Enemy Mine (1985)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writers:

Barry Longyear (story)
Edward Khmara (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Drama

Tagline:

Enemies because they were taught to be. Survivors because they had to be.

Plot:

A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually he encounters another survivor...

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Alien | Friendship | Stranded | Reptilian

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Dennis Quaid	...	Willis Davidge
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Jeriba 'Jerry' Shigan
Brion James	...	Stubbs
Richard Marcus	...	Arnold
Carolyn McCormick	...	Morse
Bumper Robinson	...	Zammis
Jim Mapp	...	Old Drac
Lance Kerwin	...	Joey Wooster
Scott Kraft	...	Jonathan
Lou Michaels	...	Wilson
Andy Geer	...	Bates
Henry Stolow	...	Cates
Herb Andress	...	Hopper
Danmar	...	Wise Guy
Mandy Hausenberger	...	1st Medic

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The pond where Davidge and Sheegan meet for the first time is the same artificial pond custom-built for the model submarine scenes of Das Boot (1981), also directed by Wolfgang Petersen, as well as one or two scenes from Die unendliche Geschichte (1984), also a Petersen film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Drax is sitting by the camp fire reading from his book, we see the open book for a few seconds. The page on the right is the same page as the left just upside down.

Quotes:

Davidge: [after Jerry saved Davidge from sand monster] You saved my life. Why?
Jerry: Maybe I need to look at another face... even one as ugly as yours.
Davidge: So you still think humans are ugly?
Jerry: Compared to a Drac? VERY ugly. But that thing out there... is even more ugly than you.
Davidge: [sarcastic] Thank you.
Jerry: [grinning] You... are... welcome.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Stargate SG-1: Enemy Mine (#7.7)" (2003)

Science Fiction With A Message

I was fortunate to come across this wonderful movie in the late 1980s and have since viewed it a few times. It has always been on my list of favorites. Although I now feel it may have dragged a bit, the combination of special effects, fine performances and the poignant message it sends, makes this film worth seeing. For parents, this is a movie that instead of focusing on blood and guts and the misguided lesson that blowing up people is something to cheer about, teaches that learning to love your enemy is the finest reward.