The Sentinel (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
The Sentinel is a 2006 action
thriller film about a veteran United States Secret Service
bodyguard who is suspected as a traitor after an attempted assassination of the president
reveals that someone within the Service is providing information to the assassins. The film stars Michael Douglas
as the veteran agent, Kiefer Sutherland
as his protégé, Eva Longoria
as a rookie Secret Service agent, and Kim Basinger
in the role of the First Lady. It is based on the novel of the same name by former Secret Service Agent Gerald Petievich
. It was filmed in Washington, D.C.
and in the Canadian
town of Kleinburg, Ontario
.
) is a Secret Service agent and one of the personal bodyguards for the First Lady of the United States
Sarah Ballentine (Kim Basinger
), with whom he is having an affair. He is one of the oldest and most experienced agents, having been involved in saving Ronald Reagan's
life during the Reagan assassination attempt
. A fellow agent and close friend, Charlie Merriweather (Clark Johnson
), is later assassinated
in front of his home. He gets word from a trusted informant
that the killing of Merriweather is related to an assassination plot against the President. The information provided by the informant revealed that a mole
with access to the President's security detail had provided information to the assassins. The Secret Service Protective Intelligence Division, led by Garrison's former protégé
and ex-friend David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland
) with rookie
partner Jill Marin (Eva Longoria
), is tasked with investigating the plot, which begins with polygraph
s for every agent. Meanwhile, the mole discovers the discussion with the informant and Garrison's affair with the First Lady, and attempts to blackmail him by luring him to a coffee shop known to be a meeting point for Colombian gangs. Along with failing the polygraph test (for lying about the affair), Garrison becomes unwittingly framed by the mole and becomes the prime suspect for providing the information to the assassins.
When Breckinridge confronts Garrison at his home and begins to interrogate him about his dealings with the plot, the source of the two's estrangement comes to light: Garrison supposedly had an affair with Breckinridge’s wife and caused the breakup of their marriage, which he denies. Garrison escapes capture and conducts an independent investigation of the assassination plot, while making brief contact with the First Lady to deny his involvement. He tries to contact the informant who gave him the tip, but finds that he has been killed. He briefly encounters Breckinridge while finding the informant, but Breckinridge refuses to kill him, despite giving other agents "shoot to kill" orders. Using his contacts with sympathetic agents and family members, he stumbles onto an apartment rented by one of the assassins, and finds information that the assassins are headed to Toronto
to attack the president at the G8
summit. He tells Jill Marin of the discovery as he leaves but later finds that any incriminating evidence
has been removed before she can arrive.
Meanwhile, the First Lady discloses her affair with Garrison to Breckinridge, who catches up to Garrison in Toronto and tells him that he believes that Garrison is innocent. Together, they discover the identity of the assassins and the mole, senior agent William Montrose (Martin Donovan
), who was never polygraphed. Montrose is in charge of directing security at the G8 summit. The leader of the assassins, The Handler (Ritchie Coster
), tells Montrose to give him the President. Montrose attempts to refuse to uphold his promise to the assassins, not caring about the repercussions of his actions and wanting out of the plot. The Handler then forces Montrose to continue to cooperate, threatening the lives of the agent's wife and two daughters should he back out while showing a photo of each of them. Emotionally torn by the decision he must make, Montrose is instructed by The Handler to lead the President to the summit while jamming the communication radios, and they shall handle the rest.
On the night of the President's speech, Breckinridge and Garrison race to the summit, trying to whisk the President away to safety, with the assassins, dressed as RCMP ERT operators, killing several agents and trying to kill the President. On the way up to the summit, Montrose reveals he is the mole to the President while warning him of what is going on, in spite of the threats against his family. He is then killed by one of the assassins in the stairwell. Garrison, Breckinridge and Marin then join together and kill the remaining disguised assassins while safely bringing the President and First Lady up to the summit to be evacuated. At the top, The Handler himself comes forward dressed as an RCMP officer
, all of his accomplices dead, to personally kill the President and First Lady. He grabs Sarah Ballentine hostage and aims his pistol to shoot the President as he is guided to an evacuation vehicle, but before he can kill anyone, Garrison realizes who the assassin leader is and shoots him dead.
In spite of the events, Garrison is forced to take an early retirement due to the disclosure of the affair with the First Lady, who looks on sadly from her window as Garrison leaves the White House. He does however make peace with Breckinridge who finally realizes that he never slept with his wife. He also tells Garrison that he is meeting her later on to talk over things.
, enjoyed the film.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
thriller film about a veteran United States Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
bodyguard who is suspected as a traitor after an attempted assassination of the president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
reveals that someone within the Service is providing information to the assassins. The film stars Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
as the veteran agent, Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
as his protégé, Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
as a rookie Secret Service agent, and Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
in the role of the First Lady. It is based on the novel of the same name by former Secret Service Agent Gerald Petievich
Gerald Petievich
Gerald Petievich is an American crime writer.He was a United States Secret Service Special Agent from 1970 to 1985.The following films were made of his novels: To Live and Die in LA, The Sentinel , and Boiling Point . Mr. Petievich also co wrote the screenplays for those films...
. It was filmed in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
town of Kleinburg, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Plot
Pete Garrison (Michael DouglasMichael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
) is a Secret Service agent and one of the personal bodyguards for the First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Sarah Ballentine (Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
), with whom he is having an affair. He is one of the oldest and most experienced agents, having been involved in saving Ronald Reagan's
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
life during the Reagan assassination attempt
Reagan assassination attempt
The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr...
. A fellow agent and close friend, Charlie Merriweather (Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson , sometimes credited as Clark 'Slappy' Jackson, Clarque Johnson, and J. Clark Johnson, is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film.-Early years:...
), is later assassinated
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
in front of his home. He gets word from a trusted informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
that the killing of Merriweather is related to an assassination plot against the President. The information provided by the informant revealed that a mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
with access to the President's security detail had provided information to the assassins. The Secret Service Protective Intelligence Division, led by Garrison's former protégé
Mentoring
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
and ex-friend David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
) with rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
partner Jill Marin (Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
), is tasked with investigating the plot, which begins with polygraph
Polygraph
A polygraph measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions...
s for every agent. Meanwhile, the mole discovers the discussion with the informant and Garrison's affair with the First Lady, and attempts to blackmail him by luring him to a coffee shop known to be a meeting point for Colombian gangs. Along with failing the polygraph test (for lying about the affair), Garrison becomes unwittingly framed by the mole and becomes the prime suspect for providing the information to the assassins.
When Breckinridge confronts Garrison at his home and begins to interrogate him about his dealings with the plot, the source of the two's estrangement comes to light: Garrison supposedly had an affair with Breckinridge’s wife and caused the breakup of their marriage, which he denies. Garrison escapes capture and conducts an independent investigation of the assassination plot, while making brief contact with the First Lady to deny his involvement. He tries to contact the informant who gave him the tip, but finds that he has been killed. He briefly encounters Breckinridge while finding the informant, but Breckinridge refuses to kill him, despite giving other agents "shoot to kill" orders. Using his contacts with sympathetic agents and family members, he stumbles onto an apartment rented by one of the assassins, and finds information that the assassins are headed to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to attack the president at the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
summit. He tells Jill Marin of the discovery as he leaves but later finds that any incriminating evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
has been removed before she can arrive.
Meanwhile, the First Lady discloses her affair with Garrison to Breckinridge, who catches up to Garrison in Toronto and tells him that he believes that Garrison is innocent. Together, they discover the identity of the assassins and the mole, senior agent William Montrose (Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
), who was never polygraphed. Montrose is in charge of directing security at the G8 summit. The leader of the assassins, The Handler (Ritchie Coster
Ritchie Coster
Ritchie Coster is an English film, television and theatre actor. Coster was born in London, England and attended The Latymer School, Edmonton...
), tells Montrose to give him the President. Montrose attempts to refuse to uphold his promise to the assassins, not caring about the repercussions of his actions and wanting out of the plot. The Handler then forces Montrose to continue to cooperate, threatening the lives of the agent's wife and two daughters should he back out while showing a photo of each of them. Emotionally torn by the decision he must make, Montrose is instructed by The Handler to lead the President to the summit while jamming the communication radios, and they shall handle the rest.
On the night of the President's speech, Breckinridge and Garrison race to the summit, trying to whisk the President away to safety, with the assassins, dressed as RCMP ERT operators, killing several agents and trying to kill the President. On the way up to the summit, Montrose reveals he is the mole to the President while warning him of what is going on, in spite of the threats against his family. He is then killed by one of the assassins in the stairwell. Garrison, Breckinridge and Marin then join together and kill the remaining disguised assassins while safely bringing the President and First Lady up to the summit to be evacuated. At the top, The Handler himself comes forward dressed as an RCMP officer
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, all of his accomplices dead, to personally kill the President and First Lady. He grabs Sarah Ballentine hostage and aims his pistol to shoot the President as he is guided to an evacuation vehicle, but before he can kill anyone, Garrison realizes who the assassin leader is and shoots him dead.
In spite of the events, Garrison is forced to take an early retirement due to the disclosure of the affair with the First Lady, who looks on sadly from her window as Garrison leaves the White House. He does however make peace with Breckinridge who finally realizes that he never slept with his wife. He also tells Garrison that he is meeting her later on to talk over things.
Cast
- Michael DouglasMichael DouglasMichael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
... Pete Garrison - Kiefer SutherlandKiefer SutherlandKiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
... David Breckinridge - Eva LongoriaEva LongoriaEva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
... Jill Marin - Kim BasingerKim BasingerKimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
... First Lady Sarah Ballentine - Martin DonovanMartin DonovanMartin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
... William Montrose - Ritchie CosterRitchie CosterRitchie Coster is an English film, television and theatre actor. Coster was born in London, England and attended The Latymer School, Edmonton...
... The Handler - David RascheDavid Rasche-Early life and career:Rasche was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a minister and farmer. Rasche started in theatre, but also has appeared on numerous movies and television series. He became a member of the Chicago Second City, after John Belushi moved on to Saturday Night Live...
... President Ballentine - Blair BrownBlair BrownBonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
... National Security Advisor - Kristin LehmanKristin LehmanKristin Lehman is a Canadian actress and dancer.Lehman was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Vancouver and trained in classical ballet at Canada's Royal Academy of Dance for eight years...
... Cindy Breckinridge - Raynor ScheineRaynor ScheineRaynor Scheine is an American actor who has appeared in films for three decades dating back to 1979, including My Cousin Vinny and Fried Green Tomatoes. His name is a play on the phrase "rain or shine".-Broadway performances:...
... Walter Xavier - Chuck Shamata ... Director Overbrook
- Paul CalderónPaul CalderonPaul Calderón is an American actor.He was born in Puerto Rico. Calderón moved to New York with his family at the age of six, where he grew up on the streets of the Lower East Side and Spanish Harlem...
... Deputy Director Cortes - Clark JohnsonClark JohnsonClark Johnson , sometimes credited as Clark 'Slappy' Jackson, Clarque Johnson, and J. Clark Johnson, is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film.-Early years:...
... Charlie Merriweather - Raoul BhanejaRaoul BhanejaRaoul Bhaneja is a Canadian actor. He was one of the stars on the short lived TV series Train 48 on Global...
... Aziz Hassad - Yanna McIntoshYanna McIntoshYanna McIntosh, sometimes credited as Yanna MacIntosh, is a Jamaican-born Canadian television, movie and theatrical actress.-Early life:...
... Teddy Vargas - Joshua PeaceJoshua PeaceJoshua Peace also known as Josh Peace is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles on Devil as Detective Markowitz and in the films Cube Zero, You Might as Well Live and Survival of the Dead.-Filmography:*Unlucky as Bob...
... Agent Davies - Simon ReynoldsSimon ReynoldsSimon Reynolds is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term "post-rock". Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock...
... Tom DiPaola - Geza Kovacs ... Agent Turzanski
- Jasmin GeljoJasmin GeljoJasmin Geljo is a Bosnian actor. He is best known for his roles on Cube Zero as Ryjkin and in the films Land of the Dead, Assault on Precinct 13 and The Sentinel.-Biography:...
... Assassin - Danny A. Gonzales ... Hugo Ortega
- Jude Coffey ... Field Agent Welke
Critical reception
The film received generally poor reviews, scoring 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. The BBC review described it being "as compelling as watching the ink dry on a superfluous UN treaty". Some reviewers such as the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, enjoyed the film.
DVD releases
| DVD Name | Region 1 | Region 2 |
|---|---|---|
| The Sentinel | August 29, 2006 | January 29, 2007 |