# Clear and Present Danger (film)

Clear and Present Danger is a 1994 film in which CIA analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US government against a Colombian drug cartel. It is a sequel to Patriot Games.
    Directed by Phillip Noyce. Written by John Milius, Donald E. Stewart, and Steven Zaillian, based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy.

## Ritter

* [to Cutter, before commencing a covert action] Let me make this very clear: this is your deal, not mine, so unless I have written authorization, this whole thing is over before it starts because I'm not going to be the only one left without a chair when the music stops.
* [on Cutter's computer] They're in. Congratulations, James, you've got your own little war.

## The President

* These drug cartels represent a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.

## Dialogue

    [Chavez was able to close in on the Sergeant Major by using a cheeseburger wrapper as a decoy]
    Sergeant Major: Soldier, how did you get so close to me?
    Chavez: (quoting the Sergeant Major) 'Sniper, approach the instructor by being a sneaky bastard', Sergeant Major!
    Ernesto Escobedo: Who is doing this?
    Felix Cortez: If I had to guess...
    Ernesto Escobedo: No, that is not what I asked of you, to guess. I can guess. Someone has been talking to the drug police.
    Felix Cortez: Now that's impossible. If anyone spoke to the police, I would be the first to know.
    The President: So go down there, establish it.
    Jack Ryan: Go down where?
    The President: Colombia.
    Jack Ryan: Who, me?
    Felix Cortez: [an attack has occurred on the American delegation, secretly ordered by Escobedo's intelligence man Cortez] You don't want to hear an answer.
    Ernesto Escobedo: Yes I do.
    Felix Cortez: It was done to look like you did it... by one of the others, as you suspected. It's always a friend who hates you most.
    Admiral Greer: You know what you think about when you’re lying here. You know you’re going to die. You think it’s alright. You lived a long time. You had a family that loved you. You had a job that you thought made a difference, that you thought was honorable. And then you see this. [looking at photos showing complicit activity by Cutter]
    Jack Ryan: I'm afraid if I dig any deeper no-one's going to like what I find.
    Admiral Greer: You took an oath, if you recall, when you first came to work for me. And I don't mean to the National Security Advisor of the United States, I mean to his boss... and I don't mean the President. You gave your word to his boss: you gave your word to the people of the United States. Your word is who you are.
    Ritter: Jack, computer theft is a serious crime.
    [hangs up the phone]
    Jack Ryan: So are crimes against the Constitution.
    Jack Ryan: You're going to jail, pal!
    Ritter: [seeing Ryan holding a piece of paper] What is that? What is it you think you have there?
    Jack Ryan: You broke the law.
    Ritter: You are such a Boy Scout! You see everything in black and white!
    Jack Ryan: No, no, no! Not black and white Ritter, right and wrong!
    Jack Ryan: [confronting Ritter on "Reciprocity"] Why was I kept out if it?
    Ritter: You weren't kept out of it, you're NECK DEEP in it! You went before Congress and you got the money for it!
    Jack Ryan: Who authorized this?
    Ritter: I'm sure they'll ask you that.
    Jack Ryan: Who authorized it?
    Ritter: I have no recollection, Senator.
    Jack Ryan: I'm here to rent the Huey.
    Helicopter owner: We don't rent it anymore, but it is for sale.
    Jack Ryan: How much?
    Helicopter owner: Two million dollars.
    Jack Ryan: Uh, my pilot and I will have to take it for a test drive.
    Helicopter owner: Of course, you just have to leave a deposit.
    Jack Ryan: How much is that?
    Helicopter owner: Two million dollars.
    Jack Ryan: Umm...
    [Shows a CIA business card]
    Jack Ryan: Would you take a company check?
    Clark: Hey, get out of my chopper!
    Jack Ryan: No, no - my chopper.
    [Hands Clark receipt]
    Jack Ryan: I didn't sign up for this. This is someone's bullshit political agenda. Who authorized this? Cutter?
    Ritter: Cutter couldn't tie his own shoes without permission.
    Jack Ryan: If I go down you're coming with me.
    Ritter: Wrong again. I have an *autographed get-out-of-jail-free card*! "The President of the United States authorizes Deputy Director of the CIA Robert Ritter to conduct 'Operation Reciprocity' including all necessary funding and support. This action is deemed important to the national security of the United States etcetera, etcetera, etcetera." You don't have one of these, do you Jack? [as Ryan walks away] Gray! The world is gray, Jack!
    The President: How dare you come in here and lecture me!
    Jack Ryan: How dare you, sir!
    The President: [getting angry] How dare you come into my office and bark at me like some little junkyard dog?! Because I am the President of the United States!
    The President: [on who gets punished for 'Reciprocity'] You'll take the blame. Cutter and Ritter will take some too, but it won't amount to much. They'll get a slap on the wrist and $20,000 an hour on the lecture circuit. The rest, you'll dump on Greer. Yes, you'll take him down with you. You'll destroy his reputation. But it won't go any further than that. It's the ol' Potomac two-step, Jack.
    Jack Ryan: I'm sorry, Mr. President, I don't dance.

## Taglines

* Truth needs a soldier.
* The war of drugs would lead him to the war of power.

## Cast

* Harrison Ford - Jack Ryan
* Willem Dafoe - John Clark
* James Earl Jones - Admiral Jim Greer
* Anne Archer - Cathy Ryan
* Benjamin Bratt - Captain Ramírez
* Raymond Cruz - Domingo Chavez
* Joaquim de Almeida - Félix Cortez
* Miguel Sandoval - Ernesto Escobedo
* Harris Yulin - James Cutter
* Henry Czerny - Robert "Bob" Ritter
* Donald Moffat - President Edward Bennett
* Greg Germann - Petey
* Colleen Flynn - Coast Guard Captain
* Reed Diamond - Coast Guard Chief
* Reg E. Cathey - Sergeant Major
* Clark Gregg - Staff Sergeant

## External links

* Clear and Present Danger quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* Clear and Present Danger at Allmovie
* Clear and Present Danger at Rotten Tomatoes
* Clear and Present Danger at Metacritic
* Clear and Present Danger at Mojo