Hopscotch (1980)
Directed by Ronald Neame
Genres - Comedy |
Sub-Genres - Chase Movie, Comedy Thriller, Spy Comedy |
Release Date - Sep 26, 1980 (USA - Unknown), Sep 26, 1980 (USA) |
Run Time - 104 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - R
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Walter Matthau plays a CIA agent who's been confined by office politics to a desk job. The disgruntled Matthau quits the service and heads to Europe, where he links up with former lover (an fellow ex-agent) Glenda Jackson. All goes smoothly until Matthau acts on the advice of yet another retired agent, Russian Herbert Lom, who suggests that Matthau write a tell-all autobiography. Spitefully, Matthau sends out copies of his first chapter to the heads of the CIA agencies throughout the world--and from that point on, he and Jackson don't have a moment's peace. This delights Matthau: now that all of his former colleagues are chasing after him, he has a reason to get up in the morning. As written by Brian Garfield, Hopscotch was a conventionally serious espionage novel. As adapted for the big screen by Garfield and Bryan Forbes, Hopscotch is a lively exercise in cloak-and-dagger comedy, even when the pursuit of Matthau turns deadly towards the end.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
agent [representative], government, autobiography, blackmail, bureaucracy, capture, cat-and-mouse, espionage, on-the-run, pursuit, revenge, romance
Attributes
High Production Values