I guess Clint Eastwood movies are a subgenre in their own right. You can divide them into a couple of categories: westerns, Dirty Harry movies, and regular thrillers. The one we’re going to be talking about today belongs to that very last category. In The Line Of Fire is a solid thriller about an aging Secret Service member determined to protect the president at all costs. You see, Frank Horrigan was there, in Dallas, back in 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated. Now, he becomes a target for a mysterious hitman who keeps taunting him. For the next two hours, we will be following a game of cat and mouse between Horrigan and his archnemesis.
So, instead of a serial killer, Eastwood’s character is now chasing a different kind of enemy. This is not the only thing that sets this movie apart from all of his other releases from that decade. We’ll also learn a lot about the Secret Service, the way they operate, and how this whole thing works in real life. This was the first time that the Secret Service itself was involved with the production of any movie. They offered their advice and expertise to make the story feel as authentic as possible. The president himself is not in focus though. After all, that would take the spotlight from our main guy.
The character of Frank Horrigan was based on real-life Secret Service Agent Clint Hill. He was a member of the security team during the 1963 assassination later breaking down as he felt responsible for Kennedy’s death. The director is Wolfgang Petersen, who will shift that focus in one of his next movies. Air Force One, starring Harrison Ford, is all about the president of the United States. Peterson has a knack for making movies that have that blockbuster vibe. They explore big stories, featuring huge sets, a lot of extras, and an excellent cast and crew. Outbreak and, more notably, Troy are the best examples.
Here, we have not just Clint but also John Malkovich, Rene Russo, and Dylan McDermott among others. All of them gave great performances, especially Malkovich. The mystery of who’s exactly behind the insinuated assassination remains, well, a mystery, for a long time. The pacing is steady and we’ll also travel quite a bit here. Of course, this wouldn’t be a Clint movie if we didn’t get a bit of romance. Luckily, Horrigan’s advances toward Lilly, played by Rene Russo, remain tasteful. Unlike his escapades in the 2018 movie The Mule.
Depending on your disposition, In The Line Of Fire also offers suspense and action. I have to commend Eastwood who was quite nimble for a 62-year-old guy. He even did some of the stunts himself. I guess that’s what decades of regular exercise, meditation, and healthy lifestyle choices will do for you. He famously said that his only vice is women. His last movie, Juror #2 just came out and it’s quite good so be sure to check it out. I also want to mention that the 4K remaster version of In The Line Of Fire is available for streaming.
Finally, if you’re looking for more movies about presidential assassination attempts, you can check out another nineties classic The Jackal. 2008’s Vantage Point perhaps offers a better view. Then again, if it is pulpy action that you want, Olympus Has Fallen and its two sequels are waiting for ya.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writer: Jeff Maguire
Cast: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson
Fun Facts: John Malkovich fully immersed himself in the role of the assassin, spending over a month alone in the apartment, not answering the phone and trying to completely isolate himself from the world.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107206/
