Directed by Roger Donaldson. Written by Robert Garland, based on the novel The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing.

Scott Pritchard

• I am tired of weakness! I am faced with a grave problem, and I intend to resolve it quickly and cleanly.

• You have no idea what men of power can do!

• Tom is the one who saw you at Susan's. He's known about you all along, isn't that right? We do know what that means. If Commander Farrell is the man who was with Miss Atwell, then Commander Farrell is the man who killed Miss Atwell. And we know that the man who killed Miss Atwell is Yuri. Therefore, Commander Farrell is Yuri, quod era demonstrada.

Others

• David Brice: [to Scott, who's arrived late] Order some breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day. You should take better care of yourself.

• Susan Atwell: [as the band starts playing "D'ya think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart and two people start disco dancing] We've got a potential nausea situation building here!

• Tom Farrell: [one of the Contras tries to follow him into the bathroom] I would rather do this myself. You can listen if you want to.

• David: [after the computer has finished regenerating the Polaroid negative] Hey, take a look at this. Somebody get Donavan down here! It's Commander Farrell.

• Schiller: [to Tom] In the Philippines when you passed that bag of underwear, Moscow was not amused! I should have acted then. But now it is no longer possible for you to remain United States. This bizarre incident has given them their Yuri, Evgeny Segevich.

Dialogue

Quartermaster: We've got a Soviet submarine out there. Captain wants us to track it 'til morning.

Tom: Good. It'll give us a chance to test the depth charges.

Quartermaster: Yeah. That'll be the day.

Susan: Are you one of them?

Tom: One of what?

Susan: These hypocrites. All posh and shiny getting ready for four more years of ramming it to the rest of us.

Tom: You're pretty cynical.

Susan: Adequate to the occasion.

[Tom and Susan are making out in the limo when Tom notices the driver is watching them]

Tom: What's your name?

Bill the Limo driver: Bill.

Tom: Hi Bill. Could you turn out that light, please.

Bill the Limo driver: Uh, sure.

Susan: [as the window goes up] Sorry, Bill.

Scott Pritchard: [about Brice] He's the most extraordinary person I've ever met in my life. If it came to it, I'd lay down my life for him.

Tom: Is that a job requirement?

Susan: [about the other man she is seeing] It's David Brice, Secretary of Defense. Satisfied?

Tom: You know I work for Brice?

Susan: I guess that makes two of us.

Tom: [about the Contras] Who are these men?

Scott: They're associated with Special Forces.

Tom: What? What does that mean?

Scott: It means that they are associated with Special Forces.

CIA Director Marshall: What's all this top secret business I've been hearing about over at the Pentagon?

Kevin O'Brien: Here's what we do have. CID is running a phone check. They're looking for all calls placed to a Susan Atwell.

CIA Director Marshall: Who's she?

Kevin O'Brien: Well, she's in the morgue at Fort Meade. She was murdered last night.

CIA Director Marshall: We know anything about it?

Kevin O'Brien: Get ready for this. We think she's either David Brice's or Scott Pritchard's mistress. Well she was seen with both of them. It didn't seem a high priority matter, so my people have been a little lax in following it up.

CIA Director Marshall: Well, spilt milk. And you can forget about Pritchard. He's homosexual.

Kevin O'Brien: I'll be damned.

CIA Director Marshall: So will he, if you believe the Old Testament.

[A Contra has chased Tom to the Secretary's Office when they are stopped by the MPs]

Tom: [to nearest MP] I am your superior officer and I am giving you a direct order to arrest this man.

Contra: I have orders from Pritchard!

Tom: Do it!

Contra: I have my orders from Pritchard!

Tom: [to Contra] Shut up!

[Tom kicks Contra in the groin, who is then dragged away by the MPs]

Tom: And if he resists, shoot him!

MP: Yes, sir!

[Scott Pritchard has committed suicide and Major Donavan has just stormed into Brice's office]

David Brice: Your search is over, Major!

Maj. Donovan: [looking at Scott's corpse] Is that...?

David Brice: He shot himself!

Cast

• Kevin Costner - Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell
• Gene Hackman - Defense Secretary David Brice
• Sean Young - Susan Atwell
• Will Patton - Scott Pritchard
• Howard Duff - Senator William 'Billy' Duvall
• George Dzundza - Sam Hesselman
• Jason Bernard - Major Donovan
• Iman - Nina Beka
• Fred Dalton Thompson - CIA Director Marshall
• Leon Russom - Kevin O'Brien