Produced and released in North America by Sony Pictures, Air Force One was released by Touchstone Pictures internationally. That’s all that I need to claim this epic Harrison Ford action pic as a Disney film.
The Plot
President Jim Marshall is on his way home aboard Air Force One after a successful trip to Russia. With radical General Radek captured, world tension is at ease, and the American President can relax for the long flight home.
When terrorists take over the most secure plane in the world, the first reaction from the Secret Service is to get the president to the escape pod and off the plane. Jim Marshall has other ideas. Under hostile control, with his family captured as well as many members of his staff, President Marshall escapes detection and fights back.
Soon the terrorists learn that the President of the United States is no push over, and about to retake his plane.
The Good
Harrison Ford as President of the United States. No better sentence will ever be written. Brilliant casting! There is no one else who could blur the lines between being the leader of the free world and being able to fight off terrorists on his plane than Harrison Ford.
In his portrayal of the president, Ford not only shows that he has the skill and talent to be the president on screen, when the chips are down, Ford’s Marshall is the man you want. Ford has spent his life playing noble heroic figures, and that tradition continues with Air Force One, but the most unique part about the movie is that this president seems like a normal guy.
When the action begins, there’s nothing outlandish about Marshall fighting back. He doesn’t climb outside the plane, nor do anything that defies the laws of physics. Instead, Air Force One is a real action-packed spectacle. This is a claustrophobic battle that has sparks of humanity and realism from one of the greatest heroes of the silver screen from the last forty years.
If Harrison Ford is the president, then there is only one many who could be the terrorist and that is Gary Oldman. Oldman lights up the screen with his psychotic portrayal of the terrorist leader who wants to free his incarcerated leader General Radek. The intensity that Oldman shows on the screen is the perfect amount of scenery chewing that the bad guy needs to do opposite someone like Ford.
The supporting cast is filled with a plethora of talent. From Glenn Close as the Vice President, Wendy Crewson as the First Lady, Dean Stockwell, William H. Macy, Xander Berkeley, Jurgen Prochnow, Paul Guilfoyle, Philip Baker Hall, and Bill Smitrovich.
The Bad and the Ugly
Every time I see what happens to William H. Macy in this film, it makes me sad.
The CGI near the end of the movie doesn’t hold up.
Beyond the Film Facts
- Titus Welliver has an uncredited role as a military officer in the White House Situation Room.
- The movie was nominated for two Oscars, Best Sound and Best Film Editing.
- The movie was the only film not nominated for Best Picture but Best Editing.
- Ford and Oldman were also nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
- Apparently, Ford and Oldman are making contact during their fight scenes.
- Kevin Costner was originally supposed to play President Marshall but was too busy with The Postman, so the role went to Ford. It’s nice to see that The Postman did something positive for the world.
- Gary Oldman reportedly would not stay in character between scenes. Ford and Oldman had a great time between scenes laughing and joking around, and when the camera resumed filming, Oldman would snap back into his frightening character.
- Director Wolfgang Petersen called the film “Air Force Fun” because of how much fun he had during production.
- The Russian prison where General Radek is held, is the Ohio State Reformatory, where Shawshank Redemption was filmed.
- Ford has praised Oldman as being his favorite on screen nemesis.
- The body count for the movie is 48.
- The film crew had access to the real Air Force One thanks to a timely call from Harrison Ford.
- This film was routinely praised by President Bill Clinton.
The Streamy Award
{The following four categories are based on a Film Reel scale.
1 Reel-Bored and Killing Time, 2 Reels-When You Have Some Time, 3 Reels-Make Some Time, 4 Reels-Big Screen Event}
Air Force One is a 4 Reels film. Watch this movie on the big screen and enjoy as Harrison Ford fights with Gary Oldman and his merry band of terrorists. This is a movie that is not meant to be a critical masterpiece, but pure entertainment.
Films have a wide array of meaning, and Air Force One is a great film, because in this “Die Hard” type of situation we get to see an incredible actor take on a role that is real, and forces the audience to think, what would happen if this was real.
President Jim Marshall is a normal guy, an elected politician, who happens to have combat experience, and is willing to risk his life for the sake of his family and staff on the plane. Jim Marshall is a normal guy, who cares for others, and is willing to risk his life to save others. The scene near the end when they evacuate and Marshall insists that his wounded Chief of Staff goes first rather than him, is beautiful.
Jim Marshall is the type of person you hope is President. And for a few hours, Air Force One allows you to believe.
Cast and Crew
- Harrison Ford as President Jim Marshall
- Glenn Close as Vice President Kathryn Bennett
- Gary Oldman as Ivan Korshunov
- Wendy Crewson as Grace Marshall
- Liesel Matthews as Alice Marshall
- Dean Stockwell as Secretary Walter Dean
- William H. Macy as Major Caldwell
- Xander Berkeley as Agent Gibbs
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Produced by Columbia Pictures / Beacon Communications / Radiant Productions / Etalon Film / Touchstone Pictures
Release Date: July 25, 1997
Budget: $85 million
Box Office Gross
Domestic: $172,956,409
Worldwide Total: $315,156,409
Coming Soon
Next week, Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater hold Bette Midler hostage in Ruthless People.