Did You Know?

This film is a remake of A Guy Named Joe, which was watched on television in Poltergeist, which was co-written by director Steven Spielberg.

The tune Pete Sandich whistles when he's nervous is an Irish jig titled "Garry Owen". This song was the official song of the Seventh Cavalry of the U.S. Army - General Custer's cavalry. When he is nervous, Pete whistles the theme song of a doomed man.

Tom Cruise was originally asked to play the Ted Baker role, he passed.

Although the training base in the movie was supposedly in Colorado, actual filming occurred at the Ephrata, WA Municipal Airport which is a former WWII B-17 training base. Many of the hangars at the airport are original from that era, and evidence of the base is still visible - foundations for buildings, plumbing, the roads and even rock lined walks to the foundations still exist unchanged in the desert. When John Goodman was doused with fire retardant, he was sitting on top of one of a series of earthen bunkers, and walking around the airport you can still see the red retardant stains on the earth. Dorinda's house was a shell built for the movie and sits abandoned at the airport edge. Overall a very interesting place to visit as everything is very well preserved in the desert.

Whilst filming this, Steven Spielberg told John Goodman that he would make the perfect Fred Flintstone. Five years later, Goodman indeed played the famous cartoon character in The Flintstones.

The incident where Dorinda mistakes Ted's John Wayne imitation as Henry Fonda actually occurred between Holly Hunter and Brad Johnson during filming. Steven Spielberg found the incident so comical that he reproduced this in the final movie.

Audrey Hepburn had to be carried on a stretcher by crew members when shooting her scenes in the burned-out forest so that the dirt and ashes wouldn't smudge her white costume. The sweater and slacks Hepburn wears were from her own, personal wardrobe.

Audrey Hepburn was paid $1 million for her role, she donated her entire salary to UNICEF.