Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1990s
    Movies - 1990s Movies - C 4 Mins Read

    Courage Under Fire (1996)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    During the 1991 Gulf War, Lt. Col. Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) accidentally takes out one of his own tanks in the midst of a chaotic nighttime battle, killing his friend Capt. Boylar (Tim Ransom).

    The US Army covers up the incident and transfers a remorseful and alcoholic Serling to a desk job. Later, Serling has to relive his own “friendly fire” event when he is tasked with deciding whether or not Capt. Karen Emma Walden (Meg Ryan) deserves to be the first woman to receive a (posthumous) Medal of Honor for valour in combat.

    Walden commanded a crew on a Medevac Huey helicopter called in to save the injured soldiers from a shot-down Black Hawk helicopter. En route to the crash, Walden came face to face with an enemy T-54 tank.

    She and her fellow soldiers destroyed the enemy tank, but Walden’s helicopter was shot down. The next day, when the two downed crews were finally rescued, Walden was reported dead.

    Reviewing the testimonies of Walden’s crew, Serling notices inconsistencies between them. Specialist Andrew Ilario (Matt Damon) expresses high praise for Walden, but Staff Sgt. John Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillips) pronounces Walden to be a coward and states that he, Monfriez, eliminated the enemy tank.

    Other members of the crew prove incapable of testifying due to their injuries. The crew of the Black Hawk mentions hearing M16 gunshots, but Ilario and Monfriez deny that shots were ever fired.

    Feeling pressure from his superiors to wrap things up, Serling instead leaks the story to reporter Tony Gartner (Scott Glenn), hoping to prevent another cover-up.

    Serling presses Monfriez during a car ride, and the shaken Staff Sgt forces Serling out of the car at gunpoint before killing himself by colliding with an oncoming train. Serling is able to track down Ilario, however, who finally tells the true story.

    Wanting to flee and leave Rady (Tim Guinee) behind, Monfriez shot Walden in the stomach – either accidentally or deliberately – during a firefight with the enemy.

    Though wounded, Walden covered her crew’s retreat with an M16 the next morning, expecting to be rescued later, but Monfriez told his rescuers that Walden was already dead.

    As a result, A-10 Warthogs dropped napalm on the entire area, finishing off Walden. Ilario was too frightened to tell the truth, and Altameyer was too injured to speak.

    Serling presents his final report to General Hershberg (Michael Moriarty) and Walden’s young daughter, Anne Marie (Christina Stojanovich), receives the Medal of Honor on her mother’s behalf at a White House ceremony.

    Later, Serling meets with Capt. Boylar’s parents (Richard Venture and Diane Baker) and confesses the true manner of their son’s death. The Boylars tell Serling he must forgive himself.

    The final scene reveals that Captain Walden was the pilot who evacuated Boylar’s body after Serling’s friendly fire incident.

    Courage Under Fire was written by Vietnam veteran Patrick Sheane Duncan and directed by Edward Zwick.

    Prior to shooting, the production sought cooperation from the US Department of Defense (DOD) so they could use real Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and a fleet of Apache and Black Hawk helicopters in the film.

    The DOD refused any support as they believed the film portrayed the military in an unfavourable light (depictions of a small unit mutiny, the de facto murder of an officer, cover-ups, etc.)

    Instead, 11 surplus British Centurion tanks were imported and sheet metal added to them so they resembled M1A1 Abrams tanks. Director Edward Zwick also had to use Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters instead of Black Hawks.

    Matt Damon put himself on a near-starvation diet and ran 13 miles a day in preparation for his portrayal of Ilario. He lost 50 pounds and suffered adrenal gland damage and other health problems that took months of medication to repair.

    The film was a solid box office hit, grossing over $59 million domestically and $41.8 million in foreign markets for a worldwide gross of $100.9 million, representing a $40 million profit.

    Lt. Col. Nat Serling
    Denzel Washington
    Capt. Karen Walden
    Meg Ryan
    Staff Sgt. John Monfriez
    Lou Diamond Phillips
    General Hershberg
    Michael Moriarty
    Specialist Andrew Ilario
    Matt Damon
    Bruno
    Bronson Pinchot
    Altameyer
    Seth Gilliam
    Meredith Serling
    Regina Taylor
    Banacek
    Zeljko Ivanek
    Tony Gartner
    Scott Glenn
    Rady
    Tim Guinee
    Capt. Boylar
    Tim Ransom
    Patella
    Sean Astin
    Robins
    Armand Darrius
    Bobcat 5
    Mark Adair-Rios
    Chelli
    Ned Vaughn
    Jenkins
    Manny Perez
    Egan
    David McSwain
    Thompson
    Sean Patrick Thomas
    Joel Walden
    Ken Jenkins
    Geraldine Walden
    Kathleen Widdoes
    Anne Marie Walden
    Christina Stojanovich
    Nathan Serling Jr.
    Lucky Luciano
    Joleen Serling
    Erica C. Newman
    Brian Serling
    Jamal A. Mays
    Josie Serling
    Ashlee Jordan Pryor
    Maria
    Michole Briana White
    Hillerman
    Jeffrey Waid

    Director
    Edward Zwick

    Related Posts

    • Retroactive (1997)
      Retroactive (1997)
      Following an unfortunate incident in which six people lost their lives, guilt-ridden Chicago psychiatrist and hostage negotiator Karen Warren (Australian…
    • Backdraft (1991)
      Backdraft (1991)
      Conceived as an expensive look at the lives of firefighters, something burned up in the process between script and final…
    • Cry Freedom (1987)
      Cry Freedom (1987)
      Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom is in the same league as his award-winning Gandhi (1982) - a rare, uplifting film that manages to thrill and…
    • Malcolm X (1992)
      Malcolm X (1992)
      Street hustler Malcolm Little converts to Islam while in prison, changes his name to Malcolm X and rises to fame…
    • You've Got Mail (1998)
      You've Got Mail (1998)
      You've Got Mail stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as rivals - she owns a small bookshop, he runs a greedy…
    • Forever Young (1992)
      Forever Young (1992)
      In 1939, test pilot Daniel McCormick (Mel Gibson) is checking out the brand new B-25 bomber for the newly formed…
    • Pelican Brief, The (1994)
      Pelican Brief, The (1994)
      When this was made, John Grisham's stock in Hollywood was so high that one of his shopping lists could probably…
    • Philadelphia (1993)
      Philadelphia (1993)
      Tom Hanks, in the most artistically challenging and physically and emotionally punishing role of his career, plays Andy Beckett, a…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticlePippa Doll
    Next Article Men In War (1957)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Annie (1982)
      “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, it’s only […]
    • Amityville: A New Generation (1993)
      Photographer Keyes Terry (Ross Partridge) picks up a mirror from […]
    • Sailor
      1 9 7 6 (UK) A BBC film crew worked among the 2,500 men aboard […]
    • Aerodrome, The
      1 9 8 3 (UK) 1 x 90 minute episode In a futuristic alternative […]
    • Governor and JJ, The
      1 9 6 9 – 1 9 7 0 (USA) 39 x 30 minute episodes Set in an […]
    • New Lad, The
      Somewhere between 1993 and 1994, British masculinity was […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    4 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    1 day ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    RIP Fred White, drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire, who has died aged 67. 😢

    RIP Fred White, drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire, who has died aged 67. 😢 ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Great band

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.