Uncommon Valor (1983)

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer:

Joe Gayton (written by)

Release Date:

16 December 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

"C'mon... we're going home."

Plot:

A group of Vietnam War veterans re-unite to rescue one of their own left behind and taken prisoner by the Vietnamese...

Plot Keywords:

Rescue | Military | Vietnam | Claustrophobia | Prisoner Of War

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Col. Cal Rhodes
Robert Stack	...	MacGregor
Fred Ward	...	Wilkes
Reb Brown	...	Blaster
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Sailor
Patrick Swayze	...	Kevin Scott
Harold Sylvester	...	Johnson
Tim Thomerson	...	Charts
Alice Lau	...	Lai Fun (as Lau Nga Lai)
Kwan Hi Lim	...	Jiang
Kelly Junkerman	...	Paul MacGregor
Todd Allen	...	Frank Rhodes
Gail Strickland	...	Helen Rhodes
Jane Kaczmarek	...	Mrs. Wilkes
Gloria Stroock	...	Mrs. MacGregor

Also Known As:

Last River to Cross (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Iceland:16 | South Korea:12 (2002) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1984) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

AT&T Building - 611 W. Sixth Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

During Col Rhode's (Gene Hackman) first conversation with Major Johnson (Harold Sylvester), the Major relays a story on how he won the Distinguished Flying Cross in Vietnam. The story closely resembles a similar real life rescue from the book and movie Bat*21 (1988), which Gene Hackman starred in 5 years later.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Mountains are shown around Galveston, Texas. Galveston is on an island and there are no mountains around the Texas coastline.

Quotes:

Col. Cal Rhodes: 'Tis impossible to know the end of this days business before it comes. But it's enough that the day will end, and then the end be known. And if we meet again, then we'll smile. And if not, then this parting was well made.
Col. Cal Rhodes: And if not, then this parting was well made.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Body for Hire: Bodyguard Training Videos (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

BADMAN

Held up by strong, believable performances

Gene Hackman plays Colonel Rhodes, a frustrated veteran who rounds up a gang of the roughest men he can find, all to lead an invasion of a Vietnamese Prisoner of War camp at which he believes his son is still held captive. Seemingly far-fetched plot isn't as overblown as one might think, while the cast gives great, solid, and most of all believable performances, including Patrick Swayze, Fred Ward, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. Includes a high energy action-filled climax. Recommended for fans of gritty war-dramas. Besides, it's always interesting to see Tex Cobb doing a ballet improvisation.