The Devil's Own (1997)


In 1972, eight-year-old Frankie McGuire witnesses his father killed for being an Irish republican sympathizer. Twenty years later in Belfast, an adult Frankie and three other IRA members are engaged in a gun battle with the British Army and Military Reaction Force. One gunman is killed and another, Desmond, is wounded as Frankie and Sean Phelan flee. Hiding in the countryside, Frankie and his friend, Martin MacDuff, spot a British Army helicopter circling overhead and decide they need Stinger missiles.

Frankie travels to New York under the alias "Rory Devaney" seeking to buy missiles. IRA sympathizer Judge Peter Fitzsimmons has procured Frankie a construction job as a cover and arranged for him to stay with NYPD Sergeant Tom O'Meara, his wife, Sheila, and their three daughters in Staten Island. The O'Meara family are unaware of Frankie's true identity.

Meanwhile, Sean acquires a fishing boat that he and Frankie will repair to transport the missiles to Ireland. Frankie meets with black market arms dealer and Irish mobster Billy Burke, who agrees to purchase the missiles using his own money. Frankie will pay him upon delivery in six to eight weeks. Judge Fitzsimmons raises the money and sends his family nanny, Megan Doherty, to deliver it to Frankie; he hides the money at the O'Meara home. Megan later calls Frankie, saying that Martin was killed and to postpone the deal with Burke.

Meanwhile, Tom's partner, Eddie Diaz, fatally shoots an unarmed thief in the back as he runs away. Following an intense investigation, Tom decides to retire from the force. When Tom and Sheila arrive home, masked intruders are waiting there. Sheila calls 911 as Tom fights them off. Frankie arrives and aids Tom, but they are subdued. As police sirens approach, Tom persuades the men to escape while they still can. Frankie later confronts Burke, knowing he ordered the attack. Burke tells Frankie to bring him the money or he will kill the captive Sean. Frankie goes to collect the money hidden the O´Meara house, but Tom has found it and forces Frankie to reveal his true identity. Eddie arrives, and he and Tom arrest Frankie. En route to the police station, Frankie escapes, killing Eddie. As the FBI and British authorities interrogate Tom about Frankie, he realizes their mission is to execute Frankie.

Frankie meets Burke in a warehouse. Burke's thug tosses Sean's severed head at Frankie's feet. Rather than handing over the money, Frankie gives them a bomb-laden bag that explodes when opened. Frankie grabs a gun and kills Burke and his men, then drives off with the missiles. At the Fitzsimmons house, Frankie tells Megan to alert his comrades that he is returning to Ireland with the missiles. He plans to leave that night, but Tom crashes the Fitzsimmons' cocktail party and confronts the judge. Tom recognizes Megan from a photo in Frankie's bag. Frankie, hiding upstairs, escapes. Tom persuades Megan to reveal where Frankie is going by promising to protect him from being assassinated. Tom jumps aboard the boat as it is leaving the dock. He and Frankie shoot at each other and both are wounded. Frankie, seemingly having the upper hand, hesitates to shoot Tom. He collapses and dies.

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