The Good Shepherd (2006)

The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life.

Director:

Robert De Niro

Writer:

Eric Roth

Stars:

Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Damon	...	Edward Wilson
Angelina Jolie	...	Margaret 'Clover' Russell
Alec Baldwin	...	Sam Murach
Tammy Blanchard	...	Laura
Billy Crudup	...	Arch Cummings
Robert De Niro	...	Bill Sullivan
Keir Dullea	...	Senator John Russell, Sr.
Michael Gambon	...	Dr. Fredericks
Martina Gedeck	...	Hanna Schiller
William Hurt	...	Philip Allen
Timothy Hutton	...	Thomas Wilson
Mark Ivanir	...	Valentin Mironov #2
Gabriel Macht	...	John Russell, Jr.
Lee Pace	...	Richard Hayes
Joe Pesci	...	Joseph Palmi

Storyline

Laconic and self-contained, Edward Wilson heads CIA covert operations during the Bay of Pigs. The agency suspects that Castro was tipped, so Wilson looks for the leak. As he investigates, he recalls, in a series of flashbacks, his father's death, student days at Yale (poetry; Skull and Bones), recruitment into the fledgling OSS, truncated affairs, a shotgun marriage, cutting his teeth on spy craft in London, distance from his son, the emergence of the Cold War, and relationships with agency, British, and Soviet counterparts. We watch his idealism give way to something else: disclosing the nature of that something else is at the heart of the film's narration as he closes in on the leak.

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Plot Keywords:

cia | santa claus character | espionage | reference to nikita khrushchev | o.s.s. | 

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Taglines:

The true story of the birth of the CIA through the eyes of a man who never existed.

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Genres:

Drama | History | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Russian German Lingala

Release Date:

22 December 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

El buen pastor

Filming Locations:

Potomac River, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,142,760, 24 December 2006

Gross USA:

$59,952,835

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$99,480,480

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Morgan Creek Entertainment, Tribeca Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

167 min 139 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Phillip Allen (William Hurt) is partly based on Allen Dulles, O.S.S. operative, and later C.I.A. Director during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Contrary to popular belief, President John F. Kennedy was fascinated with the world of espionage and unconventional warfare, granting the U.S. Special Forces their trademark Green Berets, while his enthusiasm for the James Bond novels helped to popularize them. However, during the C.I.A.'s Bay of Pigs operation he refused to allow overt military support for the mission, and severely limited the number of air strikes allowed to be flown by the C.I.A.'s own aircraft, for fear of revealing the U.S. Government's role. Both decisions are widely considered to have doomed the entire enterprise to failure from the start. Ironically, Allen Dulles was appointed to the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy, Dulles' former boss. Kennedy had fired Allen Dulles as head of the C.I.A.

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Goofs

When Edward is in Mironov's office, there's a picture of Mironov's family with two daughters. However, this contradicts his legend which states that he has 2 sons (and probably the true Mironov did). It is highly doubtful that he would do such a mistake and nobody would notice that inconsistency.

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Quotes

Bill Sullivan: Did you know that Philip Allen was going to be on the Mayan Coffee Company's board of directors?

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 23 August 2016 (2016)

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Soundtracks

So in Love
Written by Bruce Fowler, Harry Garfield
Produced by Bruce Fowler
Performed by Vince Giordano and His Nighthawks Orchestra (as Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks Orchestra)

User Reviews

An intelligent tale of duty and loyalty

I went into the theatre with little knowledge but that I was going to be watching a film about a man who was one of the founders of the CIA. Expecting this, I thought this movie was outstanding and a mind game from start to finish.

What one has to understand about the movie itself is that it is as complicated as the storyline. It starts out with two different time lines, decades apart and slowly one reaches the other. That in itself can be difficult to follow, but it is well worth the effort to pay attention because if you can leave the theatre understanding what took place, you walk away with a little more knowledge about the human complex.

Because this is a story more about the soul and our humanity than it is about spies and country. Those are just the means by which De Niro uses.

Every actor is placed remarkably well and no more so than Matt Damon himself. It is his acting that gives us Edward Wilson; a man without airs who doesn't compromise. The movie spans over twenty years and fortunately we see those years reflected in most of the characters. Angelina Jolie does the neglected, alcoholic wife superbly. William Hurt and Lee Pace as Richard Hayes both give a wonderful performance taking their character's flaws from subtle to substantial by the end.

Some might wonder how so many actors could be recruited for such small roles, like Alec Baldwin, Michael Gambon, and Joe Pesci, but one only has to see as far as the director to get their answer. Don't let the big names and the anagram CIA get you. This movie is as edgy as it is intricate with twists and turns that take the viewer through the world of trust and the human element. A man like Edward Wilson is just the perfect vessel for the journey.