Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

We Were Soldiers

  • 2002
  • R
  • 2h 18m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
156K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,067
383
Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)
Home Video Trailer from Paramount Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:52
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionDramaHistoryWar

The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the go... Read allThe story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.

  • Director
    • Randall Wallace
  • Writers
    • Harold G. Moore
    • Joseph Lee Galloway
    • Randall Wallace
  • Stars
    • Mel Gibson
    • Madeleine Stowe
    • Greg Kinnear
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    156K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,067
    383
    • Director
      • Randall Wallace
    • Writers
      • Harold G. Moore
      • Joseph Lee Galloway
      • Randall Wallace
    • Stars
      • Mel Gibson
      • Madeleine Stowe
      • Greg Kinnear
    • 842User reviews
    • 89Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    We Were Soldiers
    Trailer 2:52
    We Were Soldiers

    Photos137

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 131
    View Poster

    Top cast88

    Edit
    Mel Gibson
    Mel Gibson
    • Lt. Col. Hal Moore
    Madeleine Stowe
    Madeleine Stowe
    • Julie Moore
    Greg Kinnear
    Greg Kinnear
    • Maj. Bruce Crandall
    Sam Elliott
    Sam Elliott
    • Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley
    Chris Klein
    Chris Klein
    • 2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan
    Keri Russell
    Keri Russell
    • Barbara Geoghegan
    Barry Pepper
    Barry Pepper
    • Joe Galloway
    Duong Don
    Duong Don
    • Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu An
    Ryan Hurst
    Ryan Hurst
    • Sgt. Ernie Savage
    Robert Bagnell
    Robert Bagnell
    • 1st Lt. Charlie Hastings
    Marc Blucas
    Marc Blucas
    • 2nd Lt. Henry Herrick
    Josh Daugherty
    Josh Daugherty
    • Sp4 Robert Ouellette
    Jsu Garcia
    Jsu Garcia
    • Capt. Tony Nadal
    Jon Hamm
    Jon Hamm
    • Capt. Matt Dillon
    Clark Gregg
    Clark Gregg
    • Capt. Tom Metsker
    Desmond Harrington
    Desmond Harrington
    • Sp4 Bill Beck
    Blake Heron
    Blake Heron
    • Sp4 Galen Bungum
    Erik MacArthur
    Erik MacArthur
    • Sp4 Russell Adams
    • Director
      • Randall Wallace
    • Writers
      • Harold G. Moore
      • Joseph Lee Galloway
      • Randall Wallace
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews842

    7.2155.7K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    9bsmith5552

    "They Finally Got it Right!"

    "We Were Soldiers" is based on a real life battle of the Viet Nam war that took place in 1965 in a remote part of Viet Nam. It is based on a book by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway who are portrayed in the film by Mel Gibson and Barry Pepper respectively.

    The film opens with a depiction of the 1954 slaughter of French troops by the Vietnamese army. Twenty one years later Lt. Col Moore (Gibson) and his battalion of 395 men are thrust unknowingly into the same hornet's nest consisting of some 4,000 battle hardened Viet Nam regulars who have been fighting their enemies for many years.

    Director Randall Wallace tells the story from three perspectives. Firstly from the viewpoint of the Americans. Outnumbered ten to one they face impossible odds. How Col. Moore rallies his troops and gets them to pull together as a team is a central theme of the picture. Secondly, the story is told from the viewpoint of the wives and families left behind and the problems they have to deal with. Lastly, the Vietnamese army is shown not as unfeeling monsters, but as a professional army defending their beliefs and territory.

    The battle scenes are as realistic and convincing as any war movie that you will ever see. We suffer through the casualties both on the battlefield and at home along with the participants. The special effects are seamless and exciting.

    Mel Gibson gives a convincing performance as Moore and if you watch the DVD, you can see the amazing similarities between the two men. Madeleine Stowe plays Julie Moore and Keri Russell plays Barbara Geoghegan two of the wives who take on the unenviable task of delivering those dreaded telegrams to the widows from the War Department. Chris Klein plays Russell's husband Jack a new officer and father. His scene with Gibson in the base chapel is memorable. Greg Kinnear plays Captain Crandall the head of Moore's helicopter fleet. Don Duong is very effective as the Vietnamese commander. But acting cudos go to veteran Sam Elliot as the crusty Sgt. Major Plumley.

    "We Were Soldiers" is a gripping Viet Nam war drama told in a way that reflects ALL of the participants in an impartially realistic way. As Hank Moore says on the DVD, They finally got it right.
    chimoves

    I've been waiting over 30 years for one

    Ever since 1970 when I finished my third tour of combat duty with the Marines in Viet Nam I have been waiting for a film that reflected the American Fighting Man in the Viet Nam war as an American Fighting Man; not a drugged-out, anti-war whiner. Well this is it. The movie is non-stop action after the first fifteen minutes of character development is finished. Having experienced what it is like to be over-run by the NVA during the third week of my first VN tour I can tell you that this movie does an excellent job of showing the excitement, tension, exhaustion, chaos, and courage of an extended battle. While this is by no means the best war movie I have ever seen, it is the first Viet Nam war movie which has provided me with a sense of satisfaction after leaving the theater. Mel Gibson turns in a good performance, Sam Elliot is a bit stiff. The wives of the soldiers are believable. Including a bit of the NVA's attitude about the war adds a balanced flavor to the film. Overall I would say that you will experience at least a small part the intensity of war if you go to this movie. I took my female companion and she was shocked, touched, and thrilled with it. As Americans, we need to remember that freedom is not, and never has been, free. It is always paid for with the blood of those who fight to get it, sustain it, or expand it. The politically correct may not like this film, but then who cares what they like. Thanks for making this film Mel. I've been waiting over 30 years to see it.
    RebBacchus

    Factual to the point of pain

    I should never be surprised that people, who wouldn't recognize Principle, much less Honor, Duty, or Country if it introduced itself, see virtue as vice. As one who served in that war, I found the movie to be factual to the point of pain. Those who call this movie racist, lack vocabulary. or an understanding of racism. I don't know which is sadder. This movie tells a part of a soldier's story very well. Soldiers march to a different drummer, how tragic that so many, today, still refuse to honor those who protected them.

    The millions in Indo-China murdered at the hands of the Communist cry that our "racism" was so poorly lead at the highest civilian levels that we abandon them. Their blood is not on my hands or on the hands of my fellow soldiers. It is on the hands of those who are so blind they refuse to see. A valid case could be made that that there are errors in the story, certainly it doesn't tell the rest of the story, or of the next part of this battle where US casualties were 40%. What it does tell it tells very well. Those men were volunteers, and their nobility shows in this movie. I recommend it, especially for any who would want to understand those who served at that time.
    KristinMarie419

    Seeing the enemy and home in a different light

    This film is so different from the traditionally cynical (and rightly so) Vietnam War movies. While it goes without question that this film depicts the bloody and gruesome horrors of the tragedy of the first major conflict of the war, it does so while juxtaposing the story with that of stories of the home front and the enemy. The enemy in this film is not the animalistic, silent enemy we are used to. We hear this enemy speak, we see his love for his family and his devotion to his cause. While being bombarded with images of death and destruction on the battlefield, we are brought back home to see the wives as they face the death themselves.

    While of course not a flawless movie, it was without a doubt moving, and I highly recommend it.
    Ericio

    Great Movie

    There are many war movies, but finally there is a decent one about the Vietnam war in stead of World War II.

    We were soldiers is a movie about the first American attack on the Vietnamese. A col. rides into battle with his man and they have to encouter several attacks from the enemy. It also tells the story from the wife of the col., who receives the telegrams of the dead soldiers.

    There are moments of action which are needed in a war movie. The action-moments are good and the special effects look real. There are also moments of drama, so the movie does not have full action only, which is good to stay concentrated. But the drama does not hurt the movie, because there's not to many of it.

    Overall it's a movie which keeps your focus to the last minute. It's not the best war movie ever, but you should certainly see it. Not only because of the very good acting of Mel Gibson.

    More like this

    The Patriot
    7.2
    The Patriot
    Enemy at the Gates
    7.5
    Enemy at the Gates
    Black Hawk Down
    7.7
    Black Hawk Down
    Pearl Harbor
    6.3
    Pearl Harbor
    Letters from Iwo Jima
    7.8
    Letters from Iwo Jima
    Flags of Our Fathers
    7.1
    Flags of Our Fathers
    Tears of the Sun
    6.6
    Tears of the Sun
    Black Hawk Down
    7.9
    Black Hawk Down
    Windtalkers
    6.1
    Windtalkers
    The Thin Red Line
    7.6
    The Thin Red Line
    Lone Survivor
    7.5
    Lone Survivor
    We Are Soldier
    We Are Soldier

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sam Elliott became so close to the real Basil L. Plumley and his family that during Plumley's funeral with military honors Elliott sat in the front row beside Plumley's daughter as she received the folded flag.
    • Goofs
      Contrary to what's shown in the movie, Lieutenant Henry Herrick and 2nd Platoon did not recklessly charge after a lone NVA soldier, but were in fact ordered to advance out to the flank by Captain John Herren and did so in a disciplined manner. However, he encountered a group of retreating PAVN soldiers and followed them, losing contact with the rest of the company and leaving the flank exposed. At one point, when coming to the clearing shown in the film, Herrick stopped and radioed back on whether or not he should continue through it or go around it, which was when he and his men were attacked by the NVA.

      It was also Herrick's platoon that inflicted the first casualties on the NVA in said attack, not the other way around as shown in the movie.
    • Quotes

      Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: [Hal Moore speaks to his men before going into battle] Look around you. In the 7th cavalry, we've got a captain from the Ukraine; another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians. Jews and Gentiles. All Americans. Now here in the states, some of you in this unit may have experienced discrimination because of race or creed. But for you and me now, all that is gone. We're moving into the valley of the shadow of death, where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours. And you won't care what color he is, or by what name he calls God. They say we're leaving home. We're going to what home was always supposed to be. Now let us understand the situation. We are going into battle against a tough and determined enemy.

      [pauses]

      Lt. Colonel Hal Moore: I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear, before you and before Almighty God, that when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off, and I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together. So help me, God.

    • Alternate versions
      Trailers include a scene where Julie Moore explains that the last thing most dying soldiers say is "Tell my wife I love her". This is not included in the theatrical release.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: We Were Soldiers/40 Days and 40 Nights/Queen of the Damned (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Hold On I'm Coming
      Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter

      Performed by Tommy Blaize

      Produced by Nick Glennie-Smith

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ23

    • How long is We Were Soldiers?Powered by Alexa
    • What type of propeller planes are providing air support during the battle?
    • Why did the one VC soldier try and bayonet Col. Moore instead of just shooting him?
    • Why are Col. Moore and other soldiers seen banging their magazines on their helmet before loading them?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 1, 2002 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • France
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Vietnamese
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Fuímos heroes
    • Filming locations
      • Fort Hunter Liggett, California, USA(Central Highlands, South Vietnam)
    • Production companies
      • Icon Entertainment International
      • Motion Picture Production GmbH & Co. Erste KG
      • StudioCanal
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $75,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $78,122,718
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,212,543
      • Mar 3, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $115,374,915
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 18 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to We Were Soldiers (2002) in Japan?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.