Devotion (2022)
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Two naval officers form a profound bond of friendship and sacrifice during the Korean War.
The story
In early 1950, Lieutenant Tom Hudner transfers to Fighter Squadron 32 at Quonset Point Naval Air Station, where he meets Ensign Jesse Brown, the only black member of the unit. Hudner integrates well into the squadron, which is assigned F4U-4 Corsairs. After Brown's car breaks down, Hudner starts giving him rides and eventually meets his wife Daisy and their young daughter Pam. The Browns struggle with racist neighbors, and Brown faces internal and external prejudice. As the unit deploys to the Mediterranean and later to Korea, the two men develop a deep bond of comradeship while facing the dangers of aerial combat.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In early 1950, Lieutenant Tom Hudner joins Fighter Squadron 32 and meets Ensign Jesse Brown, the unit's only Black member. They form a close bond as they fly F4U-4 Corsairs. While the unit is deployed to the Mediterranean, Brown encounters actress Elizabeth Taylor and shares stories of his life. When war breaks out in Korea, the squadron is deployed to the Yalu River. During a mission, Brown disobeys orders to attack a bridge solo, successfully crippling it but earning a report that may hinder his promotion. During a subsequent mission to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Brown's plane is crippled. Hudner sees Brown is trapped and deliberately crashes his own plane to reach him. Hudner is unable to extract Brown, who dies shortly after. Hudner later receives the Medal of Honor for his actions. The film concludes noting that Brown's remains were never recovered, but his family and Hudner's remain close friends.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- J. D. Dillard
- Writers
- Jake Crane · screenplay; Jonathan A. Stewart · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jonathan Majors · Ensign Jesse L. Brown; Glen Powell · Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Hudner; Christina Jackson · Daisy Brown; Thomas Sadoski · Lieutenant Commander Dick Cevoli; Daren Kagasoff · Bill Koenig; Joe Jonas · Marty Goode; Spencer Neville · Bo Lavery; Nick Hargrove · Carol Mohring
- Genres
- biographical; war; action; drama
- Themes
- friendship; racism; sacrifice; comradeship
- Tone and mood
- impactful; straightforward; stylized
- Setting
- 1950s, United States, Mediterranean Sea, France, and Korea
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; war; friendship; racism; Korean War
- Source material / true-story basis
- Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences, though it was a box-office bomb. It was praised for its performances and for honoring real-life history.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81% · review count: 118; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 30; CinemaScore · score: A– · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 91%
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Score · Academy Awards · 2023 · shortlisted
- Production trivia
- The film used a full-size recreation of the USS Leyte built at Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport.; Director J. D. Dillard's father served as a technical advisor and visited the set.; The film used real aircraft, including F4U Corsairs and a MiG-15, painted in period colors.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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