The Presidio (1988)

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writer (WGA):

Larry Ferguson (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

THE PRESIDIO ARMY BASE, SAN FRANCISCO. When a landmark of historic tradition becomes the scene of a shocking murder, a military commander and a street-tough cop are forced into action... against the killer, the mysterious past, and each other.

Plot:

Jay Austin is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell was his commanding officer years before...

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Presidio | Chase | Army | Detective

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell
Mark Harmon	...	Jay Austin
Meg Ryan	...	Donna Caldwell
Jack Warden	...	Sgt. Maj. Ross Maclure
Mark Blum	...	Arthur Peale
Dana Gladstone	...	Col. Paul Lawrence
Jenette Goldstein	...	Patti Jean Lynch
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	MP Zeke
Don Calfa	...	Howard Buckely
John DiSanti	...	Det. Marvin Powell
Robert Lesser	...	Sgt. Mueller
James Hooks Reynolds	...	George Spota
Curtis W. Sims	...	Sgt. Garfield
Rick Zumwalt	...	Bully in Bar
Rosalyn Marshall	...	Lawrence's Secretary

Also Known As:

The Presidio: The Scene of the Crime (UK)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario - 2006) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Peter Hyams]a character named Spota.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Austin is given the address of Colonel Lawerence in Chinatown he is told its in Chinatown at 1412 Washington which is in the Nob Hill District of San Francisco.

Quotes:

Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell: [to Julius] Now why don't you ask him how he won the Medal of Honor?
Sgt. Major Ross Maclure: How old are you, Julius?
Julius: Eight.
Sgt. Major Ross Maclure: You want to live to be nine?
Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell: Obviously he didn't win it for charm.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Resident Alien (1990)

Soundtrack:

Tangerine

Better-than-average thriller

Despite what some people have said about this movie, I must tell you I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sean Connery, as always, gets into his character Lt. Col. Caldwell very well (he should be cast as a military officer more often). Meg Ryan, though limited in screen time, shines as his daughter Donna...they're father-daughter sessions make for some good drama.

Mark Harmon, who for some reason hasn't received many offers to star in big movie roles, plays Jay Austin. He's a cop who used to be an MP at The Presidio, the base at which a murder takes place. Harmon does an excellent job, both as Donna's lover and Caldwell's unwanted partner.

The fact is, the performances are wonderful, the story is fascinating, and the chase scenes create pulse-pounding excitement. If you like action, romance, drama, and a little humor every now and then, I recommend The Presidio.