Courage Under Fire (1996)

A U.S. Army officer, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor.

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writer:

Patrick Sheane Duncan

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips

9 wins & 7 nominations.

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)

Storyline

The pilot of a rescue copter, Captain Karen Walden, died shortly before her helicopter crew was rescued after it crashed in Desert Storm. It first appears that she made a spectacular rescue of a downed helicopter crew, then held her own crew together to fight off the Iraqis after her copter crashed. Lt. Colonel Serling, who is struggling with his own demons from Desert Storm, is assigned to investigate her worthiness for the Medal of Honor. But some conflicting accounts, from her crew and soldiers in the area, cause him to question whether she deserves it.

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Plot Keywords:

unreliable flashback | military life | bravery | f rated | vietnam war veteran | 

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Taglines:

In wartime, the first casualty is always truth.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for war violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The unit portrayed in the movie, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Serling, is the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (2nd ACR). The Regiment was comprised of heavy tanks (M1A1) and fighting vehicles (Bradly FV M3). The unit as such no longer exists. It is now known as the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Stryker) which fights as an infantry (non-tanks) unit.

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Goofs

When the tape from Al Bathra is played back at the end, there are numerous changes in dialogue.

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Quotes

Tony Gartner, Washington Post: Sweet Jesus, there's always a tape.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Actor Body Transformations (2013)

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Soundtracks

Angel from Montgomery
Written by John Prine

User Reviews

Denzel Washington At His Best

"Courage Under Fire" is perhaps the best illustration of how flexible and adaptive actors like Denzel Washington are. What makes "Courage Under Fire" impressive is not so much its plot or storyline (which is somewhat inconsistent), but its portrayal of a lone officer torn between personal conscience and duty. Denzel's overweight build and alcoholic demeanor create the highly credible image of a man barely attached to his life. Basically the story of a budding Army officer re-assigned to administrative duties following a Desert Storm friendly fire incident, "Courage Under Fire" submerges the viewer into pure emotional hell as it progresses. The stunning emotional catharisis portrayed at the film's end is incredibly dramatic and almost entirely unmatched. Anyone who has ever been under the extreme pressures of stress or suffered cognitive dissonance following a bad judgement will definitely connect with this film. A great psychological thriller and a tour-de-force drama. Definitely one of the best films...if only it would be released on DVD!!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

12 July 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Courage Under Fire

Filming Locations:

Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$46,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,501,586, 14 July 1996

Gross USA:

$59,031,057

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,860,818

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Davis Entertainment, Joseph M. Singer Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1