Top Gun is a 1986 movie that was directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and "Brandon Bollinger" in association with the Paramount Pictures company. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., and was inspired by the article "Top Guns" written by Ehud Yonay for the California Magazine .
This movie stars Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan and Tom Skerritt. Cruise plays Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young Naval aviator on board the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise . He and his Naval Flight Officer (Radar Intercept Officer - the "RIO" - the "back seater" in the two-man F-14 Tomcat) Lt. j.g. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw are given the chance to train at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School, after the pilot above him in the squadron rankings resigns from duty following a very stressful mission. This movie depicts Maverick's progress through the training, his romance with a female instructor, and his overcoming a crisis of confidence following a fatal training accident. The former Top Gun instructor pilot Randy "Duke" Cunningham claimed to have been the inspiration for Pete Mitchell, although the movie's producers have denied that this character was based on any specific Naval aviator.
This movie opened in the United States on May 16, 1986, to mostly good reviews, with the aerial scenes being particularly praised. Similar praise followed soon afterward when the film broke records at the box office, becoming a smash hit at movie theaters. This movie earned an over $350 million gross income worldwide, and it broke home-video sales records.
Plot summary
The film starts with Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) along with Maverick's wingman "Cougar" and his RIO, "Merlin" (Tim Robbins), both piloting F-14A Tomcats, in conflict over the Indian Ocean against what are said to be Soviets, flying (fictional) Mikoyan-Gurevich-made MiG-28s. Cougar is engaged by one of the hostile aircraft and afterwards is too shaken to land, despite his aircraft being low on fuel. Maverick assists Cougar in landing, at risk to his own aircraft - which is also low on fuel. Following the incident Cougar resigns from active duty, citing his newborn child which he has never seen. Despite his antipathy for Maverick, the CAG, "Stinger" (James Tolkan) is forced to send Maverick—now his top pilot—to attend the Top Gun school.
Maverick tests his instructors' patience on the first day of training by flying recklessly (outflying instructor LCDR Rick "Jester" Heatherly (Michael Ironside), breaking two rules of engagement in the process), establishes a rivalry with top student Tom "Iceman" Kazanski (Val Kilmer), and becomes enamored with civilian instructor Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). Maverick contradicts her briefing by regaling her with the story of the MiG encounter from the film's opening, but playfully withholds specific details.
During a dinner date at her place, which Charlie claims she instigated so she could ask him about the incident, Maverick reveals that his father was shot down in an F-4 Phantom II during the Vietnam War (precisely on the date of Nov 4th, 1965), but the details of which are classified. He rejects the official account, believing his father was too talented a pilot to have made a mistake.
During a later period of instruction, Charlie rejects a piloting suggestion by Maverick, embarrassing him in front of the class. A short time later, after a brief road chase, Charlie admits that she admires his tactics but criticized them to hide her feelings for him from the others.
During the flight portions of the class, Maverick lives up to his callsign when called upon to be a team player. During one training sortie he abandons "Hollywood", his wingman, in order to chase chief instructor, Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf (Tom Skeritt). Although Maverick gives the older pilot a run for his money, Viper is able to maneuver Maverick into a position from which his wingman "Jester", who has defeated Hollywood unseen, can "shoot down" Maverick from behind, demonstrating the value of teamwork over individual ability.
During a subsequent sortie, Maverick and Iceman both chase Jester, Maverick closely following Iceman who attempts to gain a missile lock on the target. Under intense pressure from Maverick, Iceman breaks off; Maverick's F-14 flies through the jet wash of Iceman's aircraft and suffers a flameout of both engines (compressor stalls were an actual problem of the Pratt & Whitney TF30 engines used by early F-14A Tomcat models like those shown in the film), entering a flat spin from which he cannot recover, forcing him and Goose to eject. Goose ejects directly into the jettisoned cockpit canopy and is killed on impact. Although the inquiry clears Maverick of responsibility, he is overwhelmed with guilt, losing his competitive edge and refusing to take risks or engage enemy aircraft. hot dog's standing in the school wanes, he alienates Charlie (who is ready to soon leave for a job in Washington), and questions whether or not to remain in the Navy.
Unsure of his future, Maverick seeks Viper's advice, who reveals that he served with Maverick's father Duke Mitchell, and the truth of the latter's fate, despite the classified status of the information. He then informs Maverick that he can graduate Top Gun if he can get past his guilt about Goose's death, and his "confidence problem". Maverick chooses to stay, and ultimately graduates. However, Maverick's rival Iceman wins the Top Gun Competition.
During the graduation party Iceman, Slider, Hollywood, Wolfman, and Maverick are ordered to report to the USS Enterprise to deal with a "crisis situation", providing air support for the rescue of a stricken communications ship that has drifted into hostile waters. Maverick and Cougar's RIO Merlin are assigned to one of two F-14s as back-up for those flown by Iceman and Hollywood, despite the former's distaste. The subsequent hostile engagement sees Hollywood ambushed and shot down; Maverick is scrambled alone due to technical difficulties and nearly retreats after encountering circumstances similar to those that caused Goose's death. Upon finally rejoining Iceman, together they shoot down or drive off the aggressors and return triumphantly to the Enterprise . Maverick is then offered any duty he chooses, electing to return to Top Gun as an instructor. "God help us!" Stinger laughs.
The film ends with Maverick in a pub at NAS Miramar, recalling the occasion when he first met Charlie. Charlie then enters the bar, having decided to remain at Miramar after hearing of Maverick's assignment there, and she plays You've Lost That Loving Feeling on the jukebox, signaling to Maverick her intention to remain with the Top Gun school, and to let her romance with Maverick flourish.
Production
Background
The primary inspiration for the film was the article "Top Guns," by Ehud Yonay, in the May 1983 issue of California magazine, which also featured aerial photography by then-Lieutenant Commander Charles "Heater" Heatley. The article detailed the TOPGUN fighter pilots at the Miramar Naval Air Station, located in San Diego, self-nicknamed as "Fightertown USA". Numerous screenwriters allegedly turned down the project. Bruckheimer and Simpson went on to hire Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., to write the first draft. The research methods, by Epps, included an attendance at several declassified Top Gun classes at Miramar and gaining experience by being flown in an F-14. The first draft failed to impress Bruckheimer and Simpson, and is considered to be very different from the final product in numerous ways.
The producers wanted the assistance of the United States Navy in production of the film. The U.S. Navy was influential in relation to script approval, which saw changes being made. The opening dogfight was moved to international waters as opposed to Cuba, the language was toned down, and a scene that involved a crash on the deck of an aircraft carrier was also scrapped. Maverick's love interest was also changed from a female enlisted member of the Navy to an civilian contractor with the Navy, due to the U.S. Department of Defense's prohibition of fraternization between officers and enlisted personnel. The "Charlie" character also replaced an aerobics instructor from an early draft as a love interest for Maverick. Dawn Steel hated the character and refused to give the go-ahead for the making this movie until the role was improved.
Other changes included the addition of the semi-fictional Top Gun trophy .
As a hindlight, the real-life TOPGUN flight school was moved to the Naval Air Station Fallon, in Nevada, in 1996. The entire NAS Miramar was also transferred from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Marine Corps, and it became the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Filming
The Navy committed the use of an entire F-14 fighter squadron to the film, which went through the standard 16-week Top Gun training curriculum. Paramount paid as much as $7,800 per hour for fuel and other operating costs whenever aircraft were flown outside of their normal duties. Shots of the aircraft carrier sequences were filmed aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The majority of the shots were of normal aircraft operations and the film crew had to make use of the shots they could, save for the occasional flyby which the film crew would request. During filming, the director Tony Scott wanted to shoot aircr
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