Actors: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about In the Line of Fire
While plotting to assassinate the President, a man becomes obsessed with an aging secret service agent. The agent and the assassin begin playing mind games. After the agent's partner is killed by the assassin the agent is taken off the case. The assassination is going to take place at a convention. Luckily, the agent figures it out in time. He shows up just in time to take the bullet and save the President. Using the agent as a human shield, the assassin tries to escape. After a struggle, the agent throws the assassin out of the elevator to his death.
--Brandon Swenson, Resident Scholar
Based on an original screenplay by Jeff Maguire, IN THE LINE OF FIRE is a movie directed by Wolfgang Petersen in 1993. The picture earned three nominations for the Academy Awards.
Clint Eastwood was one of the members of the White House secret service present when JFK was murdered. Thirty years later, he's still employed by the government. Now he must find John Malkovich who has sworn to kill the actual President. After a cat and mouse chase during the last days of the reelection campaign, Clint and John will meet in Los Angeles for a final duel.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Analysis of In the Line of Fire
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Actual chase scenes or violence - 30% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1980's-1999
Legal/Political Thriller?
Yes
Political Plotlets:
- preventing an assassination
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- govt employee
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- wild
Hair color?
- white
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
- very short/crewcut (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- red
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn, straight
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavy
Body type
- average (woman)
How much in movie?
- 60%
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- unemployed
- killer
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 80%
Hair color
- red
- bald
Hair type
- (man) bald
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
- Northeast
- Midwest
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
- Washington D.C.
- Chicago
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
- building
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- non-gory references to death/punishment
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- excited
How many deaths in film?
- 3-4
- 4-8
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 1 (None)
Kind of violence:
- mission to protect something
- mental battles
- hand to hand
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- dropped from large heights
- perforation--bullets
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
- Some foul language
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Jazz/r&b
