Dramatic re-enactment of William Wyler's classic wartime documentary on a bomber crew that must make one more run to finish out their tour of duty. Somehow it's less dramatic (and even in drabber color) than the real thing, despite pulling out all the stops: the pilot speaks intimately to his girlfriend's painted likeness on the ship's nose; the red-haired Irish gunner recites Yeats to the accompaniment of "Danny Boy" on solo harmonica (and turns initial catcalls to solemn silence); and the co-pilot's pet dog is the first one on base to hear the wounded plane sputtering toward the runway. This is war like they used to make it! It's still a highly manageable concept, just two days in duration, with the bombing run taking up the last hour of the movie (longer than Wyler's movie in its entirety). And everyone looks well and acts well, especially Matthew Modine as the dedicated crew leader and David Strathairn as the grim-faced base commander. And Harry Connick, Jr., sounds well in a Sinatra impression on "Danny Boy" at the pre-flight ball. With John Lithgow, Eric Stoltz, and D.B. Sweeney; directed by Michael Caton-Jones. (1990) — Duncan Shepherd
This movie is not currently in theaters.