Movie: Backdraft

Release Date: May 24, 1991

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, Robert DeNiro.

Tag Lines: “One breath of oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage.”

“Silently behind a door, it waits.”

“In that instant it can create a hero… or cover a secret.”

Relevance: After finishing up my Sophomore year of college, I was so ready to start my summer break. And what better way to start off that break with seeing a kick-ass movie about firefighters with a group of friends. And thanks to ‘Backdraft,’ that’s exactly what I did.

As reported numerous times on this blog, going to the movies with friends has always been one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes it didn’t even matter what movie we were going to see, it was just the actual “going” that was fun. But when it came to ‘Backdraft,’ the movie mattered. All of us were excited to check out this Ron Howard blockbuster that was getting decent reviews and doing extremely well at the box office. A week or so after it opened, sometime in June of 1991, we added some of our hard earned money to Mr. Howard’s pockets.

The movie was the perfect summer blockbuster and was entertaining from beginning to end. It was dramatic for sure, but those action sequences and fire special effects were dazzling to watch on the big screen. The story kept us riveted for over two hours and not one of my friends that went to see it was disappointed at all. That was a rare feat. There was usually one that felt “meh” about the movie of choice. ‘Backdraft’ succeeded in pleasing us all.

The film became a very popular movie in my household as well. We eventually owned the VHS and watched it numerous times when it played on HBO. Even my mom, not a usual fan of the action thriller, was riveted by the excitement of the film. Plus she was a Kurt Russell fan, so she had him to look at if she ever got bored. Apparently there was a sequel made in 2010, but I never saw it. Without Ron Howard’s genius behind it, I am not so inclined to check it out. Maybe one day I will. But with a near perfect original, why bother?

Today’s Thoughts: “It’s a living thing…It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it wants to. Some guys on this job, the fire owns them, makes ’em fight it on it’s level, but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little…”

There’s nothing wrong with an old fashioned, big budget popcorn thriller, and ‘Backdraft’ is one of the best. I haven’t watched the movie in years and was excited to sit down today and watch it. This is Ron Howard’s fourth of five films on my list of most influential movies of all time (see 350. A Beautiful Mind, 275. Apollo 13 and 238. Parenthood for the first three), and when it comes to big budget popcorn flicks, he is one of the best.

Overall, the movie is just as entertaining as it was back in the early 1990’s. It is well directed, well acted and the effects are still pretty amazing to watch. Fire scares me, and there are some genuinely frightening images throughout the movie. However, the hottest scene for me today has to be the shower scene with William Baldwin and Jason Gedrick. I may or may not have paused, played in slow motion and re-watched that scene a few times. Let’s just say the normally two hour and seventeen minute movie took almost three hours.

‘Backdraft’ is a fun movie and yet it does serve up some drama throughout. I wouldn’t say that this is a full on Kleenex movie, but it does pull on those heartstrings a few times. Mr. Howard really knows how to craft decent movies and, in my humble opinion, this is one of his best. His last movie for this project will be showing up much sooner than later. Until then, please don’t start any fires.

Awards: Academy Award for Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing, Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns (nomination), Academy Award for Best Effects, Visual Effects, Mikael Salomon, Allen Hall, Clay Pinney, Scott Farrar (nomination), Academy Award for Best Sound, Gary Summers, Randy Thom, Gary Rydstrom, Glenn Williams (nomination), BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects, Mikael Salomon, Allen Hall, Clay Pinney, Scott Farrar (nomination).

Ways to Watch: YouTube, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, Hulu, Amazon Prime, DVD Availability.