WOW!

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 2004)

WOW! Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan! This was one of the most authentically made World War II movies ever made. Tom Hanks did a fantastic job playing a soldier during WWII who did as he was told, regardless of how he personally felt about the task at hand. My husband retired after 30 years of Army service and loves to "critique" military movies (being a military buff himself). Even he was hard pressed to find a "mistake" in this movie! The movie takes you from the landing on the beaches to the impossible task of locating a single man, Private Ryan. In between the search for this man, we are delighted with excellent character development of the company sent out to search for Private Ryan. We are able to gain a little insight of what it might have been like for men of various backgrounds coming together and united for a single cause. Their banter, individual histories, prewar occupations, state of residence, & individual thoughts made each character feel so real that by the end of the movie you felt like you knew them - they WERE real. Movies like "Saving Private Ryan" are wonderful for your adults to watch. Kids don't appreciate history or really take in the events they are taught in school. Movies such as "Saving Private Ryan" help to generate interest in history for the young. For the older population, we simply appreciate (or remember) the time period and feel proud of our spouse or a family member who served during WWII. Warning: have plenty of tissues by your chair for this movie!