Tears of the Sun (2003)

A Special-Ops commander leads his team into the Nigerian jungle in order to rescue a doctor who will only join them if they agree to save 70 refugees too.

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writers:

Alex Lasker, Patrick Cirillo

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Cole Hauser, Monica Bellucci

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Lieutenant A.K. Waters
Monica Bellucci	...	Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks
Cole Hauser	...	James 'Red' Atkins
Eamonn Walker	...	Ellis 'Zee' Pettigrew
Johnny Messner	...	Kelly Lake
Nick Chinlund	...	Michael 'Slo' Slowenski
Charles Ingram	...	Demetrius 'Silk' Owens
Paul Francis	...	Danny 'Doc' Kelley
Chad Smith	...	Jason 'Flea' Mabry
Tom Skerritt	...	Captain Bill Rhodes
Malick Bowens	...	Colonel Idris Sadick
Awaovieyi Agie	...	Musa
Akosua Busia	...	Patience
Hadar Busia-Singleton	...	Amaka
Ida Onyango	...	Lasana

Storyline

Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician, Dr. Lena Kendricks. Dr. Kendricks, an American citizen by marriage, is tending to the victims of the ongoing civil war at a Catholic mission in a remote village. When Waters arrives, however, Dr. Kendricks refuses to leave unless he promises to help deliver the villagers to political asylum at the nearby border. If they are left behind, they will be at the mercy of the enormous rebel army. Waters is under strict orders from his commanding officer ...

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Plot Keywords:

refugee | nigeria | civil war | rescue mission | murder of a priest | 

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Taglines:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

14A

Did You Know?

Trivia

Emerson knives were used in this film. These knives are handcrafted and extremely popular in law enforcement and military communities.

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Goofs

When the SEALs jump from the aircraft it is shown in different shots as two different aircraft types. A side shot shows a type with fins on the extremities of the horizontal stabilizer, but the shot looking up after they jump shows a conventional tail with a single central vertical stabilizer.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Female news reader: [voiceover] The tension that had been brewing for months in Nigeria exploded yesterday as exiled General Mustafa Yakubu orchestrated a swift and violent coup against the democratically elected government of President Samuel Azuka. In a land with 120 million people and over 250 ethnic groups, there'd been a long-standing history of ethnic enmity, particularly between the Fulani Moslems in the north and Christian Ibo in the south. The victorious Fulani rebels have taken to the streets...

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Crazy Credits

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke

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Alternate Versions

DVD Director's Extended Cut is 142 minutes (theatrical version 121 minutes).

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Connections

Referenced in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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Soundtracks

Cry In Silence
Written By Jim Dooley, Martin Tillman
Performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony (as The Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra)
Orchestrated By Yvonne S. Moriarty (as Suzette Moriarty)
Conductor / Orchestrated By, Bruce Fowler
(p) © 2003 Revolution Studios Distribution Company, LLC.

User Reviews

Americans who give a f***

If you get past the whole unbelievable parts, and into the story itself, its a damn good movie. Bruce Willis is always a good actor in intense situation movies, with his straight face, spunk, and how is natural charm always gets the girl. The supporting cast was stupendous, and I really felt for the africans in the movie. 7.6 out of 10.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les larmes du soleil

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,057,213, 9 March 2003

Gross USA:

$43,734,876

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$86,468,162

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cheyenne Enterprises, Michael Lobell Productions, Revolution Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min 142 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1