IMDb > Courage Under Fire (1996)
Courage Under Fire
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Courage Under Fire (1996) More at IMDbPro »

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Courage Under Fire (1996) -- A US Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor.
Courage Under Fire (1996) -- A US Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor.
Courage Under Fire (1996) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   18,452 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Writer (WGA):
Patrick Sheane Duncan (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Courage Under Fire on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 July 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
In wartime, the first casualty is always truth. more
Plot:
A US Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
9 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Balkie Gets Bitchy
 (From Getback - TV. 21 October 2009, 4:00 PM, PDT)

Balkie Gets Bitchy
 (From Getback - Movies. 21 October 2009, 4:00 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Profound, intelligent, and moving; one of Zwick's best... more (85 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Denzel Washington ... Nat Serling

Meg Ryan ... Karen Walden

Lou Diamond Phillips ... Monfriez
Michael Moriarty ... General Hershberg

Matt Damon ... Ilario

Bronson Pinchot ... Bruno
Seth Gilliam ... Altameyer
Regina Taylor ... Meredith Serling
Zeljko Ivanek ... Banacek

Scott Glenn ... Gartner

Tim Guinee ... Rady

Tim Ransom ... Boylar

Sean Astin ... Patella
Armand Darrius ... Robins

Mark Adair-Rios ... Bobcat 5 (as Mark Adair-Riós)
more
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for war violence and language.
Runtime:
117 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Iraqi battle scenes were filmed at the Indian Cliffs Ranch, located just outside El Paso, Texas. Many of the props were left there and became a tourist attraction. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Monfriez and Serling are driving in Monfriez's convertible, they are directly alongside the train, but when Monfriez pulls onto the tracks, the train is nowhere in sight. They did not drive far enough or fast enough to get that far ahead of the train. more
Quotes:
Monfriez: Sir, if you get a hangfire on your weapon, what do you do? You wait, with your weapon pointed in a safe direction, 'cause sometimes the primer bursts, and if you open the chamber it blows up in your face. Leave this round in the chamber, sir. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Naked Movie (2002) more
Soundtrack:
Angel from Montgomery more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful.
Profound, intelligent, and moving; one of Zwick's best..., 6 November 2008
8/10
Author: Varun B. (varundelpiero@hotmail.com) from Trinidad and Tobago

Edward Zwick's second war-based movie (following the successful GLORY) is almost as good as his first, and every bit as watchable. I have particularly liked stories that use different viewpoints to tell the same story (hence creating different versions of the same story). These types of movies stemmed no doubt from Akira Kurosawa's epic RASHOMON, and while films that use this strategy rarely live up to Kurosawa's original in terms of intelligence and portrayal (the most recent being the slightly-better-than-mediocre VANTAGE POINT), COURAGE UNDER FIRE is still a rewarding Motion Picture.

Denzel Washington is near his brilliant best as the troubled Lieutenant Colonel on the verge of alcoholism due in part to his overwhelming feelings of guilt following a military procedure gone wrong. His depression and curiosity fuel his determination to get to the bottom of the 'mystery' even if it puts him out of favour with his Commanding Officers. Meg Ryan is equally superb, and as each re-telling of the story demands her to take on a different personality (similar to the female lead in RASHOMON), she manages to pull each one off effectively. Matt Damon puts in a reliable shift, even losing upward of 20 pounds to take on the role. For me, the biggest surprise is Lou Diamond Phillips who is actually quite watchable, and does not overact, as is his tendency.

Zwick's COURAGE UNDER FIRE is an examination of war from a less visceral point of view, and will stay with the viewer long after watching the movie. It deeply delves into themes of responsibility, guilt, and truth in an overall compelling Motion Picture. The script is effective and the buildup to the somewhat sentimental ending is quite commendable.

8/10. 3.5 stars (out of 4). Highly recommended. Should enter my Top 200 at around #183.

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Medivac Helo? FtballAS5
Question about the m16... littleJaro
Why is this movie rated so low makeshiftcar
'Hu-ah'? kevryl
Anyone in the US army,women...what happens when.... leobourne
At the very end of the movie.... pconyers
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