In The Line of Fire — The Rewatchables Tracker

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Overall episode#330Source sheet order

Movie year19931990s

Tomatometer96%Critics’ score

Metacritic74View score

Roger Ebert—No review recorded

DirectorWolfgang PetersenDrama / Thriller

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

The episode argues that 'In the Line of Fire' is an unusually durable 1993 thriller: a smart, adult studio movie built on strong bones, great dialogue scenes, Clint Eastwood's age-conscious performance, and John Malkovich's unnerving villain turn. The hosts admire its phone-call cat-and-mouse structure, Washington, D.C. setting, and rewatchable set pieces, while noting a few dated or awkward elements, especially the Dylan McDermott character and some of the movie's 1990s-era gender dynamics.

Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

In this conversation

Bill Simmons

Chris RyanCraig Horlbeck

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

01Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich make the central cat-and-mouse dynamic crackle, especially in the phone conversations. Opening minutes
02The movie uses Washington, D.C. well and feels like a classic adult thriller with real stars and good writing. About 24 min
03The rooftop chase and elevator showdown create a strong final stretch. About 40 min
04The movie feels tight and never boring, with efficient pacing and a strong opening. About 1:28 · medium confidence
05The historical JFK-assassination premise gives the thriller extra texture and familiarity. About 8 min

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

majorDylan McDermott's Secret Service trainee is a weak link and feels incompetent in the role. About 56 min
moderateSome of the movie's gender dynamics and Clint's flirting would not fly now. About 16 min
minorThe score does not fully work for Bill. About 56 min · medium confidence
minorA few effects and insert shots, especially the old Malkovich photos, do not fully convince. About 56 min · medium confidence

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Opening boat/fishing sequence

The hosts like the early scene that introduces the assassins and sets the movie's suspenseful tone.

About 40 min

positive

Secret Service office introduction with Lily Raines

Frank's sexist banter and Lily's sharp response establish character dynamics and the movie's old-school tone.

About 40 min

Favorite

First JFK/assassination phone call

A key scene where Mitch and Frank debate Kennedy, guilt, and shared betrayal.

About 48 min

positive

Bank-clerk scene and Mitch's lie about Minneapolis

Shows Mitch's sociopathic improvisation and the moment he decides to kill the clerk.

About 48 min

positive

Ice cream/Lily window-dressing scene

Frank and Lily's flirtation and insults are played as both funny and revealing.

About 56 min

mixed

Bronchitis/president-event failure

Frank's physical decline and stumble during presidential protection become a plot setback.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Favorite

Mitch's scream about God and country

Leary's emotional outburst confirms his instability and his bond with Frank.

About 48 min

Favorite

Rooftop chase and jump gap

A favorite action sequence involving the roof chase, dangerous jump, and Frank's pursuit.

About 48 min

Favorite

Elevator climax at the Bonaventure

The final confrontation, with Leary's gun in Frank's mouth and the 'aim high' callback, is treated as the movie's biggest payoff.

About 48 min

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed Opening minutes

Whether Malkovich's performance is the defining villain turn of the 1990s

Bill Simmons
Treats it as one of the decade's best villain performances and compares it to other major antagonists.

Chris Ryan
Agrees that the role could have gone badly and praises the menace and sexual tension.

They partly agreed About 56 min

Whether Rene Russo is the best model-to-actress transition of the 1990s

Bill Simmons
Yes; he argues she has the stronger 90s run compared with Julia Roberts and others.

Chris Ryan
Doesn't fully join the comparison but acknowledges Russo's strength and the quality of her roles.

They partly agreed About 56 min · medium confidence

Whether the movie's score works

Bill Simmons
Mostly dislikes the opening score and calls it cheesy.

Chris Ryan
Does not strongly contest the overall score discussion in the transcript.

They agreed About 1:28

Whether the movie should have been titled 'Line of Fire' rather than 'In the Line of Fire'

Bill Simmons
Thinks 'Line of Fire' could have been an acceptable alternative title.

Chris Ryan
Prefers the official title and says the shorter version is too close to 'Man on Fire.'

They agreed About 24 min

Which 1993 movie was the most satisfying theater rewatch

Bill Simmons
Says 'The Fugitive' was his favorite of the bunch.

Chris Ryan
Agrees, while also noting he probably saw 'Jurassic Park' more.

20 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers

very favorableClint EastwoodBill Simmons: Praised as an ideal fit for the role and as a star whose age and deadpan style help the movie. Opening minutes very favorableJohn MalkovichBill Simmons: Discussed as one of the decade's great villains, unnerving and seductive in equal measure. Opening minutes favorableWolfgang PetersenBill Simmons: Credited for giving the movie strong bones and a polished thriller shape. Opening minutes

favorableEnnio MorriconeBill Simmons: Mentioned approvingly as the composer attached to the movie. Opening minutes

very favorableRene RussoBill Simmons: Celebrated as a major 1990s movie star and a believable romantic foil for Clint. About 16 min

criticalDylan McDermottBill Simmons: Mocked as a doofus and the movie's weakest casting choice. About 56 min

favorableTommy Lee JonesBill Simmons: Used as a benchmark for great 90s villain/character work and for his Oscar-winning year. Opening minutes

neutralClint HillBill Simmons: Described as the real Secret Service figure who inspired the character's guilt and redemption arc. About 16 min

neutralJohn F. KennedyBill Simmons: Central historical reference point for the plot and the movie's themes. About 16 min

favorableBill ClintonBill Simmons: Mentioned as having praised the movie, with the hosts joking about using that in marketing. About 1:28 favorableRoger EbertBill Simmons: Quoted approvingly for calling the film's villain clever and slimy and praising the thriller. About 24 min

very favorableMitch LearyBill Simmons: The hosts treat the villain as a standout character and performance, with his psychology and menace driving the movie. Opening minutes

favorableFrank HorriganBill Simmons: Discussed as a damaged, funny, self-aware lead whose age and regret deepen the movie. About 16 min

favorableJohn BaileyBill Simmons: Mentioned as the cinematographer as part of the film's high-quality craft team. Opening minutes neutralFred ThompsonBill Simmons: Mentioned as one of several notable supporting types in the film. About 1:04 · medium confidence favorableTobin BellBill Simmons: Liked as a memorable supporting presence, especially in the opening boat scene and in The Firm discussion. About 40 min mixedJohn MahoneyBill Simmons: Seen as a respectable actor, but his return to active duty in the story is questioned. About 56 min neutralRalph FiennesBill Simmons: Mentioned only in the context of the 1993 supporting actor Oscar race. About 8 min neutralLeonardo DiCaprioBill Simmons: Mentioned only as part of the 1993 supporting actor Oscar race. About 8 min neutralBill PullmanBill Simmons: Suggested as a possible actor for the Al role in recasting discussion. About 1:12 · medium confidence

10 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them

Bill SimmonsLoved it

In the Line of Fire as a 1993 thriller

Presents the movie as a peak example of early-90s adult studio thrillers with stars, craft, and clean storytelling.

Opening minutes

Bill SimmonsLoved it

John Malkovich as villain performer

Argues that Malkovich belongs among the era's great left-field villains and that the role could have gone badly without him.

Opening minutes

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Clint Eastwood's age-conscious performance

Likes that the movie uses Eastwood's age and regret instead of ignoring them.

About 16 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Rene Russo

Calls Russo one of the great 1990s leading women and says her chemistry with Clint works well.

About 16 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

The phone conversations between Frank and Mitch

Sees the dialogue-heavy phone scenes as the movie's core thrill mechanism.

Opening minutes

Bill SimmonsLoved it

The rooftop chase and final elevator sequence

Treats the chase and elevator climax as the movie's defining action payoff.

About 40 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

The film's Washington, D.C. setting

Thinks the movie uses D.C. especially well and wishes modern thrillers would do this more often.

About 32 min

Bill SimmonsStrongly disliked it

Dylan McDermott's character

Finds the character foolish, timid, and badly miscast for Secret Service work.

About 56 min

Chris RyanLoved it

In the Line of Fire as durable entertainment

Says he never got bored and appreciates that the film goes right into the action instead of stalling for setup.

About 1:28

Chris RyanMixed

Clint Eastwood's pace

Likes Clint in the movie but jokes that his very slow delivery would be hard for his 2023 attention span.

About 1:28

5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Age and career reckoning

The hosts emphasize how the film uses Eastwood's age as part of the drama and as a marker of his career stage.

About 16 min

Villains who bond with the hero

They connect the movie to a 1990s pattern of charismatic villains trying to create a relationship with their pursuers.

About 8 min

Adult studio thrillers of the early 1990s

The episode frames the film as part of a now-rare era when major studios made tightly written, star-driven thrillers for adults.

Opening minutes

JFK assassination mythology

The discussion uses the film to revisit JFK conspiracy theories, Warren Commission skepticism, and the public fascination around the assassination.

About 16 min

DC as a character

They repeatedly admire how Washington, D.C. is photographed and used as an iconic political-thriller backdrop.

About 32 min

23 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

The movie received three Oscar nominations, including supporting actor, original screenplay, and film editing.

About 8 min

Production note

Malkovich lived in seclusion for over a month to prepare for the role, avoiding phone calls and television.

About 1:28

Production note

The film used digital effects to insert older footage of Clint Eastwood.

About 1:28

Production note

The opening trailer originally leaned hard on the JFK assassination date and had to be redone after audience laughter.

About 1:28

Production note

The Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles was used for the movie's elevator sequence and still exists.

About 1:20

Production note

The film's White House scenes were shot on an existing set, while Air Force One required a built-from-scratch set.

About 1:28

Production note

The script had been in development for years and had multiple casting/director possibilities before Eastwood and Petersen locked in.

About 1:28

Production note

The film was inspired by Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent associated with JFK's assassination.

About 16 min

The Wedding Scammer

A pre-roll ad for a Ringer true-crime podcast.

Opening minutes

ChatGPT work

A sponsor mention used in the ad break.

Opening minutes

Quince

Sponsor mention during the ad break.

Opening minutes

The Firm

Used as a comparison for early-90s thrillers and also in casting discussion about Tobin Bell.

Opening minutes

The Vanishing

Referenced as another cat-and-mouse thriller with a villain bonding with the hero.

About 8 min

Heat

Used as a later example of the villain/hero relationship dynamic.

About 8 min

Manhunter

Referenced as Michael Mann's earlier version of the same idea.

About 8 min

Dangerous Liaisons

Used as an earlier Malkovich showcase and a comparison point for his performance style.

Opening minutes

Empire of the Sun

Mentioned as one of the hosts' early Malkovich memories.

Opening minutes

The Killing Fields

Another early Malkovich reference in the hosts' recollection.

Opening minutes

Rounders

Referenced as part of Malkovich's later, more eccentric persona.

Opening minutes

Being John Malkovich

Cited as a milestone in Malkovich's career.

Opening minutes

JFK

Referenced as part of the public debate over the Kennedy assassination.

About 16 min

Dirty Harry

Used as a comparison for the Eastwood plot structure and cop persona.

About 24 min

No Country for Old Men

Used to discuss Tommy Lee Jones and aging movie stars.

About 16 min

11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

1993 movie nostalgia sprint

Bill rattles off a run of 1993 theatrical releases to argue it was an unusually strong year for movies.

Opening minutes

Malkovich's physical bits

The hosts keep returning to Leary's neck cracking, silence, and creepy on-screen habits.

Opening minutes

Horny/awkward Clint

They joke that Eastwood's flirtation and sexual tension in the film are unusually pointed for him.

About 16 min

Archbishop Bill Simmons

Bill riffs on fake Catholic-school naming as part of a Boston-side joke.

About 48 min · medium confidence

Matt Canada and rope-a-dope offense

A recurring joke compares conservative, deceptive football play-calling to the movie's cat-and-mouse strategy.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Wet boy

The CIA-style term for an assassin becomes a favorite phrase in the conversation.

About 48 min

Bill Simmons

“secretaries get prettier and prettier”

About 40 min

Chris Ryan

“You can always tell a man by his eyes.”

About 1:28

Bill Simmons

“You have a rendezvous with my ass”

About 1:28

Bill Simmons

“You're a window dressing.”

About 56 min

Bill Simmons

“Aim high.”

About 48 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

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UNITED STATES

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WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

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Three movies to watch before In The Line of Fire, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.

ON THE MIC

2 voices on this episode

Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables

Chris RyanThe Rewatchables

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