The 2015 film "Bridge of Spies" is about the exchange between the United States and Soviet Union for two spies and the work of New York lawyer James Donovan in arranging the exchange. The Russian spy Rudolf Abel uses a hollowed out Jefferson nickel to share information with his partners, while the American spy Francis Powers carries a Peace silver dollar with an attached poison needle.

Soviet spy Rudolf Abel has been working in the United States for several years. He is also an artist and likes to paint.

The spy network uses hollow Jefferson nickels to pass information.

Although not shown in the film, one of these nickels ended up with a newspaper seller, who dropped it, the nickel opened, and the seller called the police. Abel has come to the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and they arrest him in 1957.

James Donovan is a New York lawyer with international experience. He is asked by the United States to be Abel's defense attorney.

The FBI shows Donovan what they found in Abel's apartment when they searched it without a search warrant.

Donovan defends Abel the best he can and the men become friends. The trial judge refuses questions about search warrants and such things. A jury convicts Abel and he is sentenced to prison. Meanwhile, in 1960, Francis Powers, a US Air Force pilot, is being briefed on a new spy plane, the U2, which can fly over Russia at 70,000 feet altitude and take pictures.

The pilots will carry lots of equipment, including silver dollars which have poison needles in them.

The silver dollar is of the "Peace" variety, made from 1921 to 1935. The men are told by their superiors to kill themselves rather than be captured. Powers takes off from Pakistan for his flight over Russia.

A Russian missile explodes and Powers ejects from the aircraft. He is captured and put on trial in Russia as a spy.

Powers is convicted and sent to prison. Donovan is contacted again.

It is 1961 and Donovan has another job, this time to arrange for the exchange of the spies. Another American, a student named Frederic Pryor, arrested by the East Germans, is to be included. Donovan does not tell his wife and children what he is up to, only that he is going to London on business. He heads for Berlin, Germany.

The city stills shows damage from World War II, and supposedly the Russians will not allow the East Germans to rebuild their part of the city. Donovan heads for the Russian Embassy.

Donovan meets a Russian official who is also the chief of the local spy network.

They agree to the swap but will not include Pryor. Donovan contacts an East German official about Pryor.

While Donovan is working, Powers is still being questioned in Russia. The Russians are curious about the silver dollar needle.

Donovan believes that he has the three-way agreement and returns to the Russian Embassy. He has a more formal meeting with the Russian official.

A photograph of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev dominates the room. Donovan drives through a cold icy Berlin.

Finally the exchange is arranged and is to be done at the Glienicker Bridge which crosses the Havel river and links Berlin and Potsdam.

The agreement calls for the East Germans to release Pryor nearby and the Abel-Powers exchange to occur on the bridge. Pryor is released and Abel and Powers cross the bridge to their people.

Mission accomplished, Donovan flies home.

He is real tired and goes up to the bedroom. His children are watching television when a news story announces the exchange and gives Donovan's name.

His wife now knows what he has been up to.

Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan
Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel
Alan Alda as Thomas Watters Jr.
Amy Ryan as Mary Donovan
Austin Stowell as Francis Gary Powers
Will Rogers as Frederic Pryor
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen