In the Line of Fire

Wolfgang Petersen’s film began with a script by Jeff Maguire that Castle Rock bought in April 1992 for 1.4 million dollars. The costliest work is in the crowds. Second units filmed real Bush and Clinton campaign stops in autumn 1992; the face of Jim Curley, the film’s president, was laid digitally over Bush’s, and Clint Eastwood was matted in months after the election. Bush placards became Four More Years, and Clinton’s smaller rallies were filled out with computer generated extras. For the Dallas scene set in 1963, Warner Bros. supplied footage of Eastwood from Dirty Harry, a 1971 film, with his long hair and sideburns digitally trimmed. The effects were estimated at as much as ten percent of a 40 million dollar budget. Most of Eastwood’s protective work was shot on blue screen in Culver City; producer Jeff Apple said a real rally crowd would have watched him, not the candidate. It took three nominations at the 66th Academy Awards and won none: supporting actor, screenplay written directly for the screen, film editing. The 47th BAFTAs nominated the same three. A good fit if you want the rally scenes knowing they are real campaign footage with actors placed inside. Not for a viewer wanting Eastwood actually moving through those crowds; most of those shots were made on a stage.