IMDb > Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Heartbreak Ridge
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Heartbreak Ridge (1986) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
Heartbreak Ridge (1986) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   10,306 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
James Carabatsos (written by)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Heartbreak Ridge on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 December 1986 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Clint Eastwood is Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway, career Marine and combat veteran. He is a man whose life has been defined by war. Korea and Vietnam taught him how to survive. He won the Congressional Medal of Honor but found public apathy and military bureaucracy. He is a hard-drinking loner but he's trying to reorganize his life and understand the woman he loves. He is a traditionalist who has to shape up his ragtag troops and he'll get the job done. His integrity is unwavering. His past is Heartbreak Ridge. He is ready for another battlefield and his finest hour. It will come. more
Plot:
A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins more
User Comments:
"Why don't you just sit there and bleed a while before you taste some real pain" more (89 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
130 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Black and White | Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the original script, Sgt. Highway was a career army officer. The U.S. Army read the script and refused to participate. The character was then changed to a Marine. The Marine Corps first cooperated, but upon viewing a first cut, quickly disowned the film. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: At the beginning, when Gunny is in the prison in 1983, it's possible to see a calendar indicating Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July 1983, but actually 20th July 1983 was Wednesday and 21st July was Thursday. more
Quotes:
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I want this battalion to be the class of the division. I expect my non-commissioned officers to lead by example. Public fighting and insubordination to civilian authority are not what I call good standards!
Highway: It was a minor altercation, sir.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: That seems to be a habit with you, Gunny! A year ago you hit an officer. I went to Annapolis with that man. You try that with me, Gunnery Sergeant Highway and you'll drag your butt in a sling for a month, you hear me, marine?
Highway: Yes, sir.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I don't know what strings you pulled to get back into this division but I can assure you that I don't like it. This is the new Marine Corps. The new breed. Characters like you are an anachronism. You should be sealed in a case that reads break glass only in the event of war. Got no tolerance for you old timers who think that you know it better and can have it all your own way. Understand?
Highway: I understand a lot of body bags get filled if I don't go my job, sir.
Choozoo: Major, division has assigned Gunny Highway to our reconisance platoon.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, recon. Their last sergeant was an old time combat vet, too. But he went road on me. Retired on active duty. Had a few months to retirement. Figured he'd coast. Allowed the men to lapse into mediocrity. You're close to mandatory retirement yourself, aren't you, Highway?
Highway: That's right, Major.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Well, I ask for Marines, the division sends me relics. The men in recon platoon are less than highly motivated to say the least. I want those men in shape.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Psych: Ghosts (#3.1)" (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Recon Rap more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
24 out of 29 people found the following comment useful.
"Why don't you just sit there and bleed a while before you taste some real pain", 19 December 2000
6/10
Author: Mika Pykäläaho (bygis80@hotmail.com) from Järvenpää, Finland

Classic Eastwood and great fun from mid-'80s as produced and directed by the fine man himself. I have to say this is an ideal role for Clint, like Dirty Harry Callahan in the army. I truly love his exaggerated macho-characters because they're so amusing and provide so much fun for a Clint-fan like myself. In here he's a real monster: unpitying, blunt, tough and almost sadistic but like most of Eastwood's characters he isn't all that cold, even Sergeant Tom Highway has his sensitive side. In this case he reads women's magazines and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife.

Script is filled with obscene language and lots of hilarious, legendary one-liners that kept me laughing pretty hard. Of course I understand why critics don't necessarily like "Heartbreak Ridge". We don't have to watch and wait far to find out what the flick is all about, first scene tells it all. This movie is shameless and far from being intelligent but that doesn't mean it's boring. What the hell, it entertains and finally that's what counts. Quote from the film: "You can rob me, you can starve me...and you can beat me and you can kill me. Just don't bore me."

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (89 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Shower scene in Grenada kellersg
Lt and Major Powers mattygsmitty
'I'd make you eat your words and curl your toes' ernscly
Civilian jail? And court? keiser_shoese
Tee Shirts pastorwillie-1
0-1-1 tom-insley-1
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Full Metal Jacket The Manchurian Candidate Jarhead Firefox The Gauntlet
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Action section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.