What's the Difference between Bridge of Spies the Book and Bridge of Spies the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Rudolf Abel
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Rudolf Abel
Portrayed by: Mark Rylance
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Reino Häyhänen
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This Character does not appear.
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Barbara Powers
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This Character does not appear.
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Oliver Powers
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This Character does not appear.
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James Donovan
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James Donovan
Portrayed by: Tom Hanks
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Francis Gary Powers
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Francis Gary Powers
Portrayed by: Austin Stowell
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Wolfgang Vogel
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Wolfgang Vogel
Portrayed by: Sebastian Koch
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Mary Donovan
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Mary Donovan
Portrayed by: Amy Ryan
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Frederic Pryor
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Frederic Pryor
Portrayed by: Will Rogers
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Ivan Schischkin
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Ivan Schischkin
Portrayed by: Mikhail Gorevoy
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Marvin Makinen
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This Character does not appear.
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Bridge of Spies Book vs Movie
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
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Only one missile was launched from the SAM site that destroyed Power's U-2. Other SAM sites launched missiles at a MiG which crashed. |
Two or three missiles were shot at Power's U-2, one of them exploding and destroying the aircraft.
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Donovan argued Abel's appeal in November 1959, Powers was shot down on 1 May 1960. |
Donovan appears to have argued the Abel appeal at the Supreme Court on the same day as the U-2 was shot down.
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The book has details about events on various dates.
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The only time a date (1960) is mention in the movie is during Power's sentencing by the Russian court.
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James Donovan has three daughters and a son named John. His son was 18 in 1962. |
Donovan has a teenage daughter and pre-teen boy (Roger) and girl. The children do not appear to age at all during the events of the five years the film depicts.
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Frederic Pryor was 28 years old when arrested exiting a woman's apartment while trying to deliver a message. |
Frederic Pryor is depicted as 25 when arrested while in possession of a camera in East Germany near the wall.
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