Starring: Regina King, Gene Hackman, Will Smith, Jon Voight, Scott Caan, Jamie Kennedy Director: Tony Scott Year of release: 1998 Country: USA (click to enlarge)

As the movie opens, a new bill is pending to expand surveillance powers of law enforcement agencies. Senator Phil Hammersleigh, who is trying to stop the bill, is murdered by rogue NSA agents supervised by Thomas Reynolds. It looks like an accident but Zavitz, a bird watcher catches it on tape and makes a copy of it. The NSA destroys the original and start going after Zavtiz to get his copy. Will Smith plays Robert Clayton Dean, a lawyer working in trade union cases. While shopping for his wife, Dean encounters Zavitz, fleeing the NSA agents. Unbeknownst to Dean, Zavitz drops the videotape into his shopping bag and escapes, only to be killed in traffic. Using high-tech satellite technology, the NSA quickly discovers that Dean must be in possession of the tape, and a chase develops. The only person who might be able to help Dean is Brill, an ex NSA agent who has gone underground. He traces the rogue unit to the NSA and after the tape is accidently destroyed, they stage an encounter and create a Mexican standoff between the NSA agents and a mafia representative, along with a dozen or so mobsters who have been threatening Dean. A large shootout ensues, with Dean and Brill among the survivors.

the rowing scenes for Enemy of the state were shot in Wahington DC using Potomac Boat club rowers as extras. The dock and locker room scenes are shot at the washington canoe club. Will smith does actually row a bit in "Enemy of the State" -- apparenly, an assistant called down to the boathouse and wanted someone to teach him to row a single (in one afternoon). Luckily they were persuaded to go for the old wooden gigs instead, though even that was a bit tricky. As you would expect, some of the rowing was done using a body doubles, on a rowing barge no less. Any resemblance to a real shell is computerized. Dave miller a lwt member of Potomac was Smith's body double (Aquil declined the offer) and Eric Edmonds was Will's coworker friend's rowing stunt double. Emanual Caudron can be clearly seen in one of the scenes in a double as well as Jake Higley rowing with Thea True in a another double and Olwen Huxley in her single. Doug Sanders was in a Locker room scene but that footage was cut and they re-shot that scene in hollywood with actual lockers shipped from the canoe club. Two 15 hour days of filming (they got paid pretty well for all that time) resulted in about 20 sec of footage, if that.