In the recent movie FIREWALL Harrison Ford plays a computer security specialist whose family is held captive by high-tech bank robbers threatening to kill his wife and children if Ford doesn’t help them rob the bank he protects. Throughout most the movie, the family — which includes Virginia Madsen as Ford’s wife — is bound, gagged, manhandled, and held at gunpoint, while Ford tries to find a way to rescue them and prevent the bank robbery.

Although Ford’s character is strong, intelligent, and resourceful, as well as apparently capable of withstanding extreme stress and physical exertion, Madsen is left with little to do besides weep and comfort the children. Madsen’s character starts out strong. We see she’s an architect who designed the family’s current home; she’s smart and confident; beautiful, and a dedicated mom. Quickly thereafter, she’s transformed into the victim, an unfortunate role which most of Ford’s movie love interests eventually play.

Looking back at the history of Harrison Ford’s leading ladies post-1987 (when Ford’s action-movie leading man career really took off), you’ll see that if the movie is not a romantic comedy, chances are, these ladies are not safe. Some are kidnapped, held captive, or simply harassed; others are murdered, or even worse, they start off dead!

Let’s take a look at why Harrison Ford’s movie leading ladies might want to hire a bodyguard before getting involved with him:

1988 FRANTIC – Ford plays a doctor who’s away at a medical conference along with his wife (played by Betty Buckley). At some point his wife leaves the hotel and vanishes.

1990 PRESUMED INNOCENT – Ford plays prosecutor Rusty Sabich who is framed for the murder of deputy prosecutor (Greta Scacchi), with whom he was having an affair. (Ford’s wife is played by Bonnie Bedelia of DIE HARD.)

1992 PATRIOT GAMES – Ford is a CIA Analyst Jack Ryan who interferes with an IRA assassination, who then comes after him and his family for revenge. (Wife played by Anne Archer.)

1993 THE FUGITIVE – Based on the TV show of the same name, Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble who’s on the run from the law after he’s accused of murdering his wife (Sela Ward) and must find the one-armed man who really committed the crime.

1997 DEVIL’S OWN – Brad Pitt is an IRA terrorist who comes to America to smuggle missiles back home and ends up staying with Irish NYC cop (Ford), who’s unaware Pitt’s true identity and motives. Ford’s wife Sheila, played by Margaret Colin, gets assaulted by masked gunmen who invade their home, she has a gun put to her head, and is taken by the gunmen.

1997 AIR FORCE ONE – Ford as the President of the United States whose family (First Lady played by Wendy Crewson) is taken hostage by hijackers aboard Air Force One.

1999 RANDOM HEARTS – The wife (Susanna Thompson) of Police Sergeant Dutch Van Den Broek (Ford) and the husband of politician Kay Chandler (Kristen Scott Thomas) are killed in a plane crash (the spouses were having an affair).

2000 WHAT LIES BENEATH – Michelle Pfeiffer as the wife of a professor (Ford) who is haunted by the ghost of the student her husband had an affair with. (You especially don’t want to be married to Harrison Ford in this movie.)

2006 FIREWALL – see review above. DVD to be released June 6, 2006.