christopher boyce ( oscar winner representtimothy hutton ) give up on be a priest and he return home for an uncertain future . when his best friend daulton lee ( oscar winner representsean penn ) be a drug dealer and who always get in trouble and enjoy take drug a bit too much . when christopher get a job by work in a top secret government place title rtx . boyce and lee both have wealthy family and which they hop to make it out of their own . when boyce decide to take secret document out of curiosity and which these document be suppose to be destroy . he decide to sell these secret document for a cheap price for the soviet union with the help of his best friend . but both of them never know how far they will go for seal document for a living and since they be both amateur . both of them have betray their country for top secret information . direct by the late oscar winner representjohn schlesinger ( the believer and eye for an eye and midnight cowboy ) make an interesting character drama about two young men take the wrong path in life . oscar winner representhutton and penn be both extraordinary good in the film . the movie be even occasionally funny and quite disturb at time . david suchet nearly steal the show a the man and who work for the soviet union . this picture have a familiar cast in the supporting role . it be quite underrated and when it be first release . despite some great review by some of the top film critic . this picture be actually base on a true story . there some flaw in the storytelling and like these two lead character but overall and it a movie worth see . base on a novel by robert lindsey . screenplay by oscar winner representsteven zaillian ( american gangster and hannibal and schindler list ) . ( or ) .