The Good Shepherd (film)

The Good Shepherd is a 2006 American spy film produced and directed by Robert De Niro, and starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, and De Niro, supported by an extensive ensemble cast. The film follows Edward Wilson, a fictional counterintelligence officer, from 1939 to 1961 as the CIA develops and grows around him.

Wilson (played by Damon), a senior CIA officer, discovers a mole in his department following the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961. The film delves into Wilson's complex life, starting from his college years at Yale in 1939, his initiation into the Skull and Bones fraternity, and his recruitment into intelligence work (during World War II). His personal life is marked by a strained marriage to Margaret "Clover" Russell (played by Jolie), and by a series of affairs, that underscore the sacrifices, and moral compromises, invited by espionage work. The narrative unfolds through a mix of sequential events and flashbacks, exploring the origins of the CIA, the Wilson character's involvement in key historical events, and the personal tolls typical in careers dedicated to secret intelligence.

The film was released on December 22, 2006 by Universal Pictures in North America and by Morgan Creek International in international markets, to mixed reviews. It grossed $100 million against an estimated $80 million production budget.