Few if any other Hollywood leading men have proven to be Clint Eastwood's equal for sheer durability as a top audience draw. One of his best latter-day vehicles, In the Line of Fire (1993), utilized a dramatic backdrop seldom if ever explored by Hollywood - the workings of the United States Secret Service - and delivered a taut, exciting tale of loss and redemption.

The story introduces Eastwood as Frank Horrigan, a 30-plus year veteran of the agency, given to retreating to his lonely DC apartment or a local piano bar once his day's work is done. Summoned on a standard investigation of suspicious activity, Horrigan and young partner Al D'Andrea (Dylan McDermott) are let into a small apartment by a nervous landlady, and come upon the disturbing sight of a perverse shrine to the JFK assassination.

Horrigan, as it turns out, has deeper reason for being unnerved; he had been assigned to Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, and remained the last active agent from the only detail to ever lose a president. Matters worsen when the mysterious tenant (John Malkovich) brazenly phones Horrigan at home. Displaying a fanboy's intimacy with the arc of Frank's career, the caller (identifying himself as "Booth") coolly apprises the agent of his intent to slay the current president as he stumps on his bid for re-election.

While Horrigan successfully lobbies his understanding director (John Mahoney) for transfer to the presidential detail, his concerns are lost on the bullheaded White House Chief Of Staff (Fred Dalton Thompson), who's giving more priority to his boss's standing in the polls than to his well-being. As Frank takes his positions along the campaign trail, he clumsily though successfully pursues a flirtation with field agent Lilly Raines (Rene Russo) while waiting for his new "confidante" to show his hand.

For his part, "Booth" is seen oh-so-carefully laying the groundwork for getting within shooting distance of the president, employing multiple disguises and murdering unfortunates who stumble too close to his plans. Utilizing trace-defying technology, he continues to call Frank, cruelly tweaking him about failures past and future. The agent responds with dogged investigation that uncovers "Booth's" true name, how he came upon his deadly skills, and the motives behind his demented scheme. Horrigan's race to derail Booth's anticipated date with destiny drives In the Line of Fire to a tense climax.

Beyond leavening the familiar Eastwood characterization of the old-school law enforcer with nagging self-doubts and regrets (which the star ably puts over), In the Line of Fire also offers its protagonist an opponent of refreshingly equal weight. Malkovich's silky delivery makes the amoral, cunning Leary one of the most chilling screen villains of recent memory, a dark mirror of the government-trained protector Horrigan. His cat-and-mouse conversations with Eastwood remain absolutely riveting, and the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination he received for his efforts was well warranted.

Developed from a long-harbored notion of producer Jeff Apple to craft an accurate portrait of the Secret Service, Jeff Maguire's Oscar-nominated screenplay is logical and lean, unfolding Malkovich's machinations in a manner that directly and deftly builds the suspense. After signing on to the project, Eastwood courted the able German craftsman Wolfgang Petersen to direct, and he drew uniformly convincing efforts from a very capable cast.

In the Line of Fire's third Oscar nomination went to the venerable editor Anne V. Coates, and the film's gripping pace is a testament to her skill. Cinematographer John Bailey ably captured the grandeur of Washington, and the sequences of Horrigan's empty nightlife were obviously inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. The lush score came courtesy of Ennio Morricone, who did such memorable work for Eastwood's signature spaghetti Westerns of the '60s. In the Line of Fire opened to strong critical praise and ultimately garnered a strong $102 million in domestic box-office receipts.

Producer: Jeff Apple
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Screenplay: Jeff Maguire
Cinematography: John Bailey
Film Editing: Anne V. Coates
Art Direction: John Warnke
Music: Ennio Morricone
Cast: Clint Eastwood (Frank Horrigan), John Malkovich (Mitch Leary), Rene Russo (Lilly Raines), Dylan McDermott (Al D'Andrea), Gary Cole (Bill Watts), Fred Dalton Thompson (Harry Sargent), John Mahoney (Sam Campagna).
C-129m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning.

by Jay Steinberg