Movie Review: 'Memphis Belle' (1990)
Memphis Belle (1990) On October 12, 1990, Warner Bros. released Michael Caton-Jones’ “Memphis Belle,” a fictionalized account of a U.S. B-17 bomber’s 25 th and final mission over Nazi-occupied Europe in the spring of 1943. Starring Matthew Modine (“Vision Quest”), Tate Donovan (“Argo”), Eric Stoltz (“Mask”), and Sean Astin (“The Lord of the Rings”) and written by Monte Merrick (“Mr. Baseball”), “Memphis Belle” is a throwback to such classic World War II aerial combat films as “Twelve O’Clock High” and “Command Decision.” “Memphis Belle’s” U.S. premiere (it opened in Great Britain on September 7) took place just as American forces were involved in Operation Desert Shield, the biggest deployment of U.S. military might since the Vietnam War. Partly due to the war clouds hovering over the Middle East at the time, the film was not a big hit. It earned $27 million in the U.S.; considering that “Memphis Belle” had a budget of $23 million, it barely broke even in the all-important ...