Pathfinders: In the Company of Strangers (2011)

Untold and lost history. A true story of the American Pathfinders, the volunteer paratroopers whose deadly mission was to land 30 minutes before the Normandy invasion, locate and mark ... See full summary »

Director:

Curt A. Sindelar

Writers:

Charlie Armstrong, Curt A. Sindelar

Stars:

Michael Conner Humphreys, Christopher Serrone, Suzanne Owens-Duval

Cast

Credited cast:
Michael Conner Humphreys	...	Eddie
Christopher Serrone	...	Captain McRoberts
Suzanne Owens-Duval	...	Beth's Grandmother
Jon Ashley Hall	...	The Major (as Jonathan Hall)
David Poland	...	Beth's Father
Ryan Findley	...	First Lieutenant
Catherine Johnson	...	Beth's Mother
Dan Kyle	...	Cicero
Rebecca Ovall	...	Beth
Donnie Edwards
Travis Mason	...	Pathfinder 33
Billy Reynolds	...	Rigs
Charlie Armstrong	...	Wounded Major
Dick McMahon	...	American General
Jackie Berrios	...	Party Guest 3

Storyline

Untold and lost history. A true story of the American Pathfinders, the volunteer paratroopers whose deadly mission was to land 30 minutes before the Normandy invasion, locate and mark strategic "drop zones" and set up the top-secret navigation equipment needed to guide the main airborne assault on D-Day.

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Taglines:

Behind enemy lines, alone, with a single mission.

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Genres:

Action | History | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 January 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anihneftes

Box Office

Budget:

$50 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Portland Independent Films

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The outdoor set being used for this film is one of the largest outdoor sets built in independent film history. It was designed to maximize both speed of production and cinematographic perfection.

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Goofs

Gliders and single and twin-engined Allied aircraft participating in the Normandy invasion were marked with invasion or "Overlord" stripes, which were 3 white and 2 black alternating stripes on the wings and rear fuselage. The stripes on the fuselage were vertical with the center white stripe aligned with the white star on national insignia of the US aircraft. In this movie, the C-47 transports had their fuselage stripes with the rearward black stripe aligned with the star.

User Reviews

Slow, flat and aimless

The master plan for the invasion of Nazi-occupied France calls for a small group of pathfinders to set up radio beacons in order to guide the airborne assault. For reasons unknown, the Allied command decides that this mission is to be entrusted to a sorry bunch of third-rate soldiers gathered haphazardly from various units, hence the title "in the company of strangers". Fortunately, the German opposition is made up of utterly incompetent reservists with no combat experience whatsoever.

This movie might have been better as a comedy. A major and a captain discuss the details of the upcoming invasion in a pub! A member of the super-secret pathfinder force visits his girlfriend the day before D-Day! Paratrooper tells funny story involving explosive vomiting!

Not to mention -- weird colors, giving a subtle air of authenticity (or that's what the cinematographer thought, anyway) -- flat dialog -- flat delivery -- and flat combat scenes. Plus, for the true connoisseur, we show an English house in the 1940s with thermopane windows! and an American post-and-rail fence in Normandy!

Don't bother.