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Sneakers (movie)

Sneakers is a 1992 film directed by Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) and starring Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier, and David Strathairn.

The movie is about a team of security sneakers who are tricked into finding a mysterious box that can break into any encrypted computer system in the United States.

Leonard Adleman, a computer scientist noted for his contributions to public-key cryptography (see RSA), was credited as a consultant on the film; he wrote and designed the visual aids for a lecture given by one of the characters.

The team is a diverse group of renegades, consisting of Martin Bishop, the leader and an expert hacker; Donald Crease, a former CIA employee; Mother, a paranoid expert with gadgets; Carl Arbegast, a young genius; and Erwin 'Whistler' Emory, a blind man with superb hearing. They also enlist the help of Bishop's old girlfriend, Liz, who teaches gifted children and wants no more to do with the team's "little club".

Several internal conflicts exist, such as between Mother and Crease about the truth of conspiracy theories concerning the CIA, and the jousting between Bishop and Liz. However, they work together seamlessly, and the team dynamic in addition to its technological aspect is a part of the appeal of this movie.

In the 1960s, Martin Brice and his roommate Cosmo had hacked into several top secret databases, but only Cosmo got caught. Twenty years later, Martin "Bishop" has almost forgotten this embarrassing event. Then, two men claiming to be from the NSA charges Bishop with bringing them "Janek's box", which contains a key that can access and alter the most important databases in the United States. If he refuses, his alias will be revealed to the government agency that has been searching for him for twenty years.

The team completes the task, but finds out that the men aren't from the NSA; they are agents of Bishop's old friend, Cosmo, who now works for the Mafia. They have to steal the box yet again.

Cast

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Last updated: 05-07-2005 10:04:59
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04