The Enemy Within (1994 film)

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The Enemy Within
Genre Thriller
Based on
Screenplay by
Directed byJonathan Darby
Starring
Music by Joe Delia
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer Peter Douglas
ProducerRobert A. Papazian
Cinematography Kees Van Oostrum
Editor Peter Zinner
Running time86 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseAugust 20, 1994 (1994-08-20)

The Enemy Within is a 1994 American political thriller television film directed by Jonathan Darby and written by Darryl Ponicsan and Ronald Bass. It is a remake of the 1964 film Seven Days in May , itself based on a 1962 novel, and stars Forest Whitaker, Jason Robards, Jr., Dana Delany and Sam Waterston. [1] [2] The film involves a planned military coup to overthrow the President of the United States. The television film remake was originally announced in 1984, while producer Peter Douglas (son of Kirk Douglas, star of the original film) worked for his father's film production company The Bryna Company (which had produced Seven Days in May). [3] The film took ten years to develop and was finally produced in 1994 through Peter Douglas' own film production company, Vincent Pictures. [3] It aired on HBO on August 20, 1994. [4] [5]

Contents

Plot summary

U.S. Marine Colonel Lyle MacArthur "Mac" Casey discovers an apparent plan by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General R. Pendleton Lloyd and Secretary of Defense Charles Potter to remove President William Foster from office and replace him with Vice President Walter Kelly, who they feel would be more willing to do their bidding.

Casey and Foster desperately seek evidence before the coup occurs. They encounter a setback when Attorney General Arthur Daniels (who has told Potter about his misgivings about the constitutionality of the plan) is murdered. Casey contacts long time acquaintance Betsy Corcoran, who is Foster's Chief of Staff, and is able to secretly bring his concerns to Foster.

With only a few days left until the coup, Casey receives unexpected support from "Jake", a Russian operative able to supply the kind of satellite and photographic proof that Foster cannot risk requesting of anyone in the compromised US intelligence community. When Jake provides access to Sarah McCann, secretary to the murdered Daniels and secretly a Russian agent, Lloyd's operatives assassinate her.

When all else fails, with troops deployed in 12 major cities and Lloyd and Potter in the Oval Office demanding Foster's resignation, Casey advises that he will confess to being part of their conspiracy (having uncovered enough information to sound legitimate in his so-called confession), denying the true conspirators any chance of claiming that they have acted within the Constitution.

Lloyd resigns, and Foster tells Potter that he and that other conspirators will simply resign in stages over the coming year, in order to prevent knowledge of, and a panic regarding, their treasonous acts.

Cast

Production

In March 1994, it was reported Jonathan Darby would be directing a re-adaptation of Seven Days in May from writers Darryl Ponicsan and Ronald Bass for HBO. [6]

Reception

Ken Parish Perkins of the Chicago Tribune stated "Messiness aside, "The Enemy Within" offers more good acting than most TV movies, particularly from ever-consistent Whitaker, Robards and Waterston." [7]

References

  1. ↑ Ray Loynd (August 20, 1994). "TV Reviews : 'Enemy Within' a '90s 'Seven Days in May'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "The Enemy Within". TCM database. Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  3. 1 2 unknown (August 2, 1984). "not available" . Los Angeles Times . p. 82. Retrieved June 23, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Lee Winfrey (August 20, 1994). "New twists and classy actors propel HBO remake of 'Seven Days in May'". The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. D12. Retrieved September 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  5. ↑ Susan King (August 14, 1994). "The plot in HBO's 'Enemy Within' puts the U.S. on a precipice". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  6. ↑ "'SNL's' Farley crashes filmdom". Variety. Archived from the original on July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  7. ↑ Ken Parish Perkins (August 20, 1993). "'The Enemy Within' not as dramatic as 'Seven Days in May'". The State. Chicago Tribune. p. E2. Retrieved September 1, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Closed Access logo transparent.svg


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