Move over James Bond--and make way for Miles Kendig

The challenge: Create an intriguing and crowd-pleasing spy thriller at a time when James Bond flicks dominated that subgenre, and add in healthy doses of comedy anchored by an unflappable performance by the least likely ladies man thespian in Hollywood, Walter Matthau. The end result: "Hopscotch," a film that doesn't fail to entertain 34 years after its initial release. Here is the CineVerse breakdown on this easily overlooked little gem from 1980:

HOW IS HOPSCOTCH DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SPY THRILLERS, ESPECIALLY FOR ITS TIME PERIOD (1980)?

·       The tone here is more comedic and lighthearted, with its share of slapstick, than the James Bond thrillers of the day as well as the dark, brooding, pessimistic pictures of the 1970s that attempted to expose tales of government spying, cover-ups and conspiracies.

o   What keeps the tone light? Three “Ms”:

1.     Matthau—this is ideal casting, as his mannerisms, gestures and facial expressions bring a smile to your face;

2.     Mozart—the soundtrack is replete with pleasant, whimsical classical and operatic music by the master composer;

3.     Myerson—Ned Beatty plays a good villain/antagonist here, almost a caricatured parody of blustery, conservative, profane Americans who is easy to root against.

·       As writer Bruce Eder put it: “In the wake of the Watergate scandal and the discovery that U.S. presidents had employed the CIA to further their own political ends, espionage movies had taken a humorless turn. The moviegoing public, no longer enamored of spies, turned its attention to cautionary tales of governmental duplicity. Gone were capers on the order of Our Man Flint (1966) and Caprice (1967); in their place were violent, cynical, and paranoia-laced thrillers in the manner of Alan J. Pakula’s The Parallax View (1974), Sidney Pollack’s Three Days of the Condor (1975), and John Schlesinger’s Marathon Man (1976).” Other examples from the 1970s were “Capricorn One” and “The Conversation.”

·       Miles is a spy protagonist who is unlike most agents we’re familiar with in the movies, especially James Bond:

o   He doesn’t carry a gun.

o   He doesn’t try to bed down and get naked with every woman he encounters.

o   He isn’t your typical handsome, rugged leading man.

·       Interestingly, there are no deaths, sex scenes, car chases (although there is an aircraft chase), or fight sequences in the film. How does it keep our attention, then?

o   With a well-cast group of characters

o   With clever banter and believable chemistry between Matthau and Jackson

o   With ample joviality and laughs, refreshing for an espionage/spy film.

·       The film proved topical in that it’s plot—about a former CIA agent publishing a memoir—actually came true; a series of books were written by previous agency insiders, including Frank Snepps’ “Decent Interval” and Victor Marchetti’s “The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence.” Snepp also appeared on 60 Minutes a year prior to this film and fought a legal battle that found its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

WHAT ARE SOME PRIMARY THEMES EXAMINED IN THIS FILM?

·       Film reviewer Jack Sommersby wrote: “it's about the necessity of humor to keep one's sanity while working in a madhouse like the CIA.”

·       The creativity, ingenuity and resilience of a determined individual against a bureaucratic organization or formidable group.

·       Thinking for yourself instead of being an order taker and follower.

·       The game of life is like a chess match in which you have to anticipate your opponent’s future moves to win or, in this case, survive and thrive.

THIS FILM HAS A MACGUFFIN (A RELATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT OBJECT OR EVENT THAT SERVES AS A CATALYST TO SET THE ACTION IN MOTION), MUCH LIKE MANY HITCHCOCK PICTURES. WHAT IS THE MACGUFFIN IN “HOPSCOTCH”?

·       The tell-all memoir chapters written by Kendig.

HOW COULD THIS FILM HAVE BEEN IMPROVED, IN ANY WAY?

·       It could have provided more screen time for Glenda Jackson’s character and woven her part more into the machinations of the plot; as it is, she’s little more than an attractive occasional counterpoint to Matthau.

·       It could have built more tension and intrigue around and interesting segues between all the territories the character jet sets off to, which includes Munich, Salzburg, and Washington.

·       Perhaps it could have infused a bit more sex appeal, violence, and fast-paced action to appeal to fans of typical spy films.

WHAT FILMS ARE YOU REMINDED OF AFTER WATCHING “HOPSCOTCH”?

·       Catch Me If You Can

·       Charade

·       Mr. & Mrs. Smith

·       True Lies

OTHER FILMS DIRECTED BY RONALD NEAME

·       Scrooge

·       The Poseidon Adventure

·       The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie