Clear and Present Danger (1994)

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers (WGA):

Tom Clancy (novel)
Donald Stewart (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Truth needs a soldier.

Plot:

CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US government against a Colombian drug cartel.

Plot Keywords:

CIA | Drugs | Jack Ryan | Colombian Drug Cartel | Colombia

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Jack Ryan
Willem Dafoe	...	John Clark
Anne Archer	...	Cathy Muller Ryan
Joaquim de Almeida	...	Col. Felix Cortez
Henry Czerny	...	Robert Ritter
Harris Yulin	...	James Cutter
Donald Moffat	...	President Bennett
Miguel Sandoval	...	Ernesto Escobedo
Benjamin Bratt	...	Captain Ramirez
Raymond Cruz	...	Domingo Chavez
Dean Jones	...	Judge Moore
Thora Birch	...	Sally Ryan
Ann Magnuson	...	Moira Wolfson
Hope Lange	...	Senator Mayo
Tom Tammi	...	FBI Director Emile Jacobs

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense action/violence and language.

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | USA:PG-13 (Certifitcate #32825) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA

Company:

Mace Neufeld Productions

Trivia:

In the scene at the airport, where the President is answering questions about his friend (using Jack Ryan's advice to say that he and his friend were very close), you see a pack of media approaching the President. The lead newswoman, and the one who asks him the question, is actually Barbara Harrison, a prominent news anchor in Washington, D.C. on the local NBC affiliate station.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the scene where Clark (call sign "Variable") and Jack have returned to the "Lindo Coffee factory" to rescue the captured troops, during the sequence where Cortez is just above them on an upper floor., Clark's 2 Way Radio sounds off (giving away their position) by his Helo pilot call sign "Bird" calling him. During his initial transmission "Bird" uses the call signs backwards saying, "Bird, this is Variable..."

Quotes:

Clark: Circular error probable zero. Impact with high-order detonation. Have a nice day.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Clear and Present Danger: Behind the Danger (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Breaking News #2 Theme

A Lot More Good Than Bad

Harrison Ford returns as "Jack Ryan," star of the very well-done "Patriot Games," the film adaption off the best-selling Tom Clancy novels. Also returning are Anne Archer and James Earl Jones.

THE BAD - This isn't as intense, especially in the first half hour, as Patriot Games and the ending was a little disappointing with a action-scene credibility problem. Once again - it's getting to be a tired Hollywood theme - top U.S. government officials, going all the way to the President, are corrupt people, liars not to be trusted.

THE GOOD - It's nice to see Willem Dafoe finally play a good guy. The villains in here are deceptively interesting, actors such as Joaquim De Almeida, Harris Yulin and Henry Czerny and Miguel Sandoval - not big names but recognizable and good actors. The violence is not overdone in here and when the action does occur, the sound is terrific. The best action scene was shootout in the streets with snipers firing at cars below.

The positives are far more than the negatives, making this a solid thriller.