The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.
Director:
John Schlesinger
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Title: The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
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1 nomination.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Timothy Hutton | ... | Christopher Boyce | |
| Sean Penn | ... | Daulton Lee | |
| Pat Hingle | ... | Mr. Charlie Boyce | |
| Joyce Van Patten | ... | Mrs. Boyce | |
 |
Rob Reed | ... | Boyce Child |
|
|
Rob Newell | ... | Boyce Child |
|
|
Karen West | ... | Boyce Child |
| Art Camacho | ... | Boyce Child (as Arturo Comacho) | |
| Annie Kozuch | ... | Boyce Child | |
| Richard Dysart | ... | Dr. Lee | |
| Priscilla Pointer | ... | Mrs. Lee | |
| Chris Makepeace | ... | David Lee | |
| Dorian Harewood | ... | Gene | |
| Mady Kaplan | ... | Laurie | |
| Macon McCalman | ... | Larry Rogers | |
Learn more
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
The true story of Christopher Boyce, a young All-American man whose job as a guard for sensitive documents shatters his faith in his country and leads him to a sometimes comic, sometimes chilling sideline as a spy for the Soviets, aided by his scruffy buddy, Daulton; it can't last, though, and the consequences are tremendous for Boyce and his family. Written by Dan Hartung <dhartung@mcs.com>
Taglines:
They were best friends from the best of families. Then they committed a crime against their country and became the two most wanted men in America. [USA theatrical] See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Written by David Bowie, Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays
Performed by David Bowie
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
According to Christopher Boyce, the scenes in the movie where employees of the Black Vault used the company paper shredder to blend margaritas are factually accurate. See more »Goofs
At the border crossing, "Snowman's" Mustang has the license plate "213-IMW" but on the computer terminal in the field marked "plate number" the U.S. border guard enters "NRQ410" (echoed back on the screen as "NNRRQQ441100") which is clearly the wrong plate. NRQ could stand for "NARCOTICS" as sort of an in joke by the producers. See more »Quotes
Christopher Boyce: I know a thing or two about predatory behavior, and what once was a legitimate intelligence agency is now being used on weaker governments.See more »
Crazy Credits
Some music was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, but it's misspelled "Abby Road" in the credits. See more »Alternate Versions
Due to music licensing issues, most modern home video and streaming releases of the film remove almost all of the pop songs. Only the David Bowie song over the end credits and "All Right Now" by Free remain in this version of the film. See more »Soundtracks
This Is Not AmericaWritten by David Bowie, Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays
Performed by David Bowie
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
See more »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
8 February 1985 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Falcon & the Snowman See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$12,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$2,358,846, 27 January 1985Gross USA:
$17,130,087Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$17,130,087Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby StereoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1Contribute to This Page
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For the 1980s, this is a very dark movie. At this point, filmmakers were beginning to operate under the assumption that all films require smarmy comic relief (which, of course, is taken to the extreme today), flashy action scenes (even more overdone today), or steamy sex scenes.
Hutton and Penn are stupendous in their roles as childhood friends turned Soviet spies. Penn in particular is brilliant as hapless drug dealer Daulton Lee.
What you have here is a true thriller/drama. There is no eye candy to speak of, but the story is so compelling and the acting so superb that (hopefully) most people wouldn't miss it. There are a couple amusing scenes, in particular the one where Penn tries to get his Soviet benefactors involved in a major drugrunning deal.
Well worth watching.