There's something to be said for fiction...

Rating: Null/10 (10 December 1998)

"Saving Private Ryan" is one of the best fictionalized accounts of war I have ever seen. The first twenty minutes (which will most likely be cut when the film makes its television premiere) are more than just war itself -- they are real. The real face of war, pain, death, and loss.
I loved this movie for the cohesiveness (seldom found in other war movies), but there was a major problem with it -- the claim that it was true. A little research into the situation soon shows that Spielberg took more than a LITTLE dramatic license -- the last two hours never happened. There was no major "rescue mission". Poor Pvt. Ryan wandered home one day, and they said, "Oh, hey, we were looking for you!"
As a movie educating people about the horrors of war, though, this is an excellent choice, provided the audience knows it's fiction. It's right up there with "Courage Under Fire" (also starring Matt Damon) as an excellent fiction resource. People wishing to check out a more realistic account of war will want to view "Thin Red Line" and the Canadian mini-series "The Valour and the Horror", both of which are more or less "true" accounts of wartime events.
Although an excellent movie, there is an inherent problem with using big name actors like Tom Hanks and Tom Sizemore. Not only are they far too old for the roles (it was highly unusual to find a WWII soldier over 25 -- most were between 18 and 21 -- and almost every soldier in this movie is late thirties or older), but viewers come in with an already formed opinion. "Tom Hanks? Oh, yes, he's the comedian who often plays an uptight neurotic who's likely to have a nervous breakdown." "Tom Sizemore? Cynical guy with a fairly crude sense of humor and an eye for the ladies." "Adam Goldberg? Ah! Chandler's freaky and psychopathic roommate on "Friends"!" Edward Burns, Canadian actor Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, and to a certain extent Goldberg were far better for their roles than big time actors Ted Danson, Dennis Farina, Damon, Sizemore, and Hanks. It's not lack of ability, but rather lack of SUITability.
The movie deserves a high rating, but mis-representation (saying the movie was historically based when it was in fact fictional) and glamorizing (casting big name actors to draw viewers) detracted from the movie in some ways. It's got an 8.5 from me, and two thumbs up.