Tears of the Sun
| Tears of the Sun | |
|---|---|
 Tears of the Sun film poster | |
| Directed by | Antoine Fuqua |
| Written by | Alex Lasker, Patrick Cirillo |
| Produced by | Ian Bryce, Mike Lobell, Arnold Rifkin |
| Starring | Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci, Cole Hauser |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date | 3 March 2003 |
Running time | 121 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~ US$70,000,000 |
Tears of the Sun is a 2003 film directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Plot
Lt. A.K. Waters (played by Bruce Willis) leads a team of Navy SEALs in Nigeria when its democratic government collapses and a military dictator takes over. Their mission: rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci), a U.S. citizen running a mission and hospital in Nigeria. Disobeying orders, they rescue a group of missionaries and villagers and find they are being pursued by the rebel forces. Eventually, it becomes clear that one of the refugees is the sole surviving member of the presidential family, whom the rebels wish to kill. The team and the refugees are forced to make for the Cameroon border, while being pursued by an enemy that will stop at nothing to kill Waters, his team, and the refugees.
Reception
The movie was met with mixed reviews.
Trivia
- A stuntman was killed filming a parachuting scene near Oceano, California. Jumping with eight other skydivers from 14,000 feet, the man was supposed to land on the beach, but actually landed about 300 yards offshore and drowned.
- The title of this movie was the subtitle for a Die Hard 4 project the studio was making. The project needed work and Bruce Willis told the studio he would commit to Live Free or Die Hard if he could use the title for this movie.
- Emerson knives were used in this film. These knives are handcrafted and extremely popular in law enforcement and military communities.
- The U.S. Navy SH-60B Seahawk helicopters used during the filming are from HSL-37 "Easy Riders" stationed at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Oahu, Hawaii.
- This is the first film to be filmed on the Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
- During principal photography period, all actors who played Navy SEAL characters were required to refer to each other by their characters' names, even off camera, so as to improve interaction among the sailors.
- All the actors who played Navy SEALs had to go through a two-week boot camp.
- Actor Kevin Tod Smith was in casting but died before he could appear in it.
- Two Navy SEAL actors, Cole Hauser and Nick Chinlund, play bounty hunters bent on capturing Vin Diesel's character in two titles of the Chronicles of Riddick series. Hauser plays William Johns in the movie Pitch Black and a spin-off video game Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Chinlund plays Toombs in the Chronicles of Riddick movie, as well as The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury.
- This is the second time Cole Hauser is in the same project as Bruce Willis. The first project was Hart's War.
Cast
Tears of the Sun features an ensemble cast, including several refugees portrayed by real African refugees now living in the United States. It is also notable for being one of the first American films to star Monica Bellucci.
- Bruce Willis - Lt. A.K. Waters
- Monica Bellucci - Dr. Lena Kendricks
- Cole Hauser - James "Red" Atkins
- Eamonn Walker - Ellis "Zee" Pettigrew
- Johnny Messner - Kelly Lake
- Nick Chinlund - Michael "Slo" Slowenski
- Charles Ingram - Demetrius "Silk" Owens
- Paul Francis - Danny "Doc" Kelley
- Chad Smith - Jason "Flea" Mabry
- Tom Skerritt - Captain Bill Rhodes
- Akosua Busia - Patience
