My Favorite Movies of All Time-Red Dawn

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love movies.  Sometimes I think of them as markers along the road of my life.  Some were goofy and uplifting like Forrest Gump and some were more serious and thought provoking like The Color Purple.  One of the movies I've been thinking about lately is Red Dawn.  I know there is a new version of the movie about to come out and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
For me Red Dawn was personal.  The movie was set in a place near where we lived in Michigan when I was a kid.  My father was also in the military at that time so the idea of war was very real for my family.
The ideas of ordinary people called to action, of sacrifice and bravery and fighting to stay alive, these ideas stayed with me.  Along with the faces of the actors that brought the raw story to life.
I know that a lot of liberties were taken in setting up the possibility of war in the time the movie was set in. But as a young person seeing it, I was shocked at how quickly war can happen.  For me it was also interesting to see the way the "bad guy" is made human by loving and missing his family.  It showed that war is not black and white, not always about good guys and bad guys.
Then there was the connection between the brothers.  I can't believe the movie came out in 1984, I was 12 years old and my brother was 9 or 10 and we were very close.  This movie showed that kind of bond tested by the most extreme situations.  There is nothing like having a brother.  For me, it was like being given a partner to face childhood with.

Are any of us strong enough to really survive.  Red Dawn puts that question in your mind.  When they think about this movie some may see a cheesy 80s teen action drama.  For me it was that and much more.

Let's take a look at some details and photos from the movie.

Red Dawn

en.wikipedia.org

Red Dawn is a 1984 American war film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. It stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey. Wikipedia

Release date: August 10, 1984 (initial release) Director: John Milius DVD release date: February 4, 1998 Story by: Kevin Reynolds Screenplay: John Milius, Kevin Reynolds

Cast

Patrick Swayze

Jed

 

C. Thomas Howell

Robert

Jennifer Grey

Toni

Lea Thompson

Erica

Charlie Sheen

Matt Eckert

Photo Courtesy:  cinematicleisure.blogspot.com

Photo Courtesy:  popbunker.net

Photo Courtesy:  freerepublic.com

Photo Courtesy:  warmovieblog.com

Photo Courtesy:  dbcovers.com

Photo Courtesy:  tehparadox.com

Photo Courtesy:  virginmedia.com

photo courtesy:  nationalreview.com

In the end, I think of Red Dawn as it relates to my life and childhood.

It is one of my favorite movies of all time.

If you haven't seen the original, you should at least consider it.  If you've seen it, see it again before seeing the new version.

Wolverines!