Flight of the Intruder (1991)

During the air war over Vietnam, a U.S. Navy A-6 Intruder bomber pilot schemes with a hardened veteran to make an unauthorized air strike on Hanoi.

Director:

John Milius

Writers:

Stephen Coonts (novel), Robert Dillon (screenplay)

Stars:

Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Brad Johnson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny Glover	...	Commander Frank Camparelli
Willem Dafoe	...	Lt. Cmdr. Virgil Cole
Brad Johnson	...	Lt. Jake' Cool Hand' Grafton
Rosanna Arquette	...	Callie
Tom Sizemore	...	Boxman
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	Lt. Cmdr. 'Cowboy' Parker
Jared Chandler	...	Lt. J.G. Jack 'Razor' Barlow
Dann Florek	...	Mad Jack
Madison Mason	...	'Cag'
Ving Rhames	...	McRae
Christopher Rich	...	Lt. J.G. Morgan McPherson
Douglas Roberts	...	Guffy
Scott N. Stevens	...	Hardesty (as Scott Newton Stevens)
Justin Williams	...	Sammy
John Corbett	...	Big Augie

Storyline

After his bombardier is killed, Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton (Brad Johnson)', a carrier-based Intruder pilot, questions the purpose of Navy bombing missions. He finds an ally for his cynicism in Virgil Cole, a bombardier on his third tour of duty, and together they ponder the notion of one unsanctioned mission "downtown", to "Sam City" in North Vietnam.

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Plot Keywords:

pilot | bomber | bombing run | vietnam war | navy | 

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Taglines:

The only thing they can count on is each other.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apostoli thanatou

Filming Locations:

Harbor Star Stage, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,725,133, 21 January 1991, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,587,732

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rosanna Arquette and Ving Rhames also appear in Pulp Fiction (1994).

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Goofs

During the court-martial, a captain (played by Fred Thompson) tells Grafton and Cole "You took an oath to... obey the orders of the officers appointed over you. It's the same oath that every officer in the Navy's taken for damn near 200 years." That would be the ENLISTED oath, which includes a promise to "obey the orders of the President of the United States and... the officers appointed over me." The oath taken by officers in the US armed forces does NOT contain that clause.

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Quotes

Lt. Jake Grafton: I hear you've been selected early for Captain. They've going to *give* you your own boat, maybe even a carrier. And I wouldn't be surprised if you made Admiral.
Cdr. Camparelli: Have you ever seen a black man who's an Admiral?
Lt. Jake Grafton: Hey. Third-Generation Mafia, sir!
Cdr. Camparelli: That's right, Mr. Grafton.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Worst Films of 1990 (1991)

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Soundtracks

Will You Love Me Tomorrow
by Carole King & Gerry Goffin
Performed by Roberta Flack
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Very Good Film

Brad Johnson's line, "fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history." is very true. The A6 Intruder is one of the unsung heros of the Vietnam War. This bird served as the Navy's primary attack aircraft from the early sixties until very recently when its role was taken over by the F-14 and F/A-18. It is very refreshing to see a movie about the more glamorless aircraft in the inventory. The reason that people don't like this movie is REALISM! It isn't about dashing "Top Guns" going Mach 2. It is about the guys that had to dump the bombs from very low altitude and hope they get back home. These guys were exposed to EVERYTHING! It was dangerous work. It still is dangerous work. Army attack chopper pilots and Navy/Marine/Air Force attack bombers pilots are the guys that put it on the line everytime they fly; either in combat or in peacetime.