Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October from 1990 was on last night, and I like that movie.  Come to think of it, I like most movies.  Red October is based on the Tom Clancy novel and is one of the adventures of CIA agent Jack Ryan.  In this one he is played by Alec Baldwin, but the next two movies, Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994), he is played by Harrison Ford.  I have always wondered why Baldwin didn't continue what would become a very good, and probably profitable, trilogy.

Red October won the Oscar for best sound effects editing...not best picture but it is an Oscar.  On to the bit parts.

One of the few women in the movie was Gates McFadden as Ryan's wife in the beginning scenes.  Of course, she was the doctor on the Enterprise in "Star Trek, The Next Generation" from 1987 to 1994.  So Red October was made while she worked on Star Trek TNG.  I am sure she is type cast because of her prominent role in Star Trek TNG, but what else do you need?  The residuals from the movies and the promotional items will keep her wealthy.

I noticed the Russian attack sub commander was played by Stellan Skarsgard.  He was nasty in this film!  I thought he was much more likable as one of the three fathers in Mamma Mia!, the off beat musical that tried to weave together a bunch of ABBA songs that really weren't meant to tell a story.  Yes, I liked that one, too!

Skarsgard's role in Red October was pretty small, so I think he qualifies as a bit actor here.  He had a bigger part in 1997's Good Will Hunting.  I wish he didn't look so much like Liam Neeson.  I keep getting them confused.

Fred Thompson held up well as the Admiral on the aircraft carrier.  I may have voted for him in the last presidential election if he had won the nomination!  He has 44 acting roles in his resume, and now that his political career is over, he's back to acting.  Do you remember him in Fat Man and Little Boy, when he rolled the truck tire into the office to complain?

Lastly let's mention Joss Ackland who played the Russian ambassador.  He has 179 credits on IMDb and his face pops up everywhere.  Born in England in 1928, he did the Russian accent better than most of the sub personnel, and certainly better than Sean Connery (Scottish!) who didn't even try.  No matter, I still like the movie!