WRITER: Robert Rodat.
PRODUCERS: Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn and Steven Spielberg.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Kevin De La Noy and Mark Huffam.
CO-PRODUCERS: Bonnie Curtis and Allison Lyon Segan.
ORIGINAL MUSIC: John Williams.
DISTRIBUTOR: DreamWorks Pictures.
Private Caparzo: Captain, the decent thing to do would be take her over to the next town.
Capt. John Miller: We're not here to do the decent thing, we're here to follow fucking orders!
Private Jackson: Be not that far from me, for trouble is near; haste Thee to help me.
BOX OFFICE OPENING: $30.5 million (USA)
BOX OFFICE RESULT: $216.1 million (USA)
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: $440.8 million
BUDGET: $70 million (USA)
SHOOTING DATES: June 1997 -- ???
- Director Steven Spielberg considered casting Matt Damon after viewing his performance in Courage Under Fire (1996), but thought he was too skinny. Robin Williams introduced Damon to Spielberg on the set of Good Will Hunting (1997), and Spielberg changed his mind.
- The role of Caparzo was written just for Vin Diesel after director Steven Spielberg saw some of his previous work.
- All the principal actors underwent several days of grueling army training - except for Matt Damon, who was spared so that the other actors would resent him, and would convey that resentment in their performances.
- Filming switched from the UK to Ireland after the British Ministry of Defence declined to provide the huge numbers of soldiers to act as extras in the film. The Irish Defence forces supplied 250 men drawn from a mix of units of the FCA (Army) and Slua Muiri (Navy) reserves. They spent four weeks in the surf on the beaches while filming the landing scenes.
- Steven Spielberg reduced the color saturation by 60% in the film lab in a process called ENR.
- Real amputees were used for the shots of people with limbs missing.
- The German Tiger tank in the movie is in fact a Russian T-34 tank modified to appear as a convincing Tiger tank.
- Based upon the true story of the Niland brothers.
- Many veterands of D-Day have congratulated director Steven Spielberg for the film's authenticity, including actor James Doohan, best known as Scotty from Star Trek. Doohan lost the middle finger of his right hand and was wounded in the leg during the war. He commended Spielberg for now leaving out any gory details.
- Body Count: 206.
- Academy Award winner for Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Picture and Best Screenplay.
Private Jackson: Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.
Private Caparzo: Hey Corporal, drop dead! And another thing, whenever you salute the Captain you make him an open target for the Germans so don't do it, especially when I'm standing near him!