Synopsis

When a young White House staffer is found murdered, Washington, D.C., homicide detective Harlan Regis is assigned to investigate. Secret Service interference soon suggests that the killing is part of a larger cover-up. Working with Agent Nina Chance, Regis uncovers a conspiracy tied to presidential politics, international tensions, and a threat that could destabilize the nation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The title refers to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, the official address of the White House.

• Although the story is set in Washington, D.C., much of the production was filmed in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario. Washington locations were also used, including the real White House exterior.

• A new Oval Office set was constructed at Cinespace Film Studios in Kleinburg, Ontario. The filmmakers visited the White House for architectural reference and aimed to make the recreated room especially accurate.

• Warner Bros. initially objected to the screenplay's sexually explicit Oval Office sequence and wanted it moved to another room. Producer Arnold Kopelson defended keeping it in the Oval Office because of its shock value.

• The film's 1997 release gained an unintended topical connection after the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal became public in 1998, making its fictional Oval Office controversy seem less implausible in retrospect.

• Principal photography took place from August 5 to October 1, 1996.

• The film opened in the United States on April 18, 1997, and earned approximately $25.8 million domestically.