Patriot Games (1992)

When CIA analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets him and his family for revenge.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Tom Clancy (novel), W. Peter Iliff (screenplay)

Stars:

Harrison Ford, Sean Bean, Anne Archer

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harrison Ford	...	Jack Ryan
Anne Archer	...	Cathy Ryan
Patrick Bergin	...	Kevin O'Donnell
Sean Bean	...	Sean Miller
Thora Birch	...	Sally Ryan
James Fox	...	Lord Holmes
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Robby
Polly Walker	...	Annette
J.E. Freeman	...	Marty Cantor
James Earl Jones	...	Admiral Greer
Richard Harris	...	Paddy O'Neil
Alex Norton	...	Dennis Cooley
Hugh Fraser	...	Watkins
David Threlfall	...	Inspector Highland
Alun Armstrong	...	Owens

Storyline

Former CIA analyst, Jack Ryan is in England with his family on vacation when he suddenly witnesses an explosion outside Buckingham Palace. It is revealed that some people are trying to abduct a member of the Royal Family but Jack intervenes, killing one of them and capturing the other, and stops the plan in its tracks. Afterwards, he learns that they're Irish revolutionaries and the two men are brothers. During his court hearing the one that's still alive vows to get back at Jack but is sentenced and that seems to be the end of it. However, whilst the man is being transported, he is broken out. Jack learns of this but doesn't think there's anything to worry about. But, when he is at the Naval Academy someone tries to kill him. He learns that they are also going after his family and so he rushes to find them, safe but having also been the victims of a failed assassination. That's when Jack decides to rejoin the CIA, and they try to find the man before he makes another attempt.

---

Plot Keywords:

jack ryan character | lingerie | villain | terrorist | cia | 

---

Taglines:

Not for honor. Not for country. For his wife and child.

---

Genres:

Action | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Juego de patriotas

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,511,191, 7 June 1992, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$83,287,363

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$94,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mace Neufeld Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Ryan refers to his wife as Catherine when speaking to Lord Holmes, but her first name in the novels is Caroline. This was probably to avoid confusion, because her nickname "Cathy" is usually a nickname for women named Catherine.

---

Goofs

The Ryans are depicted as working and schooling in the Annapolis metro area, yet live in a secluded home sitting on a high cliff overlooking open ocean. Relative to Annapolis, the nearest view of open ocean is nearly 80 miles due east - the entire width of the Chesapeake Penninsula - on the Delaware coast, which is a region characterized by beaches, barrier islands, and state parks.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Ryan: [answering machine answers] Sorry, we can't come to the phone right now. If you leave a message, we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks.

---

Alternate Versions

The German TV-version has got a few cuts.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Larry Sanders Show: What Have You Done for Me Lately? (1992)

---

Soundtracks

The Washington Post
Written by John Philip Sousa
Performed by John Philip Sousa

User Reviews

Good guys are real good, and the bad guys are real bad.

Patriot Games is a more than serviceable thriller, perhaps a bit out of date when viewing it now, but still a very effective good against evil piece. The source material is so dense and intricate it was always going to be hard to condense that into a 2 hour movie but I feel the makers manage to keep it fleshy whilst making the respective characters interesting and watchable. The acting on show is more than adequate, Harrison Ford is great in the role of Jack Ryan, he manages to portray him as a sensitive family man who can step up to the plate when things get ugly, and Anne Archer is solid enough as the wife and mother caught up in the web of nastiness unfolding.

The baddies are led by the brooding Sean Bean who is a little under written, whilst Richard Harris is sadly underused, but the action set pieces make their mark and thankfully we get a riveting final reel that cements the steady ride we have under taken. It is formulaic to a degree, but that is OK if the combined efforts of all involved are spot on, and here they are, 7/10.