Military Movies - Military Times

The case for ‘Top Gun’ as an all-time great

It seems you’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’.

By including “Top Gun” in our list of the greatest American military movies overlooked by American Film Institute voters, we have drawn more than our fair share of friendly fire. This was to be expected, considering that “best of” lists are ultimately a matter of personal preference.

But the unprovoked attacks on “Top Gun” have forced our hand. Since we’re responsible for placing the film in harm’s way, it’s only fitting that we launch a counterattack. Too close for missiles, so we’re switching to guns.

Let’s forget that it was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Original Song (Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away,” which brought home the coveted Oscar). And let’s even overlook that it is credited with causing a spike in Navy recruitment during the years between big conflicts.

“Top Gun” is essential because it sums up a decade of Cold War military buildup and training, and reflects the spirit of healing and nationalism in post-Vietnam America. While the 1970s are marked by great war movies such as “Apocalypse Now” and “The Deer Hunter,” those films are still wrestling with the demons of the last big conflict.

Perhaps we should have selected “Red Dawn,” a Cold War hype film about the Russian invasion that never came? Or maybe “Heartbreak Ridge,” the slapstick story of bumbling Marines preparing for the invasion of Grenada. We might have gone with “An Officer and a Gentleman,” given its six Oscar nominations and two wins, but that’s really just a romance set against a military backdrop.

No, only “Top Gun” manages to deliver the proper sentiment of the times. Huge military budgets. Big deck aircraft carriers deployed near and far. Training, constant training, to be the best of the best.

Unrealistic, you say? The death of Goose, Maverick’s beloved radar intercept officer, during a routine training hop is about as real as military life comes. That his pretty wife and cute kid lose him to a training accident is almost too hard to dwell on because we know, deep down, that it happens far too often.

Is it campy? Sure. That was the ‘80s, for anyone who remembers them. But no film short of “Rambo” had as much effect on shaping the image of the modern American military as “Top Gun.” And for that, it deserves its place on our list.

The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies’ room.

Discuss:

Why ‘Top Gun’