July 24: Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Milestone Years

• 30th Anniversary: July 24, 2028
• 35th Anniversary: July 24, 2033
• 40th Anniversary: July 24, 2038
• 50th Anniversary: July 24, 2048

Inspiration Behind the Movie

Steven Spielberg was inspired by real accounts of World War II veterans, particularly the story of the Niland brothers, one of whom was sent home after his siblings died in combat. Writer Robert Rodat developed the screenplay after reading a book about WWII sacrifices, aiming to show the human cost of war through a fictional mission based on real military policies.

You Might Not Know

• The opening D-Day sequence took over a month to film and used more than 1,500 extras, many of them actual soldiers.
• Veterans who viewed the film reported emotional responses due to its realism, prompting the Department of Veterans Affairs to set up a hotline.
• The film was initially considered for a PG-13 rating, but Spielberg pushed for an R to preserve its authenticity.
• Matt Damon was purposely cast as an unknown to heighten the realism and the soldiers’ reaction to finding him.
• The cast went through a brutal 10-day boot camp, except for Damon, who was excluded to create natural resentment among the other actors.

Food Ideas

• Victory Garden Salad with WWII-era ingredients
• Canned meat sliders as a nod to army rations
• Homemade apple pie, an American classic
• Hardtack-style crackers for authenticity
• GI Coffee and Doughnuts

Ways to Celebrate

• Host a World War II history night with trivia and themed snacks
• Watch with a moment of silence for fallen soldiers
• Read a WWII memoir or biography before viewing
• Create dog tags with your name as a memento
• Screen the film in a darkened room with surround sound for full immersion

Filming Locations

The intense Omaha Beach scenes were filmed in Ballinesker Beach, Curracloe, County Wexford, Ireland. The rest of the film was shot in England and at Hatfield Aerodrome, where a mock French village was constructed. Many of these areas remain visitable and have become tourist destinations for history and film buffs alike.