Afterburn (film)

Last updated
Afterburn
Afterburn.jpg
GenreDrama
Written by Elizabeth Chandler
Directed by Robert Markowitz
Starring Laura Dern
Robert Loggia
Michael Rooker
Vincent Spano
Music by Stewart Copeland
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer Steve Tisch
ProducersPaul Kurta
Elizabeth Chandler (co-producer)
Cinematography Isidore Mankofsky
EditorJerrold L. Ludwig
Running time103 min.
Production company HBO Pictures
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseMay 30, 1992 (1992-05-30)

Afterburn is a 1992 drama film written and produced for television, based on a true story where one woman takes on the United States military and General Dynamics, manufacturer of the F-16 jet fighter aircraft that took her husband's life. The docudrama starred Laura Dern, Robert Loggia, and Vincent Spano. The film's name is derived from the "Afterburner" bar where the central character (Janet Harduvel), who works as a waitress, met her future husband, a setting that forms the focus of the first part of the film. [1]

Contents

Plot

On November 15, 1982, Janet Harduvel (Laura Dern) is devastated by the news of the death of her husband Ted (Vincent Spano) who flew as a United States Air Force pilot in one of the world's most sophisticated fighter aircraft, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. [N 1] She is stymied in finding out the truth behind his crash in Korea and takes on the US military and General Dynamics, maker of the F-16. With the help of her lawyer, Leo Morrone (Robert Loggia), and her sister Mary (Welker White), Harduvel begins the long process of unraveling the lies and deception that are behind a joint military and General Dynamics cover-up that blames the accident on pilot error. Despite setbacks, she proves to be unwavering in her search for the truth to clear his name and uncover the deadly secret buried in the F-16.

Cast

As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified): [3]

ActorRole
Laura Dern Janet Harduvel
Robert Loggia Leo Morrone
Vincent Spano Capt. Ted "Hardball" Harduvel [N 2]
Michael Rooker Capt. Casey "Z" Zankowski
Welker WhiteMary Sciales
Richard Jenkins Acton Ryder
Andy Romano Dr. Carl Haller
Basil Wallace Capt. Terry "Joker" North
Gary Basaraba Bill Decker
Dion AndersonCol. Hewson
Kasi Lemmons Carol North
Daniel Benzali Col. John Patterson
Cassy FrielKiki Harduvel
Christopher John FieldsCharlie Reeves
Lewis Dix Jr.Joe
The F-16 was depicted as a protagonist in the film. F-16 (dark edit).jpg
The F-16 was depicted as a protagonist in the film.

Production

Captain Theodore T. Harduvel's widow, Janet, was the focus of the production and her assistance was paramount in presenting an accurate portrait of the struggle to clear her husband's memory and legacy. [5] In 1987, Janet Harduvel won a $3.1 million jury award against General Dynamics Corporation, alleging a flight instrumentation malfunction due to a short circuit caused by frayed ("chafed") wiring, led to his crash. [6] [7] The verdict would "ultimately be overturned, not on its merits, but on the basis that federal defense contractors enjoy blanket immunity from such lawsuits." [1] A subsequent defeat on appeal followed. [8]

When producer Steve Tisch saw a 60 Minutes segment on Harduvel's legal fight, [9] after working with her on a proposal, he pitched the film to Disney, originally titled, "The Janet Harduvel Story." At the height of the Gulf War, the feature was in pre-production when Disney reassessed the optics of releasing an anti-military film, and backed out. HBO quickly picked up the project, but only offered a fraction of the original budget of $14 million. Tisch said, "HBO said they wanted to make the movie, but I would have less than $5 million to make it. It was exactly the same movie, but it all worked out." [9] Janet Harduvel appeared in an uncredited cameo role, and acted as a creative consultant on the film. Harduvel's real-life attorney, aviation specialist, Howard M. Acosta Sr., assisted by attorney Charles Price and investigator Myron Pappadakis, were together changed into the fictional attorney Leo Marrone. Harduvel's sister, Marybeth, was the basis for the film's Mary Sciales. [N 3]

The technical issues that are dealt with in Afterburn is that the F-16 "Viper" [N 4] is entirely reliant on its electrical systems to relay flight commands as well as digital instrument reading, instead of traditional analog instruments and mechanically-linked controls, leading to the early moniker of "the electric jet". [10] In Capt. Harduvel's final mission, he relied on his faulty instrument reading that showed him close to terrain, but did not indicate that he was upside down and his "pull out" actually propelled him at full power, inverted, into a hillside. [5] General Dynamics was aware of a potential problem of wiring becoming chafed by the high-G forces inherent in the F-16's flight envelope, and had a maintenance advisory issued. [11]

A dramatic tension was created with Harduvel pitted against the secrets buried deep in the miles-long wiring that eventually was proved to be the reason for a series of F-16 crashes. Principal photography took place in southern California, although the production had no access to USAF bases, the ingenious use of a solitary "mocked-up" F-16 fighter and USAF fighters created by the special effects team of Stargate Films, were seamlessly blended into the film. [9] A number of evocative images by Isidore Mankofsky of the F-16 are used for effect, later to be recognized by an Emmy nomination for his cinematography. Also notable is the music by Stewart Copeland, best-known to the public as the drummer for the British band The Police, but who also was a very successful composer with an extensive career in films and TV productions. [12] [13]

Reception

Originally aired in the United States by HBO on May 30, 1992, Afterburn was re-broadcast in October that year and released shortly after as a home video in both VHS and DVD formats. Although not garnering a great deal of attention from critics, most reviews were favorable, centering on the drama in the story. Ken Tucker considered the film, dedicated to the memory of Ted Harduvel was successful because of "complex performances of Spano and, especially, Dern—they give 'Afterburn' the emotional weight its real-life subjects deserve." [14] Sandra Brennan called it "... riveting, fact-based made-for-cable drama." [15]

Awards

Afterburn received a number of nominations in various categories including Molly Lopata nominated for the "Artios" Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week for the 1992 Casting Society of America Award, Isidore Mankofsky for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a 1992 Emmy in the Miniseries or a Special category and Jerrold L. Ludwig for Outstanding Individual Achievement in the 1992 Emmy for Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Single Camera Production, as well as for editing in the Best Edited Television Special category for the 1993 American Cinema Editors, USA Award. [16]

Although Laura Dern was nominated for the 1992 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special, but was unsuccessful, she went on to win a 1993 Golden Globe Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV category. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon</span> American multi-role fighter aircraft

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft with over 4,600 built since 1976. Although no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Dey</span> American actress

Susan Hallock Dey is a retired American actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992. A three-time Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for L.A. Law in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Ladd</span> American actress (born 1935)

Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 200 films and television shows. She received three Academy Award nominations for her roles in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990), and Rambling Rose (1991), the first of which won her a British Academy Film Award. She was also nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, winning one for her role in the sitcom Alice (1980–1981).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsubishi F-2</span> Japanese supersonic jet fighter

The Mitsubishi F-2 is a multirole fighter derived from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with a 60/40 split in manufacturing between Japan and the United States. The basis of the F-2's design is the F-16 Agile Falcon, an unsuccessful offer by General Dynamics to provide a low-cost alternative for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition. Production started in 1996 and the first aircraft entered service in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Electric F110</span> Aircraft engine

The General Electric F110 is an afterburning turbofan jet engine produced by GE Aerospace. It was derived from the General Electric F101 as an alternative engine to the Pratt & Whitney F100 for powering tactical fighter aircraft, with the F-16C Fighting Falcon and F-14A+/B Tomcat being the initial platforms; the F110 would eventually power new F-15 Eagle variants as well. The engine is also built by IHI Corporation in Japan, TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI) in Turkey, and Samsung Techwin in South Korea as part of licensing agreements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Lucci</span> American actress (born 1946)

Susan Victoria Lucci is an American actress and television host. She is known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama All My Children during that show's entire network run from 1970 to 2011. The character is considered an icon, and she was called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime television. As early as 1991, her salary had been reported as over $1 million a year. During her run on All My Children, Lucci was nominated 21 times for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She won only once, in 1999, after the 19th nomination; her status as a perpetual nominee for the award had attracted significant media attention since the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed YF-22</span> Prototype fighter aircraft for the US Air Force Advanced Tactical Fighter program

The Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics YF-22 is an American single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft technology demonstrator designed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The design was a finalist in the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter competition, and two prototypes were built for the demonstration/validation phase of the competition. The YF-22 won the contest against the Northrop YF-23, and the design was developed into the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The YF-22 has a similar aerodynamic layout and configuration as the F-22, but with differences in the position and design of the cockpit, tail fins and wings, and in internal structural layout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyra Sedgwick</span> American actress (born 1965)

Kyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the crime drama The Closer (2005–2012), for which she won a Golden Globe in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010. She also starred in the 1992 TV film Miss Rose White, which won an Emmy Award. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in the 1995 film Something to Talk About. Sedgwick's other film credits include Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Cameron Crowe's Singles (1992). She also had a recurring role as Madeline Wuntch on the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Sedgwick is married to fellow actor Kevin Bacon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorian Harewood</span> American actor

Dorian Harewood is an American actor, best known for playing Jesse Owens in The Jesse Owens Story (1984), Paul Strobber on Strike Force (1981–1982), and Rev. Morgan Hamilton in 7th Heaven (1996–2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Malachowski</span> US Air Force officer

Nicole Margaret Ellingwood Malachowski is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) officer and the first female pilot selected to fly as part of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds. She later became a speaker and advocate on behalf of patients with tick-borne illnesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Dern</span> American actress (born 1967)

Laura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighter pilot</span> Military combat aviator

A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting. A fighter pilot with at least five air-to-air kills becomes known as an ace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">185th Air Refueling Wing</span> Military unit

The 185th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the Iowa Air National Guard, stationed at Colonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

<i>Steal the Sky</i> 1988 American TV series or program

Steal the Sky is a 1988 HBO movie directed by John D. Hancock and starring Mariel Hemingway and Ben Cross. The film is based on the true story of an Iraqi Assyrian fighter pilot Munir Redfa, who defected by flying a MiG-21 fighter jet to Israel in 1966. Steal the Sky was the first production under the HBO-Paramount co-financing agreement launched in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">421st Fighter Squadron</span> Military unit

The 421st Fighter Squadron is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron is one of the most decorated fighter squadrons in the United States Air Force, being awarded three Presidential Unit Citations and seven Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for Valor in Combat.

This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, which is awarded since 1992. The category was originally called Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants</span> Specific model of the F-16 fighter aircraft family

A large number of variants of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon have been produced by General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and various licensed manufacturers. The details of the F-16 variants, along with major modification programs and derivative designs significantly influenced by the F-16, are described below.

Laura Anne Karpman is an American composer, whose work has included music for film, television, video games, theater, and the concert hall. She has won five Emmy Awards for her work. Karpman was trained at the Juilliard School, where she played jazz by day and honed her skills scatting in bars at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vought Model 1600</span> Proposed fighter aircraft

The Vought/General Dynamics Model 1600 series was a fighter aircraft proposal designed for the United States Navy's Navy Air Combat Fighter (NACF) program. The Model 1600 was a carrier-based derivative of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, but lost to the Northrop/McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">148th Fighter Wing</span> United States Air Force flying unit

The 148th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard located at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota. The 148th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

References

Notes
  1. Although accurately portrayed as primarily a fighter aircraft in the 1980s, the F-16 eventually evolved into a multirole combat aircraft. [2]
  2. U.S. military pilots are typically identified by their "call sign". Captain Harduvel was actually known as "Gamble". [4]
  3. After the film, Janet went back to using her maiden name, and became famous as Tampa, Florida's on-air astrologer, aka "The Star Goddess" on WLLD-FM 98.7. [1]
  4. Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a viper snake and after the popular contemporary Colonial Viper starfighter from the Battlestar Galactica TV series. [7]
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 Posner, Gary P. " "Star Goddess Janet Sciales." St. Petersburg Times via Tampa Bay Skeptics, Vol. 15, No. 1, Summer 2002. Retrieved: November 6, 2011. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023.
  2. Sweetman 2009, p. 15.
  3. "Credits: Afterburn (TV 1992)." IMDb. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  4. Aleshire 2005, p. vii.
  5. 1 2 Schindehette, Susan. "For Love and honor." People, Vol. 37, No. 21, June 1, 1992. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  6. Murray, Frank J. "High-Flying Troubles." Insight on the News via FindArticles.com, January 3, 2000. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Aleshire 2005, p. xvii.
  8. "878 F.2d 1311: Janet Harduvel." justia.com, July 31, 1989. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 King, Susan. "From '60 Minutes' to a 90-Minute Movie." Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1992.
  10. Richardson 1990, p. 12.
  11. "878 F. 2d 1311 - Harduvel v. General Dynamics Corporation." openjurist.org. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  12. Castiglioni, Bernhard. "Stewart Copeland: Biography." Drummerworld.com, 2011. Retrieved: November 14, 2011.
  13. "Stewart Copeland." IMDb. Retrieved: November 14, 2011.
  14. Tucker, Ken. "TV Review: Afterburn." Archived 2011-08-08 at the Wayback Machine Ew.com, May 29, 1992. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  15. "Afterburn Plot Summary and Details | Moviefone". Moviefone. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  16. "Overview for The 44th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1992)." Turner Classic Movies , 2011. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
  17. "1993 Golden Globe Awards." Archived July 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved: November 6, 2011.
Bibliography