Saving Private Ryan(1998)

POOPER: (Thanks Curt, The Grand Poop-bah)
Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) saves Private Ryan (Matt Damon), but dies in the final confrontation with the Germans.

LONG VERSION:
The film opens on D-Day during World War II. In the utter chaos of the battle between US and German forces, including numerous battalions not reaching shore where planned, US Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) successfully leads the offensive. Although many men are lost, they take out the German defenses and hold the beach. Miller later notices that he’s developed a tremor, but keeps his mind on his work.

Meanwhile, the military brass learns that three soldiers from the same family – the Ryan family – have been killed in action. A fourth brother, Private James Ryan, is a paratrooper whose fate beyond enemy lines is unknown. Deciding that the Ryan family has sacrificed enough, General George Marshall (Harve Presnell) orders that Ryan be located and brought back home. The orders are eventually given to Miller to carry out. He assembles a small squad consisting of soldiers Horvath (Tom Sizemore), Reiben (Edward Burns), Mellish (Adam Goldberg), Caparzo (Vin Diesel), and Jackson (Barry Pepper) – an expert sniper. They also recruit Caparzo’s friend and medic Wade (Giovanni Ribisi) and an interpreter named Upham (Jeremy Davies), who has never been in battle. Most of the men, and Miller himself, are apathetic about this mission as they don’t see the value in risking their own lives just to send one soldier home.

Along the way, they become embroiled in small skirmishes and witness various horrors. Caparzo is killed by an enemy sniper. Later, during an assault on a small enemy encampment, Wade is killed. The German soldier that fatally shot Wade is captured and the squad wants to execute him. However, Upham eventually convinces Miller to let the German soldier go free as killing a prisoner would be a war crime. Miller grows closer to his men, and the notoriously private Captain confides to his squad about his background (he was a schoolteacher) and his desire to do whatever it takes to return home and see his wife again.

The squad eventually find Private Ryan, still alive and part of a ragtag group of surviving paratroopers that are guarding one of the two intact bridges that can provide passage to the Americans over the Merderet River. Ryan refuses to abandon his fellow troops, so Miller and his team reluctantly agree to help defend the bridge until more American troops arrive to relieve them. As they wait, they discover that a large battalion of German soldiers and tanks are en route. Although they consider blowing up the bridge and retreating, Miller devises an ambush strategy that might allow them to disable the tanks, kill the enemy, and keep the bridge standing. The troops all agree to make a last stand.

Miller’s plan goes well, with the Germans being taken by surprise and many of the tanks being disabled. But the longer the battle wages, the more the Germans gain the upper hand due to their greater firepower and number of troops. Upham in particular cracks under the pressure, unable to move from his hiding spot despite being charged with keeping the other soldiers supplied with ammo. Accepting they are going to be defeated, the remaining US troops run across the bridge and try to detonate it so that the Germans can’t cross. Before he can activate the detonator, however, Miller is shot (by the same German soldier that he and Upham had allowed to go free after they had captured him). The Germans are about to cross when American troops and air support arrive. The fresh reinforcements quickly kill or capture the remaining Germans, and a regretful Upham kills the German soldier that shot Miller (despite the soldier trying to surrender). As the battle ends, only Upham, Burns, and Ryan have survived. A dying Miller grabs Ryan and, with his last breath, tells Ryan to “earn” his new lease on life.

Many years later, an elderly James Ryan visits a military cemetary with his family. He finds Miller’s grave amongst the many other soldiers that died during the War. Ryan speaks to Miller, introducing his family and expressing his hope that he followed orders and earned the life he got to live thanks to the sacrifice of Miller and his men.

There are also small roles and cameos by Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina, Nathan Fillion, Max Martini, and Bryan Cranston