Dogfight

1991
R
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

10K

YOUR RATING

River Phoenix and Lili Taylor in Dogfight (1991)

Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video

Play trailer2:00

1 Video

71 Photos

Comedy Drama Romance

Before leaving to fight in Vietnam, a group of teenagers play a game where they try to seduce the ugliest girl they can find.Before leaving to fight in Vietnam, a group of teenagers play a game where they try to seduce the ugliest girl they can find.Before leaving to fight in Vietnam, a group of teenagers play a game where they try to seduce the ugliest girl they can find.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

10K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Trivia
River Phoenix running down the street after he left Rose was the last scene shot and was not intended. It was added last minute when everyone noticed the skyline. River was told to run and didn't know why. He laughed through the whole scene because everyone yelled "Run River Run!"

Goofs
Edward Birdlace says his birthday, November 26, is coming up "next Monday". In 1963 - when the scene was set - November 26 (four days after JFK's assassination) was on a Tuesday.

Quotes
Walter: Are you ready to order?
Rose: Yes, goddammit. I'm going to have the fucking poached salmon, with the son-of-a-bitching rice, and a dirty bastard salad with a shitload of Roquefort dressing. Thank you. And um, who knows what this asshole wants.
Eddie Birdlace: Uh, I'll just take a fucking beer.

Connections
Edited into The Green Fog (2017)

Soundtracks
The Oogum Boogum Song
Written by Brenton Wood (as Alfred J. Smith)
Published by Bonnyview Music Corp.
Performed by Brenton Wood
Courtesy of Original Sound Records Co., Inc.

User reviews81

Review

Featured review

10/10

Love story, Vietnam bound Marine & a hip '60's San Francisco anti-war girl.

Dogfight captures the feelings of the mid to late 1960's in San Francisco. It accurately shows the characteristics of young U.S. Marines destined for Vietnam. They are insensitive and cruel to the young women they invite to the 'Dogfight' because of their youth and the situation they find themselves in as G.I.'s. Being in the Air Force during this period I could relate to their crudeness as a posture taken by some young men as a defense against their environment. Being insensitive was a way to deal with their situation over which they had little control. The movie also accurately portrayed how young G.I.'s bond with other young guys who in civilian life they might not have bothered to befriend.

The love story involves a girl invited to the 'Dogfight' (a contest to see who could bring the ugliest girl) and the young Marine who brings her. She breaks through his shell of indifference and they become friends and lovers.

Lilly Taylor and River Phoenix are terrific. Their characters ring true and my wife and I cared very much about what happened to them.

Phoenix's return to S.F. after his tour in Vietnam was just as I experienced it. Although I was not returning from overseas when I returned the Bay Area in 1969, I discovered that the San Francisco of 1965 was totally gone and replaced with a foreign land.

'Dogfight' is accurately nostalgic for those of my generation and perhaps older. Younger viewers get to enjoy a truly good love story. They also get a glimpse of life as a young G.I. during that uniquely explosive period of change and social upheaval in America during the middle to late 1960's.