Pearl Harbor | My All Time Favorite Movies

Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American romantic military action drama film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer, written by Randall Wallace in association with Touchstone Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 3h 3min
Release Date: May 21, 2001 (USA)
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Director: Michael Bay

Pearl Harbor stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jennifer Garner, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Colm Feore, Dan Aykroyd, Michael Shannon, Jaime King, Ewen Bremner, William Fichtner, Tomas Arana, Tom Everett and Alec Baldwin.

Pearl Harbor is the story of childhood best friends, Rafe McCawley (Ben Afleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) who enlisted in the Air Force together and became pilots. World War II is raging in Europe and Rafe and Danny are under the command of Major Jimmy Doolittle (Alec Baldwin).

Just before leaving for England to assist the RAF, Rafe meets a beautiful nurse named Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale) and it is love at first sight and after a few dates, they spend a final magical night together before he ships off to England. While fighting German pilots in the RAF, Rafe gets shot down over the English Channel and presumed killed in action. Danny has to break the news to Evelyn and she is devastated. Three months later, Evelyn and Danny cross paths and begin a romantic relationship.

On the night of December 6, Evelyn discovers Rafe standing outside her door, having survived his reported plane crash. In the meantime, Danny shows up for their date and Rafe storms off to the hula bar when he figures out what is going on between the two. Danny finds Rafe in the bar with the intention of making things right, but the two get into a fight and the MPs are called and Rafe and Danny escape in Danny’s car.

The next morning, Pearl Harbor is under attack by the Japanese who moved a fleet of ships and planes within attacking distance without being detected by the American naval forces.

The screenplay was written by Randall Wallace and was intended to be a tribute to the men and women who lost their lives on that date which will live in infamy when Pearl Harbor Naval Base was savagely attacked.