Beyond the Movie: Pearl Harbor

Produced as a companion piece to Touchstone's summer blockbuster Pearl Harbor, this National Geographic special combines archival footage with clips from the motion picture as it delves into the real-life stories of heroes on whom parts of the movie were based. Interviews with Cuba Gooding Jr., Alec Baldwin, director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer offer a behind the scenes look at the filming of Pearl Harbor's elaborate special effects. Other topics covered include: Doolittle's raid over Tokyo; a profile of Admiral Yamamoto, the Japanese naval officer who planned the attack; a look at the Eagle Squadron, a group of 244 American civilians who flew for Great Britain before U.S. involvement in the war; and the story of Dorie Miller, the first African-American recipient of the Navy Cross. Although some filmmakers strive for accuracy and detail, others simply try to capture the essence of the event while telling a good story--clearly Bay's tack with Pearl Harbor. A good complement to the movie, this will be of interest to both general patrons and teachers who plan to use portions of the feature film in classroom instruction. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (L. Stevens)