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 Secret Service Protective Intelligence Division 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

A man who has devoted himself to serving the leader of the free world is accused of plotting against him in this thriller. Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is a veteran Secret Service agent who has had a long and distinguished career helping protect the president of the United States. David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland) is a fellow Secret Service agent who learned most of what he knows from Garrison and holds him in great respect. When intelligence data suggests that there is a mole within the Secret Service who is part of a plot to assassinate President Ballentine (David Rasche), Garrison launches an investigation to ferret out the rogue agent, and asks Breckinridge to go over the evidence with a fine-toothed comb. Breckinridge is shocked when the clues point to Garrison as the traitor within the Secret Service, but his sense of duty compels him to see that his former mentor is placed under arrest. Garrison eludes his captors and struggles to prove his innocence while tracking down...

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Plot Keywords:

cell phone trace | shooting a woman | cell phone | scene of the crime | frame up | 

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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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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence and a scene of sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

This feature film about the White House and the American Presidency, and its protection by the US Secret Service (USSS), features actress Blair Brown, who plays the National Security Advisor. Brown had previously starred in the television mini-series Kennedy (1983), about the late assassinated former American President John F. Kennedy, for which Brown was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television. One of The Sentinel (2006)'s main story-lines, involves a plot to kill American President John Ballentine (David Rasche). In Kennedy (1983), Brown had portrayed former First Lady (FLOTUS), Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of John F. Kennedy.

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Goofs

When Jill Marin shows her identification to the security camera and walks through the doors to the reception desk of David Breckinridge's office. The door she opened and walked through stays open behind her but on the security monitor you see the door closing as she passes through. In the next scene the door is closed.

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Quotes

[is given Depends]
Pete Garrison: I'm gonna walk out the White House carrying this?

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Connections

Referenced in La noche de...: La sombra de la sospecha (2017)

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Soundtracks

Fight the Power, Part 1
Written by O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley,
Ernie Isley and Chris Jasper (as Christopher H. Jasper)
Performed by The Isley Brothers
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

User Reviews

Great potential ruined by terrible screenplay

"The Sentinel" is an average-at-best action drama that does not come remotely close to reaching its potential. The entire movie feels rushed, with random details about each character's past thrown at you in a poorly-written screenplay. The revelation of the true bad guy in conspiracy films normally elicits at least some form of surprise or intrigue; instead, in "The Sentinel" the character is far too obvious and the scene reveals a tangential and unexplained back story that should instead be much more central to the plot.

The rush to cram details in every fleeting moment ruins this movie. For example, without spoiling the film, the culminating chase of the movie is ruined by a ridiculous proclamation of certain password to get by people; the ridiculousness of the situation takes away from what should be a tense finish.

This review is not meant to be overly disparaging; the film received 5/10 because it is a moderately entertaining summer movie and I did not regret going to see it. However, the skeleton plot seemed to be trying too hard and the characters were not well-utilized. Eva Longoria is very attractive though.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sentinel

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,367,854, 23 April 2006

Gross USA:

$36,280,697

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$78,810,595

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, New Regency Productions, Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 107 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1