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Saving Private Ryan

Play trailer 2:09 Poster for Saving Private Ryan R Released Jul 24, 1998 2h 49m War History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 149 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded by the brutal realties of war, while searching for Ryan, each man embarks upon a personal journey and discovers their own strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage.
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Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan

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Critics Consensus

Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg's unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) The 24-minute sequence at the start of Steven Spielberg’s Second World War drama is one of the greatest pieces of combat cinema yet made. Jul 11, 2022 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian An old-fashioned war picture to rule them all - gripping, utterly uncynical, with viscerally convincing and audacious battle sequences. Rated: 5/5 Jun 6, 2019 Full Review Michael Rechtshaffen The Hollywood Reporter The visual masterwork finds Spielberg atop his craft, weaving heart-pounding action and gut-wrenching emotion that will leave viewers silently shaken... If words occasionally fail the picture, the images speak indelible volumes. Jul 24, 2017 Full Review Jana Monji Age of the Geek Who knew the pairing of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks would result in three well-produced limited series on WW II? The opening scenes are thrilling but the script's structure relies on an interpreter and that should make us question other war films. Rated: 3/5 Jun 21, 2024 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Not for the squeamish, “Saving Private Ryan” is a film that does not shy away from realistic violence and paints the most vivid portrait of war on film that I’ve seen. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 4, 2023 Full Review Akos Peterbencze The Screen Saving Private Ryan’s most impressive and lasting feat remains its ability to remind us about the soldiers we lost — and more importantly, who they were as human beings. Jul 25, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Hussein It's one of the Greatest War Films of all Time!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/24 Full Review Ben W Incredible! Absolutely breathtaking Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/21/23 Full Review Sara G Loved watching this historic movie on the big screen! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/20/23 Full Review Jack B. One of the greatest war movies and maybe all movies of all time. You feel every emotion. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/24/25 Full Review grain j Disturbing but realistic bloodiness, great performances, great plot, brings realism to the horror of war Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/15/25 Full Review R V. Saving Private Ryan isn’t just about the battles — it’s about how a person slowly loses pieces of themselves when duty demands more than they can give. Tom Hanks’ Captain Miller reflects that slow unraveling with powerful subtlety. He’s a man becoming less of who he was, not by choice, but because the mission leaves no room for anything else. His leadership feels like someone carrying the weight of every decision, knowing each one takes a toll. Hanks doesn’t present Miller as a larger-than-life hero, but as a grounded, capable man doing his best in a world turned upside down. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Saving Private Ryan

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Cast & Crew

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Steven Spielberg

Director

Tom Hanks

Captain John H. Miller

Edward Burns

Private Richard Reiben

Tom Sizemore

Sergeant Michael Horvath

Jeremy Davies

Corporal Timothy E. Upham

Vin Diesel

Private Adrian Caparzo

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Saving Private Ryan

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Saving Private Ryan

The American forces begin to gain a foothold on Omaha Beach in the massive D-Day invasion of Normandy. The American forces face a relentless German barrage as they approach Omaha Beach in their landing craft during the massive D-Day invasion of Normandy. Captain Miller (TOM HANKS, left) and Sergeant Horvath (TOM SIZEMORE) lead a squad of soldiers on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines to find and retrieve one man, Private James Ryan. Captain John Miller (TOM HANKS, left) finally meets up with Private James Ryan (MATT DAMON) who has no intention of abandoning his unit. The American forces storm Omaha Beach during the massive D-Day invasion of Normandy. (Left to right) Captain Miller (TOM HANKS), Private Ryan (MATT DAMON) and Private Reiben (EDWARD BURNS) await the approaching German forces. Captain John Miller (HANKS, center) is in command of a unit of American GIs. CAPTAIN DALE DYE (fifth from left) took cast members (foreground left to right) PEPPER, HANKS, SIZEMORE, BURNS, DIESEL, GOLDBERG, RIBISI and DAVIES through a military-style boot camp. Captain Miller (TOM HANKS, third from left) and his men meet up with another unit of American soldiers behind enemy lines on their mission to find Private James Ryan. Corporal Upham (JEREMY DAVIES) tries to comfort a terrified little girl who has become one of the civilian casualties of war. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded by the brutal realties of war, while searching for Ryan, each man embarks upon a personal journey and discovers their own strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage.
Director
Steven Spielberg
Producer
Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn, Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter
Robert Rodat
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Amblin Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Mutual Film Company, DreamWorks SKG, Mark Gordon Productions
Rating
R (Graphic Sequences of War|Graphic Sequences of Violence|Language)
Genre
War, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 24, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 27, 2016
Runtime
2h 49m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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