Synopsis: The story of the American bomber crew of the "Memphis Belle", the first U.S. airmen to complete a full tour of 25 missions during the air battle of Europe during the Second World War. The film begins the night before the "Belle"'s last mission and follows the crew through the hectic flight that they must endure, and survive, in order to go home.

Cast:
Matthew Modine .... Capt. Dennis Dearborn
Eric Stoltz .... Sgt. Danny Daly
Tate Donovan .... 1st Lt. Luke Sinclair
D.B. Sweeney .... Lt. Phil Lowenthal
Billy Zane .... Lt. Val Kozlowski
Sean Astin .... Sgt. Richard "Rascal" Moore
Harry Connick Jr. .... Sgt. Clay Busby
Reed Diamond .... Sgt. Virgil Hoogesteger
Courtney Gains .... Sgt. Eugene McVey
Neil Giuntoli .... Sgt. Jack Bocci
David Strathairn .... Col. Craig Harriman
John Lithgow .... Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer

Favorite Quotes:
• Richard "Rascal" Moore: "We ain't going to Krautville. Our plane's broke."
Eugene McVey: "No, it's fixed."
Richard Rascal Moore: "Christ, let's go break it."

• "I have twenty seven planes up there. They are all special to me." - Col. Craig Harriman

• Dennis Dearborn: "And if we don't drop these bombs right in the pickle barrel there are going to be a lot of innocent people killed."
Luke Sinclair: "What's the difference? They're all Nazis!"

• "There's a hole as big as my dick in the left wing!" - Richard "Rascal" Moore

Notes:
• David and co-star Eric Stoltz have worked together a couple times in theatre, including Three Sisters. D.B. Sweeney and David previously co-starred in Eight Men Out, and Matthew Modine and David went on to do a stage reading of Good Behavior together. David and co-stars Tate Donovan and Reed Diamond all worked together again in Good Night, And Good Luck. Reed Diamond and David previously both appeared also in O Pioneers!.
• The real "Memphis Belle" has been restored and was displayed at Memphis, Tennessee from 1987 to the present. In 2004, it was to be sent to the Air Force Museum outside Dayton, Ohio to be part of its WWII display, but several congressmen from Tennessee put a hold on the move.
• Harry Connick Jr's album "Lofty's Roach Souffle" was inspired by his experiences on the film: "In case you're curious about the title 'Lofty's Roach Souffle', last summer I was in England filming Memphis Belle, which is a World War II movie about a B-17. The actors were sent to boot camp at an SAS training ground where we met Lofty. Lofty was introduced to us as the premier survivalist in the world and he showed us one survival tip after another. D.B. Sweeney, who played the navigator in the movie, and I became friends during the shoot. D.B. also happens to be a fine chef, and he quickly noticed that Lofty could make food out of almost anything. Lofty was the master of outdoor cuisine! D.B. figured that Lofty might even be able to make roach souffle. I wrote a song to remind me of this experience."

Critical Praise & Commentary:
• "And David Strathairn is effective as the sensitive base commander, who aches for every lost airman and writes personal condolence letters to their families." -Kathy Amen, Movie Reviews

• "Original footage from the 1944 documentary 'Memphis Belle' by William Wyler, father of coproducer Catherine Wyler, is used for the guaranteed tearjerking scene, with letters from parents of dead soldiers read over it by the commanding officer, thoughtfully played by David Strathairn." -Debbie Kruger, Variety

• "Other flight members are excellent, as are David Strathairn as the airbase's commanding officer and John Lithgow as the non-thinking military PR man." -Richard Moore, Napoline Guide

• "Aided by uniformly sturdy performances (Modine and Strathairn are particularly fine as the pilot and commanding officer)..." -Time Out Reviews

Related Links:
Official Sean Astin Website - Memphis Belle Notes (off site)
The Memphis Belle (off site)