Enemy of the State (1998)
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A labor lawyer becomes the target of a covert surveillance operation after obtaining evidence of a political assassination.
The story
Labor lawyer Robert Clayton Dean is working on a case involving a racketeer when he receives a disc containing footage of a political assassination. The National Security Agency (NSA) identifies him as a threat and begins a high-tech surveillance and harassment campaign to silence him. As Dean's life is dismantled by the agency, he must go on the run to protect the evidence and uncover the truth behind the conspiracy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a witness is killed and leaves a disc containing evidence of the murder of Congressman Phil Hammersley, lawyer Robert Clayton Dean becomes the target of the NSA. The agency, led by Director Thomas Reynolds, attempts to frame Dean for various crimes while tracking his every move. Dean eventually connects with Edward Lyle (Brill), a former NSA expert in hiding. Together, they navigate a series of traps, including a staged shootout at a restaurant and a high-stakes meeting with Reynolds. Dean eventually exposes the conspiracy, leading to the cancellation of a surveillance bill and his exoneration. The film concludes with Dean reunited with his family while Lyle retreats into hiding.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 132
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- David Marconi · writer
- Cast and characters
- Will Smith · Robert Clayton Dean; Gene Hackman · Edward Lyle / Brill; Jon Voight · NSA Director Thomas Reynolds; Regina King · Carla Dean; Loren Dean · Hicks; Jake Busey · Krug; Barry Pepper · Pratt; Gabriel Byrne · NSA Agent / Fake Brill
- Genres
- action; political thriller
- Themes
- government surveillance; civil liberties; conspiracy
- Tone and mood
- fast-paced; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- techno-thriller; political thriller; action
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its fast-paced direction, original story, timely subject matter, and the performances of Smith and Hackman.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 22
- Production trivia
- The character of Lyle is a thematic continuation of a character from The Conversation (1974).; The film was considered by director Oliver Stone before Tony Scott was selected.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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