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Top Gun

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Top Gun
Promotional movie poster
Directed byTony Scott
Written byEhud Yonay
Jim Cash
Jack Epps Jr.
Produced byDon Simpson
Jerry Bruckheimer
StarringTom Cruise
Kelly McGillis
Tom Skerritt
Val Kilmer
Anthony Edwards
Tim Robbins
Meg Ryan
Michael Ironside
Rick Rossovich
CinematographyJeffrey L. Kimball
Edited byChris Lebenzon
Billy Weber
Music byHarold Faltermeyer
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
May 16, 1986
Running time
110 mins
CountriesUnited Kingdom
USA
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15,000,000 (estimated)
Box office$353,816,701

Top Gun is a 1986 film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer in association with Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by the article "Top Guns" written by Ehud Yonay for California Magazine.

The film stars Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerritt. Cruise plays LT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young Naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He is given the chance to train with his RIO (Radar Intercept Officer - the "back seater" in the two-man F-14 Tomcat) LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, after the pilot above him in squadron rankings resigns. The film depicts his progress through the training, his romance with an instructor, and his overcoming a crisis of confidence following a fatal training accident. Former Top Gun instructor pilot Randy "Duke" Cunningham claimed to have been the inspiration for Pete Mitchell, although the movie's producer denied the character was based on any specific aviator.[1]

The film opened in America on May 16, 1986 to good reviews, the aerial scenes being particularly praised. Similar praise followed soon afterwards when the film broke records at the box office, becoming a mega hit. The film accumulated over $350 million worldwide, and broke home-video sales records.[2]

Plot summary

The film starts with Maverick (Cruise) and Goose (Edwards) with Maverick's wingman "Cougar" and his RIO, "Merlin" (both piloting F-14 Tomcats), in conflict over the Indian Ocean against what are said to be Soviets flying (fictional) Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-28s. Cougar is engaged by one of the hostile aircraft and afterwards is too shaken to land, despite his aircraft being low on fuel. Maverick assists Cougar in landing, at risk to his own aircraft which is also low on fuel. Following the incident Cougar resigns, citing his newborn child which he has never seen. Despite his antipathy for Maverick, the CAG, "Stinger" (James Tolkan) is forced to send Maverick—now his top pilot—to attend Top Gun.

Maverick tests his instructors' patience on the first day of training by flying recklessly (outflying instructor LCDR Rick "Jester" Heatherly (Michael Ironside), breaking two rules of engagement in the process), establishes a rivalry with top student Tom "Iceman" Kazanski (Kilmer), and becomes enamoured with civilian instructor Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood (McGillis). Maverick contradicts her briefing by regaling her with the story of the MiG encounter from the film's opening, but playfully withholds specific details.

During a dinner date, which Charlie claims she instigated so she could ask him about the incident, Maverick reveals that his father was shot down in an F-4 during the Vietnam War, the details of which are classified. He rejects the official account, believing his father was too talented a pilot to have made a mistake.

During a later period of instruction, Charlie rejects a piloting suggestion by Maverick, embarrassing him in front of the class. A short time later, after a brief road chase, Charlie admits that she admires his tactics but criticized them to hide her feelings for him from the others.

During the flight portions of the class, Maverick lives up to his callsign when called upon to be a team player. During one training sortie he abandons "Hollywood", his wingman, in order to chase chief instructor, Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf (Ironside). Although Maverick gives the older pilot a run for his money, Viper is able to maneuvre Maverick into a position from which his wingman Jester, who has defeated Hollywood unseen, can "shoot down" Maverick from behind, demonstrating the value of teamwork over individual ability.

File:Tom Cruise Top Gun sunset.jpg
Maverick contemplating whether to return to Top Gun.

During a subsequent sortie, Maverick and Iceman both chase Jester, Maverick closely following Iceman who attempts to gain a missile lock on the target. Under intense pressure from Maverick, Iceman breaks off; Maverick's F-14 flies through the jet wash of Iceman's aircraft and suffers a flameout of both engines, entering a flat spin from which he cannot recover, forcing him and Goose to eject. Goose ejects directly into the jettisoned cockpit canopy and is killed on impact. Although the inquiry clears Maverick of responsibility, he is overwhelmed with guilt, losing his competitive edge and refusing to take risks or engage enemy aircraft. Maverick's standing in the school wanes, he alienates Charlie (who is shortly to leave for a job in Washington) and questions whether or not to remain in the Navy.

Unsure of his future, Maverick seeks Viper's advice, who reveals that he served with Maverick's father Duke Mitchell, and the truth of the latter's fate, despite the classified status of the information. He then informs Maverick that he can graduate Top Gun if he can get past his guilt about Goose's death, and his "confidence problem." Maverick chooses to stay, and ultimately graduates. Unfortunately, Maverick's rival, Iceman wins the Top Gun Competition.

During the post-graduation party Iceman, Slider, Hollywood, Wolfman, and Maverick are ordered to report to the USS Enterprise to deal with a "crisis situation," providing air support for the rescue of a stricken communications ship that has drifted into hostile waters. Maverick and new RIO Merlin are assigned to one of two F-14s as back-up for those flown by Iceman and Hollywood, despite the former's distaste. The subsequent hostile engagement sees Hollywood ambushed and shot down; Maverick is scrambled alone due to technical difficulties and nearly retreats after encountering circumstances similar to those that caused Goose's death. Upon finally rejoining Iceman, together they shoot down or drive off the aggressors and return triumphantly to the Enterprise. Maverick is then offered any duty he chooses, electing to return to Top Gun as an instructor. "God help us!" Stinger laughs.

The film ends with Maverick in a bar at NAS Miramar, recalling the occasion when he first met Charlie. Charlie then enters the bar, having returned after hearing of his new assignment, and the two kiss.

Production

Background

The primary inspiration for the film was the article "Top Guns," by Ehud Yonay, in the May 1983 issue of California magazine, which also featured aerial photography by then-Lieutenant Commander Charles "Heater" Heatley.[3] The article detailed the TOPGUN fighter pilots at the Miramar Naval Air Station, located in San Diego, self-nicknamed as "Fightertown USA". Numerous screenwriters allegedly turned down the project.[3] Bruckheimer and Simpson went on to hire Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., to write the first draft. The research methods, by Epps, included an attendance at several declassified Top Gun classes at Miramar and gaining experience by being flown in an F-14. The first draft failed to impress Bruckheimer and Simpson, and is considered to be very different from the final product in numerous ways.[4]

The producers wanted the assistance of the United States Navy in production of the film. The US Navy was influential in relation to script approval, which saw changes being made; the opening dogfight was moved to international waters as opposed to Cuba, the language was toned down, and a scene that involved a crash on the deck of an aircraft carrier was also scrapped.[5] Maverick's love interest was also changed from a female enlisted member of the Navy to an outside contractor, due to the US Department of Defense's prohibition of fraternization between officer and enlisted personnel.[3] The "Charlie" character also replaced an aerobics instructor from an early draft as a love interest for Maverick; Dawn Steel hated the character and refused to green-light the film until the role was improved.

Other changes included the addition of the semi-fictional Top Gun trophy (the Navy dropped interservice competition decades before the film is set, to discourage competitive flying[citation needed]).

The real-life TOPGUN flight school moved to NAS Fallon, Nevada, in 1996, while NAS Miramar was turned over to the United States Marine Corps, becoming MCAS Miramar.

Filming

Shots of the aircraft carrier sequences were filmed aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The majority of the shots were of normal aircraft operations and the film crew had to make use of the shots they could, save for the occasional flyby which the film crew would request. During filming, director Tony Scott wanted to shoot aircraft landing and taking off, backlit by the sun. During one particular filming sequence, the ship's commanding officer changed the ship's course, thus changing the light. When Scott asked if they could continue on their previous course and speed, he was informed by the bridge that it cost $25,000 to turn the ship and continue. Scott wrote the ship's captain a $25,000 check so that the ship could be turned and he could continue shooting for another five minutes.[6]

Most of the sequences of the aircraft maneuvering over land were shot at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada using ground-mounted cameras. Air-to-air shots were filmed using a Learjet. Northrop Grumman was commissioned by Paramount to create camera pods to be placed upon the aircraft that could be pointed toward either the front or rear of the aircraft providing outside shots at high altitude. Hand-held cameras were used for some of the interior cabin shots. Navy F-14 pilots were used to fly the planes, changing helmets as needed; one of the pilots, credited as "Lt. Scott 'D-Bear' Altman", later became a NASA astronaut.[7]

The bar where Maverick sings "You've lost that loving feeling" was filmed in San Diego, CA, in the Roxy West Bar and Nightclub. It has since been demolished.

Cast

Aircraft

A formation of F-14A Tomcats of Fighter Squadrons VF-51 Screaming Eagles and VF-111 Sundowners, and F-5E/F Tiger IIs of the Navy Fighter Weapons School. Note the fictitious markings on the tail of at least one F-14.

F-14 Tomcat. The Tomcat is the main aircraft featured in the movie, as the plane flown by the TOPGUN trainees. At the time of the film, the Tomcat was the US Navy's primary Air superiority fighter.

A-4 Skyhawk. The Skyhawk (or "Scooter") is featured in the movie as the aircraft used by the TOPGUN instructors pitted against the trainees. As in real life, this aircraft was used in the Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) role.

F-5E and F-5F Tiger II. F-5 Tiger IIs in a mock-up black paint scheme stand in for the fictional MiG-28s in the film. In reality the F-5 was also used in the DACT role at TOPGUN. Though referred to by Charlie, it is not shown in the film.

The enemy aircraft are of unspecified nationality, but commentary on the movie's Special-Edition DVD release states that they were originally intended to be North Korean. Although the MiG design bureau is a Soviet aircraft manufacturer, they never produced an even numbered fighter model.

The film also features US Navy Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King and US Coast Guard HH-3F Pelican helicopters conducting search and rescue operations.

In brief airport terminal shots, McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-30 and Boeing 727-200 aircrafts were seen in the background.

Music

Further information: [[:Top Gun (soundtrack)]]

The Top Gun soundtrack is one of the most popular soundtracks to date, reaching #1 on The Billboard Top Pop Albums chart for five weeks.[citation needed] Harold Faltermeyer, who previously worked with both Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson on the films Flashdance and Beverly Hills Cop, was sent the script of Top Gun by Bruckheimer before filming began. Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock worked on numerous songs including the Oscar winning #1 "Take My Breath Away" and "Danger Zone". Kenny Loggins had two songs on the soundtrack; "Playing With the Boys", and "Danger Zone". Berlin recorded the song "Take My Breath Away", which would later win numerous awards, sending Berlin to international acclaim. After the release of Loggins' #2 single "Danger Zone", sales of the album exploded, selling 7 million in the United States alone. On the re-release of the soundtrack in 2000, two songs that had been omitted from the original album, "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by The Righteous Brothers, were added. The soundtrack does also include "Top Gun Anthem" and "Memories" by Steve Stevens/Faltermeyer and Faltermeyer. However, no soundtrack release to date has included the full Faltermeyer score.

Other artists were considered for the soundtrack project but did not participate. Bryan Adams was considered as a potential candidate but refused to participate because he felt the film glorified war. Likewise, REO Speedwagon was considered but backed down because they would not be allowed to record their own composition.

Fatal accident during filming

Renowned aerobatic pilot Art Scholl, 53, was hired to do in-flight camera work for the film. The original script called for a flat spin, which he was to perform and capture on a camera on the aircraft. The aircraft was observed to spin through its recovery altitude at which time he radioed "I have a problem...... I have a real problem". Scholl was unable to recover and crashed his Pitts S-2 into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast near Carlsbad on September 16, 1985. Neither Scholl nor his aircraft were recovered, leaving the official cause of the accident unknown.[8]

Top Gun was dedicated to the memory of Art Scholl.

Fire at former set

The restaurant, Kansas City Barbeque, where the "sleazy bar scene" and final scene were filmed, had a fire that started in a large pit fire on June 26, 2008. Some photographs and props from the film were destroyed but the piano used by Goose and Maverick to sing "Great Balls of Fire" was spared.[9]

Reception

The film opened in the United States in 1,028 cinemas on May 16, 1986. It was number one on its first weekend with a $8,193,052 gross, and went on to a total domestic figure of $176,786,701. Internationally it took in $177,030,000 for a worldwide box office total of $353,816,701.[10] The film was highly praised for the action sequences.

Top Gun went on to break further records in the then still-developing home video market. Backed by a massive $8 million marketing campaign including a Top Gun-themed Pepsi commercial,[11] the advanced demand was such that the film became the best-selling videocassette in the industry's history on pre-orders alone. It was also one of the first video cassette releases in the $20 price range, previous cassettes sold closer to $80 at that time.[12] Top Gun's home video success was again reflected by strong DVD sales, which were furthered by a special-edition release in 2004. Bomber jacket sales increased and Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses jumped 40%, due to their use by characters in the film.[13] The movie also boosted Air Force and Navy recruitment. This was evident in the fact that the Navy used its success by having recruitment booths in some theaters to lure enthusiastic patrons.[14]

Critical reaction was mixed. Roger Ebert gave the film 2 1/2 out of 4 stars, pointing out that "movies like Top Gun are hard to review because the good parts are so good and the bad parts are so relentless."[15] The film is currently rated at 43% on Rotten Tomatoes.[16]

The AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list had the line "I feel the need — the need for speed!" from Top Gun on the list.

The film also ranked at number 455 in Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[17]

Yahoo! Movies recently ranked Top Gun #19 on their list of greatest action movies of all-time.[18]

Awards and nominations

The film won the following awards:

Year Award Category - Recipient(s)
1987 ASCAP Film and Television Music Award Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures - Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the song "Take My Breath Away".
1987 Academy Award Best Music, Original Song - Giorgio Moroder (music) and Tom Whitlock (lyrics) for the song "Take My Breath Away".
1986 Apex Scroll Award Achievement in Sound Effects
1987 BRIT Award Best Soundtrack
1987 Golden Globe Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Giorgio Moroder (music) and Tom Whitlock (lyrics) for the song "Take My Breath Away".
1987 Golden Screen
1987 Grammy Awards Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist) - Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens for "Top Gun Anthem".
1987 Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects
1987 People's Choice Award Favorite Motion Picture
1988 Award of the Japanese Academy Best Foreign Language Film

The film was nominated for the following awards:

  • Academy Award (1987)
    • Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing - Cecelia Hall and George Watters II
    • Best Film Editing - Billy Weber and Chris Lebenzon
    • Best Sound - Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O'Connell, Rick Kline and William B. Kaplan
    • Best Music, Original Song Giorgio Moroder (music), Tom Whitlock (lyrics)
  • Apex Scroll Awards (1986)
    • Actress in a Supporting Role- Meg Ryan
    • Film Editing - Billy Weber and Chris Lebenzon
    • Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Giorgio Moroder (music) and Tom Whitlock (lyrics) for the song "Take My Breath Away".
    • Best Picture - Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
    • Achievement in Compilation Soundtrack
    • Achievement in Sound
  • Golden Globe (1988)
    • Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Harold Faltermeyer
  • Award of the Japanese Academy (1988)
    • Best Foreign Language Film
  • Fennecus Awards (1986)
    • Achievement in Compilation Soundtrack
    • Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Giorgio Moroder (music) and Tom Whitlock (lyrics) for the song "Take My Breath Away".
    • Film Editing - Billy Weber and Chris Lebenzon
    • Achievement in Sound
    • Achievement in Sound Effects

Video games

Main article: Top Gun (video game)

Top Gun also spawned a number of video games for various platforms. The original game was released in 1987 under the same title as the film. It was released on five platforms in total: PC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (with an equivalent version for Nintendo's "VS." arcade cabinets). In the game, the player pilots an F-14 Tomcat fighter, and has to complete four missions. A sequel, Top Gun: The Second Mission, was released for the NES three years later.

Another game, Top Gun: Fire at Will, was released in 1996 for the PC and later for the Sony PlayStation platform. Top Gun: Hornet's Nest was released in 1998. Top Gun: Combat Zones was released for PlayStation 2 in 2001 and was ported to the Nintendo Game Cube and Windows PCs a year later. Combat Zones was considerably longer and more complex than its predecessors, and also featured other aircraft besides the F-14. In late 2005, a fifth game, simply titled Top Gun, was released for the Nintendo DS.

Mobile Game Publisher Hands-On Mobile (formerly known as Mforma) have published three mobile games based around Top Gun. The first two were top-down scrolling arcade shooters. The third game takes a different approach as a third-person perspective game, similar to Sega's Afterburner games.

The "Top Gun Anthem" is a downloadable song for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

The success and resulting cultural influence of Top Gun has spawned many references. The use of the fighter pilot nicknames in masculine communication, particularly Maverick and Goose, is often replicated or parodied. The masculine theme of the film has been the subject of humorous examination, with the homoerotic subtext examined in a monologue by Quentin Tarantino in Sleep with Me. The film has also been the subject of a Rifftrax audio commentary with humorous effects.

Top Gun has also been spoofed in the 1991 comedy film Hot Shots!, and liberally borrowed from in the 2004 Bollywood film Agnipankh.[19]

Tom Kazansky was the name of a Hero Character in the 1998 Hit PC game StarCraft.

The video to Will Young's Switch It On pays homage to Top Gun.[why?]

In the How I Met Your Mother season 1 episode Slutty Pumpkin, Barney dresses up as a fighter pilot for Halloween. He enters Ted's apartment with "Danger Zone" playing in the background, then makes several references to the film.

See also

Historical incidents similar to those in the film's climax:

Similar films:

References

  1. ^ Roth, Alex (2006-01-15). "down Cunningham's legend". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. A-1. Retrieved 2006-02-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Box office records". Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  3. ^ a b c Top Gun Movie -The 80s Rewind «
  4. ^ Special Edition DVD, Interview with Jack Epps
  5. ^ Special Edition DVD, Interview with the producers
  6. ^ Special Edition DVD, Interview with Tony Scott and Pete Pettigrew
  7. ^ Dickson, Mike (2000-12). "Tazewell County Photo of the Month". Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-02-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Ashurst, Sam (November 4, 2008). Hollywood’s deadliest stunts. Total Film.
  9. ^ "restaurant_fire". Top Gun_(film). Retrieved June 27 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "boxofficemojo.com". Top Gun (box office). Retrieved November 8 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Taylor, Rod (March 1, 2005). High Flyer. Promo.
  12. ^ Harmetz, Aljean (May 17, 1988). "Wearing Spielberg Down To Put 'E.T.' on Cassette".
  13. ^ August, Melissa; Derrow, Michelle; Durham, Aisha; Levy, Daniel S.; Lofaro, Lina; Spitz, David; Taylor, Chris (July 12, 1999). "Through A Glass Darkly". Retrieved November 8 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Top Gun versus Sergeant Bilko? No contest, says the Pentagon. The Guardian. August 29, 2001.
  15. ^ Roger Ebert - Top Gun Review
  16. ^ Top Gun. Rotten Tomatoes.
  17. ^ The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Empire.
  18. ^ Yahoo! Movies All-Time Greatest Action Movies
  19. ^ Bollywood's Top Gun. Oneindia.in. October 13, 2006.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Top Gun.
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