Dogfight

R

Released Sep 13, 1991

1h 35m

Drama

List

83%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A young Marine named Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) is set to spend his last night in San Francisco with his military friends before they are deployed to Vietnam in 1963. Eddie and his friends plan to attend a cruel bar event called a "dogfight," which requires Marines to bring unattractive dates who will be judged for their ugliness. Eddie encounters a shy, frumpy girl named Rose (Lili Taylor) whom he brings to the dogfight but finds himself falling for as the night goes on.

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Steve D

Sometimes you can't get past the premise.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The late River Phoenix and Lili Taylor in a love story During the Vietnam War young soldiers are being shipped off to battle For a few of the young men they want to go out on a high note by courting some women should the chance come of them never returning home So they invent something called dogfight The rules of dogfight: find the most unattractive person of the bunch and rating them based on appearance Phoenix as Eddie takes part in this boys game but he never expected to get involved with Taylor's Rose As the night progresses they both start to fall for another Eddie knows looks aren't that important when it comes to developing a deep connection Rose has him open his eyes to the power of music and looking at war from another perspective The characters also have a look at sexual politics better with understanding gender norms It's a lot of discussions but you like the chemistry of these two who do not know how deeply affectionate they'd become

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Good movie. It is not your typical romantic drama. The actors make the characters feel real. If you liked this, you should know there is a Broadway show based on it. I highly recommend the cast recording. It really encapsulates what this movie is all about and even expands on some of the ideas.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I missed this one in the theater, but it was finally shown on Turner Classic Movie in October 2020. It charmed me so much through and through that I think it's now my favorite romance. The actors presented the characters as so real, that I'd say it was perfectly cast and directed. Nancy Savoca directed this film with expert sensitivity, but not overly done to destroy the viciousness of the cruel ritual "Dogfight." Later on, it's easy to see why this is one believable romance between Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) and Rose Fenny (Lily Taylor.) Their romance is not sugary-sweet, but there's a scene inside an arcade's music room that seemed so first-date clumsy for their first kiss, that you'd swear it was unscripted. Not all beginnings to great love stories go smoothly. That scene, for all its innocence and awkwardness, gives major props to realism. 💙💜🍀👍🏾💋

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

s r

Moving, but a bit rough around the edges with these marines cursing like sailors. I enjoyed the appeal to people's better nature. Saw it on TCM.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

andy p

It's a shame he died so young... Nancy Savoca did a fine job.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Nancy Savoca

Director

River Phoenix

Eddie Birdlace

Lili Taylor

Rose

Richard Panebianco

Berzin

Anthony Clark

Oakie

Mitchell Whitfield

Benjamin

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

The jolt is in the intricate expressivity Savoca brings to the story, with a repertoire of precise and painterly images that highlight performances of assertive yet graceful physicality.

Jan 16, 2023

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Dogfight isn't a love story so much as a story about how a young woman helps a confused teenage boy to discover his own better nature.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Scott Nye

Battleship Pretension

The film operates in a productive push-pull between a sense of nostalgia that’s endemic to 60s-set films made in the 90s, and an active examination of the misogyny and cruelty that gradually ramped up in the seemingly-idyllic culture during the 1950s.

May 2, 2024

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

The small, touching Dogfight mainly works because of the immense skill, presence, and chemistry of its two stars.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 26, 2024

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

A tender, bittersweet film with one of the most poignant endings of all time.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

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Synopsis

A young Marine named Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) is set to spend his last night in San Francisco with his military friends before they are deployed to Vietnam in 1963. Eddie and his friends plan to attend a cruel bar event called a "dogfight," which requires Marines to bring unattractive dates who will be judged for their ugliness. Eddie encounters a shy, frumpy girl named Rose (Lili Taylor) whom he brings to the dogfight but finds himself falling for as the night goes on.

Director: Nancy Savoca
Production Co: Warner Home Video
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 13, 1991, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.7K
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround

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