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Dogfight

Dogfight

Drama · Romance · 1991

In the fall of 1963, Eddie Birdlace is an 18-year-old Marine Corps volunteer who is about to ship out with three of his buddies for a tour of duty in Vietnam. Planning a massive blowout for their last night in San Francisco, Eddie, his buddies, and a number of other Marines set up a contest they call a "dogfight”.

Movie details

Dogfight

“The rules of the dogfight were simple. Everyone puts in fifty bucks. The guy with the ugliest "date" wins.”

1991 Drama · Romance 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

In the fall of 1963, Eddie Birdlace is an 18-year-old Marine Corps volunteer who is about to ship out with three of his buddies for a tour of duty in Vietnam. Planning a massive blowout for their last night in San Francisco, Eddie, his buddies, and a number of other Marines set up a contest they call a "dogfight”.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Dogfight?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nancy Savoca

Written by

Bob Comfort

River Phoenix

River Phoenix

Eddie Birdlace

Lili Taylor

Lili Taylor

Rose Fenny

Richard Panebianco

Richard Panebianco

Berzin

Anthony Clark

Anthony Clark

Oakie

Mitchell Whitfield

Mitchell Whitfield

Benjamin

Holly Near

Holly Near

Rose Sr.

E. G. Daily

E. G. Daily

Marcie

Court is in session

Put Dogfight on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.