Memphis Belle (1990)

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Starring Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, Reed Diamond, Sean Astin, Billy Zane, Courtney Gains, Neil Giuntoli, D.B. Sweeney, Harry Connick Jr., John Lithgow, David Strathairn. [PG-13]

Dramatized WWII air combat picture, based on a real plane and crew, detailing the 25th and final mission undertaken by the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber Memphis Belle deep behind enemy lines to the German city of Bremen. On the one hand, the sure-handed direction, aerial photography, and fundamental drama once our heroes take flight make for an entertaining, sometimes downright exciting, back half. On the other hand, screenwriter Monte Merrick never passes up an opportunities to dust off a cornball cliché, and the crew members are each given just one consistent personality trait to distinguish them from everyone else (they’re even introduced in the opening scene with military PR man Lithgow observing and describing each one, like in this actual line of dialogue: “This is the religious one…there’s always a religious one”—yes…yes, there always is). Pretty good cast does what they can, with many of the characters modeled in some way after their players (Connick Jr.’s character even sings). If you can get past all the cheesy stereotypes and inaccuracies (no easy feat), it’s a pretty enjoyable formula war picture. For a more factual account of the events, William Wyler directed a 1944 documentary about the bomber called Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress.

60/100