Enemy of the State

Enemy of the State is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and written by David Marconi. The film features an ensemble cast and stars Will Smith and Gene Hackman, with Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, Gabriel Byrne, Dan Butler, Loren Dean, Jake Busey, Barry Pepper and Regina King in supporting roles. The film tells the story of a group of National Security Agency (NSA) agents conspiring to kill a congressman and the cover-up that ensues after a tape of the murder ends up in the possession of an unsuspecting lawyer.

The film was released on November 1998 in the U.S. and worldwide by Buena Vista Pictures through its adult film label Touchstone Pictures. Enemy of the State garnered positive reviews from film critics and audiences, with many praising the writing and direction as well as the chemistry between Smith and Hackman. Given the events of 9/11, the Patriot Act and Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA's PRISM surveillance program, the film has become noteworthy for being ahead of its time regarding issues of national security and privacy.

NSA official Thomas Brian Reynolds meets with U.S. congressman Phil Hammersley (R-NY) in a public park to discuss support for a new counterterrorism legislation the U.S. Congress is pushing that dramatically expands the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies over individuals and groups. Hammersley remains committed to blocking its passage, wanting to protect U.S. citizens' privacy. Reynolds, wanting the bill passed to help fast-track a long-delayed promotion, has Hammersley murdered, making it appear he suffered a heart attack. Meanwhile, labor lawyer Robert Dean is involved in a case involving mafia boss Paulie Pintero. Dean meets with his ex-girlfriend, Rachel Banks, who works for "Brill", who Dean occasionally hires for undercover surveillance. She delivers a tape incriminating Pintero.

As police investigate Hammersley's murder scene, Reynolds' men notice a biologist Daniel Zavitz swapping out a camera from a remote wildlife watching station across the lake. When Zavitz views footage of the congressman's murder, he immediately contacts a journalist friend. Having identified Zavitz, Reynolds' team intercepts the call and rushes to Zavitz's apartment. Zavitz transfers the video to a disc and hides it in an electronic game device before fleeing.

In the ensuing chase, Zavitz bumps into Dean, his old college friend, at a lingerie store. Panicked, Zavitz slips the tape into Dean's shopping bag without his knowledge and runs off. When he runs into the street, Zavitz collides with a fire truck and is killed; Zavitz's journalist friend is also murdered. Reynolds' team identify Dean and believe he has the video. Posing as police officers, they arrive at Dean's house wanting to search his recent purchases. When Dean refuses, they later plant surveillance devices in the house and tracking devices within Dean's clothing. They disseminate false evidence implicating Dean of working for the mafia, money laundering, and having an affair with Rachel. The subterfuge destroys Dean's life: he is fired, his bank accounts are frozen, and his wife, Carla, throws him out.

 Dean initially believes Pintero is behind the smear campaign as revenge. He believes Brill, Rachel's contact, can help him and asks her to arrange a meeting. The NSA, monitoring his call, sends an impostor to intercept Dean. The real Brill rescues Dean and warns him that the NSA is pursuing him. Brill removes the tracking devices in Dean's clothing before leaving him. After managing to escape the NSA agents, Dean returns home to warn Carla about the NSA's pursuit of him and he obtains the tape. Going to Rachel's apartment, Dean discovers that the NSA agents have killed her and have framed Dean for the murder. Regrouping with Brill, Dean is taken back to Brill's hideout in an abandoned warehouse, where Brill reveals that he is a former NSA communication analyst and he identifies Reynolds from the Hammersley murder. The NSA also identifies Brill and learns that his real name is Edward Lyle.

The NSA locates and raids the warehouse. Lyle and Dean escape but the tape is destroyed. Later, Lyle explains that he was stationed in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. His partner, Rachel's father, was killed, but Lyle escaped, and has been working covertly ever since, employing Rachel as a courier. Lyle urges Dean to go into hiding, but Dean is determined to clear his name and get his life back.

Dean and Lyle trail U.S. congressman Sam Albert (R-NH), who also supports the surveillance bill, videotaping him with his mistress. Dean and Lyle plant surveillance devices in Albert's hotel room so he will find it and launch an internal investigation into himself being bugged. Lyle then deposits large sums of money into Reynolds's bank account to appear as a bribe payment.

Lyle arranges a meeting with Reynolds to exchange the tape and to get Reynolds to incriminate himself. Reynolds' men instead ambush the meeting and hold Lyle and Dean at gunpoint, demanding the tape. Dean lies and says the tape is with Pintero, knowing that Pintero's restaurant is under FBI surveillance. Dean and Reynolds enter the restaurant and meet with Pintero. Speaking ambiguously, Bobby confuses both Pintero and Reynolds about the two different video tapes. The encounter escalates into a deadly shootout, killing Pintero, Reynolds and the NSA agents. During this ordeal, Lyle uses subterfuge to prod the FBI agents into raiding the restaurant. Disguised as a cop, Lyle slips away while the FBI rescues Dean and uncovers the entire conspiracy.

The U.S. Congress abandons the bill to avoid a national scandal, covering up the NSA's involvement to preserve the agency's reputation. Dean is cleared of all charges and reunites with Carla. At home, after looking at himself on the TV, Dean then sees a farewell message from Lyle, showing himself relaxing on a tropical island with his cat.

Casting

• Will Smith as Robert Clayton "Bobby" Dean
  
• Gene Hackman as Edward "Brill" Lyle
  
• Jon Voight as Thomas Brian Reynolds
  
• Regina King as Carla Dean
  
• Loren Dean as Loren Hicks
  
• Jake Busey as Krug
  
• Barry Pepper as David Pratt
  
• Jason Lee as Daniel Leon Zavitz
  
• Gabriel Byrne as Fake Brill
  
• Lisa Bonet as Rachel Banks
  
• Jack Black as Fiedler
  
• Jamie Kennedy as Jamie Williams
  
• Scott Caan as Jones
  
• James LeGros as Jerry Miller
  
• Stuart Wilson as Congressman Sam Albert
  
• Ian Hart as John Bingham
  
• Jascha Washington as Eric Dean
  
• Anna Gunn as Emily Reynolds
  
• Grant Heslov as Lenny
  
• Bodhi Elfman as Van
  
• Dan Butler as NSA Director Admiral Shaffer
  
• Jason Robards as Congressman Phillip Hammersley
  
• Seth Green as Selby
  
• Tom Sizemore as Boss Paulie Pintero
  
• Philip Baker Hall as Mark Silverberg
  
• Larry King as himself
  

The story is set in both Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, and most of the filming was done in Baltimore. Location shooting began on a ferry in Fell's Point. In mid-January, the company moved to Los Angeles to complete production in April 1998. The writers Aaron Sorkin, Henry Bean and Tony Gilroy each performed an uncredited rewrite of the script.

Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise were considered for the part that went to Will Smith, who took the role largely because he wanted to work with Hackman, and had previously enjoyed working with the producer Jerry Bruckheimer on Bad Boys. George Clooney was also considered for a role in the film. Sean Connery was considered for the role that went to Hackman. The film is notable for having cast several soon-to-be stars in smaller supporting roles, which casting director Victoria Thomas credited to people's interest in working with Gene Hackman.

The film's crew included a technical surveillance counter-measures consultant who also had a minor role as a spy shop merchant. Hackman had previously acted in a similar thriller about spying and surveillance, The Conversation (1974). The photo in Edward Lyle's NSA file is of Hackman in The Conversation.