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Casualties of War

  • 1989
  • R
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
50K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,397
271
Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn in Casualties of War (1989)
Home Video Trailer from RCA/Columbia
Play trailer1:56
1 Video
98 Photos
Psychological DramaTragedyActionCrimeDramaWar

During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager, for their sexual enjoyment.During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager, for their sexual enjoyment.During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager, for their sexual enjoyment.

  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Daniel Lang
    • David Rabe
  • Stars
    • Michael J. Fox
    • Sean Penn
    • Don Harvey
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    50K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,397
    271
    • Director
      • Brian De Palma
    • Writers
      • Daniel Lang
      • David Rabe
    • Stars
      • Michael J. Fox
      • Sean Penn
      • Don Harvey
    • 165User reviews
    • 91Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Casualties of War
    Trailer 1:56
    Casualties of War

    Photos98

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    + 91
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    Top cast48

    Edit
    Michael J. Fox
    Michael J. Fox
    • Eriksson
    Sean Penn
    Sean Penn
    • Meserve
    Don Harvey
    Don Harvey
    • Clark
    John C. Reilly
    John C. Reilly
    • Hatcher
    John Leguizamo
    John Leguizamo
    • Diaz
    Thuy Thu Le
    Thuy Thu Le
    • Oanh
    Erik King
    Erik King
    • Brown
    Jack Gwaltney
    Jack Gwaltney
    • Rowan
    Ving Rhames
    Ving Rhames
    • Lt. Reilly
    Dan Martin
    Dan Martin
    • Hawthorne
    Dale Dye
    Dale Dye
    • Capt. Hill
    Steve Larson
    Steve Larson
    • Agent #1
    John Linton
    • Agent #2
    Vyto Ruginis
    Vyto Ruginis
    • Prosecutor
    Al Shannon
    Al Shannon
    • Wilkins
    Wendell Pierce
    Wendell Pierce
    • MacIntire
    Sam Robards
    Sam Robards
    • Chaplain Kirk
    Maris Valainis
    • Streibig
    • Director
      • Brian De Palma
    • Writers
      • Daniel Lang
      • David Rabe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For Michael J. Fox's shots, Sean Penn would be telling him that he was just a little television actor and nothing more, to get genuine reactions for director Brian De Palma.
    • Goofs
      During the firefight on the bridge, after intense firing, one soldier reaches over to pull another soldier to get started down the bridge by grabbing the muzzle of his gun. That act would create severe burns on his palm.
    • Quotes

      Eriksson: Everybody's acting like we can do anything and it don't matter what we do. Maybe we gotta' be extra careful because maybe it matters more than we even know.

    • Crazy credits
      A mid-credits update is presented on Hatcher, explaining that his conviction was overturned.
    • Alternate versions
      The Extended Cut is 6 minutes longer than the original and contains 2 extra scenes.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Casualties of War/Rude Awakening/Uncle Buck/The Abyss/A Chorus of Disapproval (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Everybody Loves Somebody
      Written by Irving Taylor & Ken Lane

    User reviews165

    Featured review
    8/10

    A troubling movie on a terrible fact of war

    Casualties of War shows that war can be ugly for more than the obvious reasons. A great dramatic piece by Brian De Palma.

    The good. Excellent score. Once past the intro, powerful mood. Riveting story. Well built scenario, very logical and nicely paced. Emotionally disturbing.

    The actors. Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn are just perfect as antagonist. Don Harvey fits his crazy role very well. John C. Reilly plays the simpleton with convincing clarity. And I'll just mention in passing a good performance by Ving Rhames.

    The bad. The initial jungle scenes lack realism, as well as some over-acting by the black guy in the first part.

    The ugly. Nothing.

    The result. An emotional and brutal movie. Not for the faint of heart.
    • AvidClimber
    • Jun 9, 2013
    • Permalink

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    FAQ22

    • How long is Casualties of War?Powered by Alexa
    • Who played the Vietnamese girl on the bus?
    • What year does this movie take place?
    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 18, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • Pecados de Guerra
    • Filming locations
      • Dolores Park, San Francisco, California, USA(where Eriksson gets off the train at the end)
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Art Linson Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,671,317
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,201,261
      • Aug 20, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,671,317
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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