IMDb > No Way Out (1987)
No Way Out
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No Way Out (1987) More at IMDbPro »

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No Way Out (1987) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   12,486 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 22% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Kenneth Fearing (novel)
Robert Garland (screen story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for No Way Out on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 August 1987 (USA) more
Tagline:
Is it a crime of passion, or an act of treason?
Plot:
A coverup and witchhunt occur after a politician accidentally kills his mistress. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
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User Comments:
Excellent thriller - it's strengths outweight it's weaknesses more (65 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kevin Costner ... Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell

Gene Hackman ... Defense Secretary David Brice

Sean Young ... Susan Atwell
Will Patton ... Scott Pritchard
Howard Duff ... Senator William 'Billy' Duvall
George Dzundza ... Sam Hesselman
Jason Bernard ... Major Donovan

Iman ... Nina Beka
Fred Dalton Thompson ... CIA Director Marshall
Leon Russom ... Kevin O'Brien
Dennis Burkley ... Mate

Marshall Bell ... Contra #1

Chris D. ... Contra #2
Michael Shillo ... Schiller
Nicholas Worth ... Cup Breaker
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Additional Details

Runtime:
114 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Kevin Costner did actually rollover the hood of a moving car during one of the chase sequences. According to the film's original press material, an insurance executive approached director Roger Donaldson after that stunt and said: "Don't you ever... ever... EVER... do that again!" more
Goofs:
Plot holes: The Pentagon is one of the largest buildings in the world, with 17 miles of corridors alone. For a single group to search it in two hours is preposterous. more
Quotes:
Scott Pritchard: I am tired of weakness! I am faced with a grave problem, and I intend to resolve it quickly and cleanly. more
Soundtrack:
SAY IT more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
Excellent thriller - it's strengths outweight it's weaknesses, 11 January 2002
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

Tom Farrell is offered a job within the Defence department under Brice, the secretary of defence. When the two begin seeing the same woman, Farrell is forced to do so quietly so that Brice doesn't know. When Brice finds that Susan is seeing another woman he accidentally kills her. In order to cover up Brice's involvement, his aide Pritchard engineers a theory that the "other man" in Susan's life was the one that killed her and that he is a legendary Russian spy. In order to keep control of the investigation, Farrell is put in charge of the investigation and is faced with clues that he knows will eventually lead to him. With the set-up closing in on him he must race against time to find a way out.

This is a remake of The Big Clock, with a modern political set-up. The story is well set-up with only some misgivings in the first 30 minutes where the roots for the story are developed. Once the real story starts it is very good and it moves with a real thrilling pace, building to two endings one very powerful and with a feeling of being trapped, and the second being a clever if not totally convincing twist. The feeling of being trapped and closed in on is very palatable and is very well conveyed for most of the film.

Costner is excellent here (a long time before his bubble burst) and Hackman brings his usual class. The standout role is Patton's smarmy, spin doctor homosexual Pritchard, he is truly excellent and manages to bring a sense of menace to a quite feminine role.

Overall an excellent thriller that is slow to start and has a low-key ending. The only problems are the slightly stretched plot and some of the action being unexplained (why do the covert-ops guys keep chasing Costner? I understood why for one of the chases but other ones just seem to happen for no reason). But 7 out of 10.

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