The Sentinel (2006)

A secret service agent is framed as the mole in an assassination attempt on the president. He must clear his name and foil another assassination attempt while on the run from a relentless FBI agent.

Director:

Clark Johnson

Writers:

George Nolfi (screenplay), Gerald Petievich (novel)

Stars:

Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Douglas	...	Pete Garrison
Kiefer Sutherland	...	David Breckinridge
Eva Longoria	...	Jill Marin
Martin Donovan	...	William Montrose
Ritchie Coster	...	The Handler
Kim Basinger	...	1st Lady Sarah Ballentine
Blair Brown	...	National Security Advisor
David Rasche	...	President Ballentine
Kristin Lehman	...	Cindy Breckinridge
Raynor Scheine	...	Walter Xavier
Chuck Shamata	...	Director Overbrook
Paul Calderon	...	Deputy Director Cortes
Clark Johnson	...	Charlie Merriweather (as Clarque Johnson)
Raoul Bhaneja	...	Aziz Hassad
Yanna McIntosh	...	Teddy Vargas

Storyline

Special Agent Pete Garrison is convinced that a Neo-Nazi Aryan Disciple has managed to infiltrate the White House. When a White House Agent is murdered, Garrison is framed and blackmailed over an affair with the First Lady Sarah Ballentine. He is relieved of his duties, but Garrison won't stop in trying to prove his innocence, and save the life of the President. While attempting to uncover the person behind it all, he comes into confrontation with his protege, Agent Breckinridge.

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Plot Keywords:

secret service | president | first lady | investigation | framed | 

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Taglines:

In 141 years, there's never been a traitor in the Secret Service.... Until Now.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Twentieth Century Fox [France] Twentieth Century Fox [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

La sentinelle

Filming Locations:

Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£627,838 (UK) (1 September 2006)

Gross:

$3,554,416 (Mexico) (22 September 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Regency Enterprises, Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 107 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The speech heard at the G8 meeting, before that of the American President's, is in Swedish, and closes with the words: "... vägnar vill jag tacka er för att ni stödjer Kyoto-protokollet. Tack så mycket," which means, "... I want to thank you for supporting the Kyoto Protocol. Thank you very much."

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Goofs

The spoiler on the stolen Ford Taurus (driven by Pete Garrison) disappears between scenes.

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Quotes

David Breckinridge: Tom DiPaola said he called you four times yesterday. You never returned any of his messages, and that you almost missed the Marine One flight yesterday.
Pete Garrison: They moved the flight up two hours. I was in the coffee shop. It was noisy. I couldn't hear my cell phone. Now wh-wh-what is this, alright? What the hell are you doing following me?
Hugo Ortega: Las Palmas Coffee Shop is a dead drop for the Baranquilla Cartel.
David Breckinridge: You screwed up, Pete. You walked into a stakeout. I want to know your number one go-to guy at the ...
[...]

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Connections

References Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

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Soundtracks

Bullet and a Target
Written by Citizen Cope (as Clarence Greenwood)
Performed by Citizen Cope
Courtesy of RCA Records
By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

User Reviews

Reasonable Idea, Terrible Screenplay

The veteran agent of the American secret service Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) saved the life of president Ronald Reagan in the past and became a legend. Presently he is responsible for the personal security of the American president Ballentine (David Rasche) and the first lady Sarah Ballentine (Kim Bassinger), with whom he is having a love affair. When his informer Walter discloses that there is a traitor in the secret service and a plot to kill the president, his former friend David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland) and the chief of the secret service William Montrose (Martin Donovan) are in charge of the investigation and all the agents are submitted to a polygraph test. Due to his situation with Sarah, he is compromised with the results and accused of treachery. He escapes, and in spite of chased by the secret service, he conducts his own investigation trying to find the responsible.

"The Sentinel" has a reasonable idea, of an agent failing in the polygraph test due to his love affair with the first lady, but the screenplay does not have any care for the characters. The running time should be longer and not waste in so many exaggerated details relative to the protection of the American president, and give more attention to the characters. In the end, the story is conventional, badly resolved and with bureaucratic performances of the good cast. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Sentinela" ("Sentinel")