Memphis Belle poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D.B. Sweeney, Billy Zane ... see more see more... , David Strathairn , Sean Astin , John Lithgow , Harry Connick Jr. , Courtney Gains , Neil Giuntoli , Paul Birchard , Ben Browder , Greg Charles , Bill Cullum , Reed Edward Diamond , Keith Edwards , Steve Elm , Jane Horrocks , Bradley Lavelle , Eric Loren , Steven Mackintosh , Mac McDonald , Martin McDougal , Cathy Murphy , Jason Salkey , Morag Siller , Mitch Webb , Jodie Wilson , Booker T. & the MGs , Eddie Floyd , Harry Connick , Memphis Horn , Phil Upchu , Phil Upchurch , Reed Diamond , Sam Moore

Unabashedly sentimental, this war film was produced by David Putnam in partnership with Catherine Wyler, whose father William Wyler directed an acclaimed documentary about the real-life events depicte... read more read more...d in the film. The ensemble cast is composed of ten young actors portraying the crew of the World War II B-17 bomber "Memphis Belle," anticipating their 25th and last mission before they will be able to go home. Having won fame with their exemplary war record and amazing lack of casualties, they expect their final assignment to be a cakewalk, but instead they are ordered to bomb Bremen, a heavily defended German city that will mean almost certain loss of life. Led by their experienced captain, Dennis Dearborn (Matthew Modine), the crew shoulders its responsibility despite mounting fears, while their commanding officer (David Strathairn) and a public relations specialist (John Lithgow) wait anxiously for their return. Aboard the bomber, there's friction between Dearborn and his disgruntled co-pilot Luke Sinclair (Tate Donovan), and between medical officer Val Kozlowski (Billy Zane) and the rest of the crew when it's learned that Val lied about his qualifications. Despite impressive technical credits and a popular Generation-X cast, Memphis Belle (1990) was a box-office disappointment, its enthusiastic patriotism considered a throwback to a bygone era of filmmaking. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

74% liked it

29,017 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

16 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones

Release Date: September 7, 1990

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 27, 1998

Get It:

Stats: 830 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Memphis Belle Memphis Belle Memphis Belle Memphis belle Memphis Belle
Upload a Photo | View All Memphis Belle Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (830)

  • flixsterman
    December 20, 2009
    flixsterman
    A Hollywood bastardization of the truth. The crew of the Belle would have been much better served by an independent film company, fewer 'stars' and better actors. Still, even a big production studio couldn't entirely extinguish the heroic aura of these men and what they accompl... read moreished. A gripping true story, in spite of the fact that it's littered with cliche characters and meaningless subplots.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    Liked it a lot when I was younger but I now wince at the clichés and the overall Hollywood cheese! Good cast though!
  • thmtsang
    March 24, 2008
    thmtsang
    Movie about WWII bombers. Good cast.
  • rezpatriot
    March 2, 2008
    rezpatriot
    Pilot film about airforce yanks in the world war 2
  • sanjurosamurai
    November 23, 2007
    sanjurosamurai
    fantastic war flick
  • garyX
    July 14, 2007
    garyX
    The first section of the film is an unbelievably cheesy soap opera, as we get to know the cardboard cut-out characters before their bombing raid over hostile territory. The second is a brilliantly done aerial combat sequence as we follow them on their ill fated mission. A game of... read more two halfs indeed.
  • Deano78
    July 1, 2007
    Deano78
    A pretty good war film based around the flight of a bomber and its crew.
  • sainttom93
    January 14, 2007
    sainttom93
    Best Male-bonding film I've ever seen --
  • deano
    November 13, 2006
    deano
    Average adventure of World War II heroics.
  • chaleins
    February 3, 2012
    chaleins
    Despite taking many liberties with the reality of the actual plane and crew, Memphis Belle is a relatively good film with some good acting and tense situations. It was also a career starter for a number of young actors. The overall tone of the film is an optimistic view of the sh... read moreeer heroism of simply flying in one of these bombers. They aren't really portraying one bomber crew, but it's more a composite of the many very young men that risked and gave their lives on these missions.

    You can call the characters a bit stereotypical, because they are composites. However it takes nothing away from the story, which suggests that some of the veteran crews were pretty good at the teamwork necessary to survive; or at least be able to alter the odds a little more in their favor. Evidence of training and discipline did contribute to some crews surviving tough missions. read about actor Jimmy Stewart's career, and you can see that he was considered a 'lucky' commander.

    The film, Memphis Belle captures some good drama on and off the ground. It hints at, but doesn't fully exploit the stress that these young men were under. Only the navigator is really a nervous wreck for most of the mission, but everyone has moments of terror in the film. The B-17 as an aircraft also gets good exposure here, even though they had only a handful of flying examples to CGI the vast squadrons that characterized the later war missions. The terrible randomness and helplessness on the missions comes off well. You can't help but wince at some of the scenes like the bomber chopped in half, and the desperate 'counting of the chutes' by the Belle's crew.

    As a purely historical film, it has many flaws that others will no doubt pick at, but they're not fatal. It's never dull, and it's got an everyman character for most to sympathize with, whatever your background or temperment.

View All Memphis Belle Reviews

Critic Reviews

Forrest Hartman
May 30, 2003
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal

Excellent and harrowing account of the trials of a World War II bomber crew.

Widgett Walls
October 8, 2002
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com

Badly written and poorly structured ensemble piece that provides little except the impressive feature debut of Harry Connick, Jr. as an actor.

Scott Weinberg
July 26, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

A handsome and fairly rousing air force flick with a solid ensemble cast.

Owen Gleiberman
September 7, 2011
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

September 7, 1990
Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • World War II: The Memphis Belle
    World War II: The Memphis Belle (100%)
  • Belle and the Glory Boys - The Making of Memphis Belle
    Belle and the Glory Boys - The Making of Memp... (100%)
  • Pearl Harbor
    Pearl Harbor (67%)
  • M*A*S*H (MASH)
    M*A*S*H (MASH) (60%)

More Movies like Memphis Belle

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Memphis Belle : Watch Free on TV

Memphis Belle Trivia

  • True or False: In Memphis Belle the rookie crew's plane is named "Mother and Country"   Answer »
  • what was 'memphis belle'?  Answer »
  • What actor/actress starred in 'Titanic' and 'Memphis Belle'?  Answer »
  • Which two actors starred in The Memphis Belle?  Answer »
More Memphis Belle Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Memphis Belle Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Memphis Belle to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?