novice screenwriter Jeff Maguire, whose script was later sold to Castle Rock Entertainment.  The end product, starring long-time tough guy Clint Eastwood and helmed by acclaimed German director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) demonstrates that an accomplished director, a solid script, and a strong cast can elevate what could have been a generic premise into a lean, taut, intelligent thriller.  For those who savor smart thrillers that don’t require one’s brain to be checked at the door, you should definitely place yourself In the Line of Fire. Continue reading →