"Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story" (2002) TV mini-series

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Lawrence Schiller

Writer (WGA):

Norman Mailer (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

He betrayed his family, friends, and country. Why?

Plot Keywords:

Summary Execution | Strip Club | Stripper | Polaroid Camera | Washington D.C.

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

William Hurt	...	Robert P. Hanssen
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Bonnie Hanssen
David Strathairn	...	Jack Hoschouer
Ron Silver	...	Mike Fine
Hilit Pace	...	Priscilla Galey
Oleg Kalugin	...	Alexander Kalugin
Lev Prygunov	...	Leonid Vladimirovich Shebarshin
Wayne Knight	...	Walter Ballou
Peter Boyle	...	Howard Hanssen
Scott Gibson	...	Richard Timber
Dmitry Chepovetsky	...	Fatelov (as Dmitri Chepovetsky)
Aaron Michael Lacey	...	Russian Guard
Lubomir Mykytiuk	...	Degtyar
Barry Flatman	...	Leroy Wauck
Nola Augustson	...	Frances Wauck
Kate Trotter	...	Vivian Hanssen
Bruce Hunter	...	Mack
Sarah Lafleur	...	Kimberly Lichtenberg
Colin Fox	...	Westchester Priest
Frank Moore	...	Agent Bunky
Cara Pifko	...	Jane Hanssen
Terra Vnesa	...	Sue Hanssen (as Terry Vnesa)
J.D. Nicholsen	...	Firing Range Instructor
Jack Langedijk	...	FBI Man at Party
Brian Paul	...	Blue Flamer
Ryan Price	...	Bob Hanssen: age 6
Chris Owens	...	Oath Reader
John Boylan	...	FBI Official
Neil Crone	...	Big FBI Man
Geri Hall	...	FBI Wife at Party
Vadim Pozharsky	...	KGB Student #1
Aleksei Yasulovich	...	KGB Student #2 (as A. Yasulovich)
Aleksei Borzunov	...	KGB Student #3 (as Aleksey Borzunov)
Eugene Lipinski	...	Stanislav Andropov
Jim Black	...	FBI Carage Guard
Yvonne Gaudry	...	Strip Club Waitress
Sharlene Yuen	...	Jack's Wife
Craig Eldridge	...	Father Tierney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Henry Canavan	...	Gun Store Clerk
Svetlana Dzenis	...	Stripper
Jasmine Ellis	...	Lisa Hanssen
Elizabeth Griffin	...	Stripper
Michael Johnson	...	Strip Club MC
Doug Lennox	...	Mr. Hanssen Sr.
David Macniven	...	Special Agent Johnston
Cameron Mitchell Jr.	...	CIA affiliate of Hanssen who lead tour of Russian delegates at the CIA (as Channing Mitchell)
Joe Nascimben	...	Man In Park
Jacqueline Pillon	...	FBI Agent
Christopher Redman	...	Robert Hanssen (20)
Melissa Jane Shaw	...	Student
Brittany Starkman	...	Girl in park
Ned Vukovic	...	Bakutin
Kathryn Zenna	...	Elizabeth
Markus Alexander	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Ken Arnold	...	Stand-in (William Hurt) (uncredited)
Jeffrey Coleman	...	FBI Agent (uncredited)
Rick Kain	...	FBI Agent (uncredited)

Directed by
Lawrence Schiller

Writing credits (WGA)
Norman Mailer		(written by)

Produced by
Chris Danton	....	line producer
Kay Hoffman	....	producer
Norman Mailer	....	executive producer
Lawrence Schiller	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Alan Caso

Film Editing by
Anne Goursaud
William B. Stich

Casting by
Jaki Brown		(as Jaki Brown-Karman)
Clare Walker

Production Design by
Michael Baugh

Art Direction by
Greg Chown

Set Decoration by
Steve Shewchuk

Costume Design by
Denise Cronenberg

Makeup Department
David R. Beecroft	....	hair stylist: William Hunt
Paul Huntley	....	wig maker
Cathy Shibley	....	key hair stylist
Tara Smith	....	hair stylist: Mary-Louise Parker
Geralyn Wraith	....	makeup artist: Mary-Louise Parker

Production Management
Chris Danton	....	unit production manager
Daniel Hank	....	unit production manager: Washington, DC
Randall Larsen	....	unit production manager: Hawaii
Bruce A. Pobjoy	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yolanda Graci	....	second assistant director
Doron Loeb	....	third assistant director
Elizabeth Long	....	trainee assistant director
Tony Lucibello	....	first assistant director (as Anthony Lucibello)
Kurt Uebersax	....	second assistant director
David 'Wex' Wechsler	....	first assistant director
Vladimir Zhelezniakov	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Scott Ejercito	....	property assistant
Dar Higden	....	set dresser
Tom Jung	....	storyboard artist
Derrick Kardos	....	photo manipulation
Matthew Lammerich	....	key scenic artist
Chris Pellegrini	....	property master (as Chris Pelligrini)
Donald Vandewater	....	construction coordinator (as Don Vandewater)

Sound Department
Bob Costanza	....	sound effects editor
Kevin Fisher	....	sound effects editor
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
Bob Goold	....	dialog editor
Thomas Hidderley	....	sound recordist (as Tom Hidderley)
Andy Peach	....	post-production sound recordist

Special Effects by
Laird McMurray	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Aaron Michael Lacey	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Kathy Amerman	....	still photographer
Mark Cowden	....	best boy electric
John Duke	....	dolly grip
Dave Ferguson	....	key grip (as Dave Fergie Ferguson)
Brian Gedge	....	camera operator
John Hickey	....	first assistant camera
Scott Inge	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera: Washington D.C.
Edward Lipscombe	....	key rigging grip
Walter Lipscombe	....	best boy rigging grip
Rob Nardi	....	best boy grip
Becky Parsons	....	second assistant camera
John Sztejnmiler	....	generator operator
Franco Tata	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Sidra Smith	....	casting associate
Clare Walker	....	casting: Toronto

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Natalie Bronfman	....	assistant costume designer
Brenda Gilles	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Lynn Abroms	....	assistant editor
Emyr G. Graciano	....	post-production assistant
Sean Sforza	....	post-production coordinator
Mike Sowa	....	digital color timer (2002)

Music Department
Shie Rozow	....	music editor
Curt Sobel	....	composer: song "Kings"

Transportation Department
Richard Gaal	....	driver: set decoration
Bruce McLean	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
John 'Frenchie' Berger	....	armorer
Stephanie Lee Berger	....	weapons handler
Albert Botha	....	production consultant
Cindy Capps	....	technical advisor
Rusty Capps	....	technical advisor
Patricia Cowmeadow	....	set supervisor
Katherine Dorrer	....	assistant location manager: Washington D.C.
Carol Flaisher	....	location manager: Washington D.C.
Mitch Glick	....	assistant: Miss Hoffman
Niko Godfrey	....	production assistant: Washington D.C.
R. Emerson John	....	daily script supervisor
Wes Johnson	....	photo double: "Ballou"
Redd Knight	....	production coordinator
Sophia Lansky	....	additional voices
Rachel Leko	....	production assistant
Sandra Lum Lock	....	production accountant
Stephanie Lovell	....	set production assistant: Washington, DC
Carlos Lozano	....	legal advisor
Neil Lumlock	....	location manager (as Neil Lum Lock)
Peter Madamba	....	script researcher
David Major	....	technical advisor
Paul Moore	....	technical advisor
Kevin Nakatsuka	....	production assistant
George Ploszczansky	....	assistant location manager
Dug Rotstein	....	script supervisor
Catherine Sample	....	assistant production coordinator
Stefan Steen	....	travel coordinator
Willem Wennekers	....	production secretary
Amy Wright	....	choreographer
Rick Kain	....	stand-in: Ron Silver (uncredited)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television
• Fox Television Studios
• Lawrence Schiller Productions
• Oakdale Productions Inc.

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
• CBS Television (2002) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Fox Television

Other Companies

• Act One Script Clearance  script clearance and research
• Centre for Counter-Intelligence and Security Studies  technical advice
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation
• Hand Prop  props supplied by

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and brief violence.

Runtime:

200 min | USA:123 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Movie Connections:

Version of Breach (2007)

Fascinating and Complex but Deeply Reactionary Film

This film contains one of William Hurt's best performances and anybody who is an acting fan in general or a William Hurt fan in particular will enjoy it.

I thought that the ideology of the film was quite complex, but ultimately dishonest and reactionary. The film wants to convince us that Robert Hanson was only a strange mentally-ill man who betrayed his family, friends, religion, colleagues and country. They have little sympathy for his painful situation.

If one looks at the facts that the story presents, instead of the way the movie presents them, this is clearly not the case. Hanson has to choose between his family, friends and religion and his government and job. He chose his family, friends and religion over his job and his government. He was simply a very intelligent man in an incredibly difficult position. If he had not sold secrets to the Soviet Union and Russians, he could not have afforded the lifestyle to maintain his family, friends and religion. His alternative was to lose his job and everything he loved most in life. His choice can be seen as incredibly courageous on some level.

The producer Lawrence Schiller and the writer Norman Mailer are very rich men who do not have to worry about making money every day (as Hanson did).

The film deserves credit for at least raising some quite interesting lines of defense for Hanson. For example, the film brings up the point that it is possible that his actions of helping the Soviets and Russians actually made the world a safer place and saved the world from nuclear catastrophe. The film should have seriously considered that in betraying his country, he may have saved the human race. Instead, the film presents this as merely one more fantasy on the part of Hanson.