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The Bourne Identity (1988) (TV)
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Overview
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Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
8 May 1988 (USA)
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Plot:
A man is washed ashore the beach of a small French village during a heavy storm. A retired doctor takes care of the unconscious stranger...
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Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe.
Another 1 win
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Richard Chamberlain Wears King Arthur's Crown In Spamalot
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 16 February 2009, 6:01 PM, PST)
Classic Actor Richard Chamberlain Talks Obama, New Film
(From iCelebz. 7 November 2008, 9:00 AM, PST)
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 16 February 2009, 6:01 PM, PST)
Classic Actor Richard Chamberlain Talks Obama, New Film
(From iCelebz. 7 November 2008, 9:00 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Faithful Adaptation
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Richard Chamberlain | ... | Jason Bourne |
 | Jaclyn Smith | ... | Marie St. Jacques |
 | Anthony Quayle | ... | Gen. François Villiers |
| Donald Moffat | ... | David Abbott |
| Yorgo Voyagis | ... | Carlos |
| Peter Vaughan | ... | Fritz Koenig |
| Denholm Elliott | ... | Geoffrey Washburn |
 | Michael Habeck | ... | The fat man |
 | Wolf Kahler | ... | Gold Glasses |
| Philip Madoc | ... | Pierre D'Armacourt |
| Bill Wallis | ... | Chernak |
| Franziskus Abgottspon | ... | Zurich cabbie #2 (as Franciscus Abgottspon) |
| Frederick Bartman | ... | Man in bank lobby |
| John Carlin | ... | Albert Stossel, asst. manager |
| George Lane Cooper | ... | Fritz Koenig's driver |
Additional Details
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Runtime:
185 min
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Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
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Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Factual errors: A suppressor (silencer) is used on a revolver, but suppressors don't work on revolvers because of gas escape from around the cylinder.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Porne Ultimatum (2008) (V)
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (37 total)
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"The Bourne Identity" (1988) is a faithful recreation of Robert Ludlum's book about an amnesiac slowly (in a very long book) discovering who he is. The supporting cast is dotted with veterans that make the movie come to life during their brief parts: Denholm Elliott, Anthony Quayle, Peter Vaughan, James Faulkner.
The stars strain to carry the movie. Jaclyn Smith is immensely watchable, though her range is limited. Richard Chamberlain is a fine actor, but, perhaps because of insufficient rehearsal time or because he was never able to find a character who didn't know who he was, he comes off with the range of Bill Bixby, though that keeps him from burying Smith. In the end, Chamberlain may be much too nice for the character, but he's a likable actor and she's a likable actress and they make a pretty pair.
Because it was originally a two-part television drama, the 1988 "Bourne" has sufficient time to let the story unfold, as well as to build the unlikely relationship between Chamberlain's character and Smith's. It also gives the supporting characters flesh out their meager parts. After a slam-bang first hour, the movie settles into a more leisurely pace (that occasionally drags), that builds again into an exciting final hour.
The possible overplotting, as well as the outright absurdities (such as the truth of Treadstone 21) are squarely to be laid at Ludlum's door. And though it's quite faithful to Ludlum, the setting of the climax makes this movie version far more poignant than Ludlum himself was capable of.
"The Bourne Identity" has the technology of '80s television, so newcomers shouldn't expect contemporary sensibilities. It may not be as exciting as the remake, but it has a solid storyline.