Synopsis

Edward Wilson joins the wartime intelligence world after studying at Yale and gradually becomes a key figure in the creation of the CIA. As he rises through the secretive agency, his devotion to duty strains his marriage, isolates him from his son, and forces him to sacrifice nearly every personal connection in the name of national security.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay was written by Eric Roth, based on an original story developed with Robert De Niro. The project had reportedly been in development for about a decade before production began.

• Edward Wilson is partly modeled on James Jesus Angleton, the CIA's influential counterintelligence chief. General Bill Sullivan also draws partly on William "Wild Bill" Donovan, the wartime head of the Office of Strategic Services.

• The story covers more than two decades, from the late 1930s through the Bay of Pigs period in 1961. Its shifting timeline mirrors the secrecy and fragmented memories surrounding Wilson's career.

• Principal photography took place from August 15, 2005, through January 31, 2006. Locations included New York, Greenwich, London, Washington, D.C., and Santo Domingo, with Santo Domingo standing in for Leopoldville.

• The recurring references to shoes and feet connect several story details, including General Sullivan's disability, Wilson's family background, and the use of shoe-tying as a coded form of communication.

• In preparation for the role, Matt Damon studied Gene Hackman's performance in "The Conversation," another film centered on surveillance, secrecy, and the psychological cost of intelligence work.

• The film's 167-minute theatrical cut was substantially longer than a later streaming version that removed roughly 30 minutes of backstory involving Wilson, his wife, and Laura.

• A performance of selections from "H.M.S. Pinafore" appears in the film, reflecting the movie's interest in elite institutions, coded language, and the rituals of old social networks.

• "The Good Shepherd" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Art Direction.