Flags of our Fathers (2006)

The life stories of the six men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in World War II.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

William Broyles Jr. (screenplay), Paul Haggis (screenplay)

Stars:

Ryan Phillippe, Barry Pepper, Joseph Cross

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Phillippe	...	John "Doc" Bradley
Jesse Bradford	...	Rene Gagnon
Adam Beach	...	Ira Hayes
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Keyes Beech
John Slattery	...	Bud Gerber
Barry Pepper	...	Mike Strank
Jamie Bell	...	Ralph "Iggy" Ignatowski
Paul Walker	...	Hank Hansen
Robert Patrick	...	Colonel Chandler Johnson
Neal McDonough	...	Captain Severance
Melanie Lynskey	...	Pauline Harnois
Tom McCarthy	...	James Bradley
Chris Bauer	...	Commandant Vandegrift
Judith Ivey	...	Belle Block
Myra Turley	...	Madeline Evelley

Storyline

In 1945, the Marines attack twelve thousand Japaneses protecting the twenty square kilometers of the sacred Iwo Jima island in a very violent battle. When they reach the Mount Suribachi and six Marines raise their flag on the top, the picture becomes a symbol in a post Great Depression America. The government brings the three survivors to America to raise funds for war, bringing hope to desolate people, and making the three men heroes of the war. However, the traumatized trio has difficulty dealing with the image built by their superiors, sharing the heroism with their mates.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to arizona | pima indian | japanese soldier | japan | japanese army | 

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Taglines:

The real heroes are the ones left on the island.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sequences of graphic war violence and carnage, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [United States] Warner Bros [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flags of our Fathers

Filming Locations:

1842 Oxley Street, South Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,245,190, 22 October 2006, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$33,602,376

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$65,900,249

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Rasche appears in the film in a cameo role. Rasche is famous for his lampoon of Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" character in the sitcom Sledge Hammer! (1986). Eastwood is known for his sense of humor and apparently liked the show.

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Goofs

When 'Bud Gurber' of the Treasury Department talks to the men he says of the Seventh War Bond Drive goal of $14 billion that "the last three Drives didn't make that much altogether." This is totally wrong. The 4th Drive raised $16.7 billion, the 5th raised 20.6 billion, and the 6th raised 21.6 billion, for a total of $58.9 billion. Every War Bond Drive exceeded its goal, as did the 7th, with $26 billion raised.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Soldiers: Corpsman! Corpsman! Corpsman! Corpsman! For God sakes, corpsman! Corpsman! Corpsman!

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Crazy Credits

There is an additional short sequence after the credits have ended.

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Connections

Referenced in The O'Reilly Factor: Episode dated 22 August 2008 (2008)

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Soundtracks

Flags of Our Fathers
Written by Clint Eastwood
Performed by Bruce Forman, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens, Andrew McCormack, and Graeme Flowers

User Reviews

Deeply Moving

I can't recall the last time a movie moved me the way this film did. Clint Eastwood presents an honest portrait of war (the beauty of brotherhood, the horror of literally walking through death, the pain of dealing with survival). The images made me feel like I was getting a real glimpse at the lives of the men who served during WWII. The actors more then carried their own weight. They made you understand these were not characters they were acting out, they were representing real men. To often today war movies are used to actively promote war or to demonize it. I appreciated that this film let me make up my own mind. "Flags of Our Fathers" is a movie that will stay with you. Isn't that what great movies are supposed to do? This film reminds you why movies are important.