STEVEN Spielberg’s 1998 film Saving Private Ryan may have shown some of the most graphic fighting scenes ever.
But like many wondering, is the film based on a true story? Find out here.
Is Saving Private Ryan a true story?
While the events of WWII portrayed in Saving Private Ryan are real, the characters are all fictitious.
However, the film draws inspiration from the story of an actual soldier named Fritz Niland and a U.S. war department directive called the sole-survivor directive.
Screenwriter Robert Rodat was inspired to craft the narrative upon reading Stephen Ambrose’s nonfiction retrospective D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II.
The 1998 film’s plot focuses on Captain John H. Miller, played by Tom Hanks, who leads a platoon of GI during the D-day Normandy invasion, at the tie of WWII.
The U.S. directive which is referred to as the “Only son” or “Sole-surviving son” policy, was designed to protect the line remaining family members serving in military duty.
This is what prompted the search rescue of Sargent Frederick “Fritz” Niland in 1944.
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He was one of the four brothers who served in the U.S. military during WWII.
What awards did Saing Private Ryan win?
The film won five awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing, and Best Director for Spielberg, his second win in that category.
Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Actor at the 71st Academy Awards for his role in Saving Private Ryan but Roberto Benigni won the award.
Who is in the cast of Saving Private Ryan?
Saving Private Ryan came with an all-star cast which included:
- Tom Hanks as Captain John H. Miller
- Edward Burns as Private First Class Richard Reiben
- Matt Damon as Private First Class James Francis Ryan
- Harrison Young as Elderly James Ryan
- Tom Sizemore as Technical Sergeant Mike Horvath
- Jeremy Davies as Technician Fifth Grade Timothy Upham
- Vin Diesel as Private First Class Adrian Caparzo
- Adam Goldberg as Private Stanley “Fish” Mellish
- Barry Pepper as Private Daniel Jackson
- Giovanni Ribisi as Technician Fourth Grade Medic Irwin Wade
- Dennis Farina as Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson
- Ted Danson as Captain Fred Hamill
- Harve Presnell as General George C. Marshall
- Bryan Cranston as War Department Colonel
- David Wohl as War Department Captain
- Nathan Fillion as Minnesota Ryan (Pvt. James Frederick Ryan)
- Paul Giamatti as Sergeant William Hill
- Ryan Hurst as Paratrooper Private Mandelsohn
- Max Martini as Corporal Henderson
- Leland Orser as Lieutenant DeWindt
- Joerg Stadler as Steamboat Willie
- Dylan Bruno as Corporal Toynbe
- Demetri Goritsas as Parker
- Rolf Saxon as Lieutenant Briggs
- Corey Johnson as Radioman Mackey
- John Sharian as Corporal Loeb
- Glenn Wrage as Boyle
- Stéphane Cornicard as Jean
- Dale Dye as War Department Colonel
- Amanda Boxer as Margaret Ryan
- Kathleen Byron as Elderly Mrs. Ryan
- Andrew Scott as Soldier on the Beach
- Erich Redman as German #1
