In The Line of Fire

By Reggie's Take on April 25, 2011

In ” The Line of Fire” is a great movie if for nothing else, John Malkovich. The first time I saw this movie I rented it on VHS while living at my grandparents house. I thought John Malkovich’s character of former CIA assassin Mitch Leary was absolutely wonderful.

I liked that Eastwood’s character Horrigan wasn’t a typical can do no wrong type. He had flaws, the biggest one being he felt he should have or could have done more when he was assigned to President Kennedy’s detail that day in Dallas when JFK was shot.

Malkovich’s character leads Horrigan on a cat and mouse chase through out the movie. Leary wants to give him a second chance at saving a President from dying, but at the same time also wants Horrigan (Eastwood) to become the first Secret Service agent to have two Presidents die while under his protection. Leary feels betrayed by the Government and intends on showing his Government his displeasure.

I liked the story line and pace of this movie. the first time you watch it your glued to your seat or at least I felt the movie did that for me as a viewer.

In the Line of Fire / 127 min / 1993

Frank Horrigan is a secret service agent who keeps thinking back to November 22, 1963, when, as a hand-picked agent by President Kennedy, he became one of the few agents to have lost a President to an assassin when Kennedy died. Now, former CIA assassin Mitch Leary is stalking the current President, who is running for re-election. Mitch has spent long hours studying Horrigan, and he taunts Horrigan, telling him of his plans to kill the President. Leary plans to kill the president because Leary feels betrayed by the government — Leary was removed from the CIA, and the CIA is now trying to have him killed. After talking to Leary, Horrigan makes sure he is assigned to presidential protection duty, working with fellow secret service agent Lilly Raines. Horrigan has no intention of failing his President this time around, and he’s more than willing to take a bullet. White House Chief of Staff Harry Sargent refuses to alter the President’s itinerary, while Horrigan’s boss, Secret Service Director Sam Campagna, is supportive of Horrigan. As the election gets closer, Horrigan begins to doubt his own abilities, especially when Horrigan’s colleague Al D’Andrea is killed by Leary. But Horrigan may be the only one who can stop Leary.

In The Line of Fire – Recommended for any DVD Collection.