Cloak & Dagger (1984)

A young boy and his imaginary friend end up on the run while in possession of a top-secret spy gadget.

Director:

Richard Franklin

Writers:

Tom Holland (screen story), Tom Holland (screenplay)

Stars:

Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, Michael Murphy

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Thomas	...	Davey Osborne
Dabney Coleman	...	Jack Flack / Hal Osborne
Michael Murphy	...	Rice
Christina Nigra	...	Kim Gardener
John McIntire	...	George MacCready
Jeanette Nolan	...	Eunice MacCready
Eloy Casados	...	Alvarez
Tim Rossovich	...	Haverman
William Forsythe	...	Morris (as Bill Forsythe)
Robert DoQui	...	Lt. Fleming
Shelby Leverington	...	Marilyn Gardener
Linden Chiles	...	Airport Security Chief
Robert Curtin	...	Murdoch
William Marquez	...	Airport Security Guard #1
Wendell Wright	...	Airport Security Guard #2

Storyline

11-year-old Davey, whose mother is dead and whose father doesn't spend nearly enough time with him. So the boy loses himself in video games--and even has an imaginary friend, a super-resourceful secret agent. When he accidentally comes into possession of a spy group's secret plans, and winds up on the run from them, he must learn to rely on himself and his imaginary pal to save his skin. But, in the end, Dad proves to be his real hero.

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Plot Keywords:

child protagonist | child kills an adult | prostitute | kiss | attempted child murder | 

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Taglines:

You can cry 'wolf' once too often!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Family | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Invisible Bomber" project plans contained within the secret game cartridge strongly resembles the United States Air Force's SR-71 Blackbird. Not known to the general public at the time of the film's release, the SR-71 was designed to be a stealth aircraft, and had indeed sprung from a secret Air Force project to produce a supersonic stealth bomber. As it was fielded, the SR-71 ended up as a stealth reconnaissance platform. The "Invisible Bomber" plans in the film include a reference to a "Forward Looking Infrared Pod," (FLIR) which now is well known as a component of military attack craft; at the time of the filming however, it would have been futuristic.

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Goofs

When we first see Davy talking with Jack Flack in the staircase, Davy is looking at his reflection out through the window in the mirrored building next door. However, when Jack sits down next to Davy you can see a brief glimpse of his reflection in the mirror building, even though he is imaginary.

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Quotes

Davey Osborne: Jack?
[Davey moves to the wall and runs his hands over the bullet holes caused by Rice's automatic weapon]
Jack Flack: [Jack materializes, sitting on the ground under the bullet holes. He stands up] Hey! Congrats Davey, you won!
Davey Osborne: I thought he shot you...
Jack Flack: Nah, never touched me
[Jack begins to pad himself down making sure he wasn't hit. He picks up his beret and runs his fingers through it, finding one bullet hole]
Jack Flack: Hmm.
Davey Osborne: [Davey runs his hands over the bullet holes again] But he could see you...
Jack Flack: [...]

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Alternate Versions

Some versions of the film include additional scenes of Davey running through the Riverwalk after escaping the tour boat, hiding from the spies, and asking some adults for help. Davey is believed by no one, who all think he is playing a game, explaining why later in the film Davey told Kim they were completely on their own and could not ask any adults for help.

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Connections

Referenced in 30 Rock: Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky (2012)

User Reviews

A film to me that will be fondly remembered...

A lot of people love E.T., my self included. I cannot recall whether I saw it in the theaters, but Henry Thomas became a household name after that movie came out. The truth is when I think of Henry Thomas, I don't immediately think of E.T., but of CLOAK & DAGGER, which was one of my favorite films as a kid and will forever be one of my favorites. And yet there is something truly bizarre that always comes to me while watching it. I've never been a fan of video games. In fact, I think most of them are stupid, a waste of time and money. CLOAK & DAGGER was a video game I believe (well, it is in the movie). Henry Thomas stars as Davy Osbourne, an imaginitive 11-year-old who loves his favorite superhero Jack Flack, who he likes to view as his make-believe hero. Set in San Antonio during the summer, the film has Thomas going to run an errand for a friend, and owner of a computer store, and gets involved in something he never dreamed of: a real-life game involving spies and a video game. No one will believe him after he reports of a man being shot and murdered in front of his own eyes, including his own father an Air Force sergeant, played just wonderfully by Dabney Coleman, who I've enjoyed in everything from 9 to 5 to Tootsie. The movie soon becomes a roller coaster ride as Thomas is attempting to get away from the spies before they kill him. The plot is riveting and believable, which is the real reason why this pulled me in at such a young age. I can't imagine an actor better than Thomas in this lead role. Coleman is equally memorable as his father, who also plays Jack Flack. Michael Murphy, a great character actor, is chilling as the head spy. I recommend this film for anyone and everyone. ***1/2 out of 4.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

10 August 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cloak & Dagger

Filming Locations:

The Alamo - 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,862,025, 12 August 1984

Gross USA:

$9,719,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1