This political thriller is an involving tale about power and betrayal in the Pentagon, hanky panky, a murder, a cover-up, computer wizardry, and an espionage scare. Among the good things in the film are Kevin Costner's rousing performance as a Navy intelligence officer assigned to the Pentagon; Gene Hackman's depiction of the Secretary of Defense, a man whose personal peccadilloes trap him under an avalanche of troubles; and Sean Young in her best role to date as a vibrant, feisty woman who is Costner's lover and Hackman's mistress. Best of all though is Will Patton's intense performance as the Secretary of Defense's right-hand man — a zealot who is willing to break every moral rule in the book to protect his boss. The abuse of secrecy is at the heart of this movie. It rivets our attention as so many of the characters skate nervously on a thin surface of lies and deceit. Sound familiar?