Top Gun (1986)

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

Ehud Yonay (article)
Jim Cash (written by) ...

Release Date:

16 May 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

From the Producers of Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance [UK Theatrical]

Plot:

The macho students of an elite US Flying school for advanced fighter pilots compete to be best in the class, and one romances the teacher.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Flying | Fighter Pilot | Naval Officer | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 21	5:30 PM	CMTV
Sun. Nov. 22	2:30 PM	CMTV

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Maverick
Kelly McGillis	...	Charlie
Val Kilmer	...	Iceman
Anthony Edwards	...	Goose
Tom Skerritt	...	Viper
Michael Ironside	...	Jester
John Stockwell	...	Cougar
Barry Tubb	...	Wolfman
Rick Rossovich	...	Slider
Tim Robbins	...	Merlin
Clarence Gilyard Jr.	...	Sundown
Whip Hubley	...	Hollywood
James Tolkan	...	Stinger
Meg Ryan	...	Carole
Adrian Pasdar	...	Chipper

Also Known As:

Top Guns (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:6 | Brazil:Livre | India:U | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1986) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Naval Training Center, San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The scene where Maverick follows Charlie into the bathroom was filmed at the Headquarters Building at Recruit Training Command, San Diego.

Goofs:

Continuity: Through most of the first class at Top Gun, Slider has his arm behind Iceman, but right before he says, "The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies room," Slider suddenly disappears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Flight Captain: Good morning, Scott.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2007-03-03)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Hot Summer Nights

And all the Air Force got was "Iron Eagle" .....

If there's ever proof of the cachet of Naval Aviation, this is it. Those poor Air Force guys got a trio of "Iron Eagle" flicks that went from bad to horrible, whereas the Navy flyboys got this great 1980's classic. Sure, it's cheesy and corny, but it makes the cheese and corn taste pretty damn good. A cynic might argue that it's just a two hour long Navy recruiting ad (one that worked for me, two years later I found my ass in Pensacola sweating through AOCS, short for Aviation Officer Candidate School, the program immortalized in "An Officer and a Gentleman") but by making a pro-Navy movie, the filmmakers also got invaluable technical assistance from top Navy aviators, and it shows.

For starters, although this movie takes numerous liberties in order to entertain, the basic setup, in which fighter pilots from the fleet get sent to NAS Miramar, aka, "Top Gun" for intensive training, is 100% accurate. The Navy, back during Vietnam, was getting sick of losing too many pilots in air-to-air combat. The problem, they discovered, was their fighter jocks had been trained for purely long-range missile interceptions, meaning they'd lost their dogfighting skills. And, in Vietnam, several American planes were accidentally shot down by their own side by missiles, so, as a safety factor, enemy planes had to be visually identified, meaning American pilots were back to engaging the enemy at short range, hence the need for dogfighting. The "Top Gun" school was started as a result, and the rest is history.

Now, back to the movie. Tom Cruise is Maverick, a hotshot pilot but also somewhat unstable. If "Risky Business" launched his career as a movie star, then "Top Gun" cemented it. Guys wanted to be like him, and women of course lusted after him. The plot is pure formula, but executed with consummate professionalism. The team who put this movie together knew exactly how to push all the right buttons. But the crème de la crème is surely the flying. I don't think that any movie, before or since, has ever rendered air combat in a more convincing and dramatic fashion. For nearly 100 years fighter pilots have been the modern equivalent of olden knights, men who brought a sense of glamour and romance to the deadly art of war, and this movie gives them a fitting tribute.

8/10