Hero (1992)

Directed by Stephen Frears

AllMovie Rating
4
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Synopsis by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stephen Frears' Hero is a contemporary re-working of a Frank Capra-styled fable about a two-bit criminal named Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) who saves several passengers from a plane crash and leaves the scene without being identified, leaving only a lost shoe for identification. One of the passengers happens to be news-reporter Gale (Geena Davis) who is intent on finding her savior, and offers a million dollars to the "hero" of the crashed flight. Bernie has since given his remaining shoe to a homeless man named John (Andy Garcia) who decides to cash in on the offer. A handsome, charming man, John wins the hearts of the entire city. Soon, Bernie realizes that he's been cheated out of a million dollars, and he begins an effort to get his proper recognition--and his money.

Characteristics

Moods

Only Human

Themes

Members of the Press | Unlikely Heroes | Air Disasters

Keywords

barnstorming, bystander, courage, air-disaster, deception, disaster, drifter, family, fraud, hero, journalism, mistaken-identity, rags-to-riches, rescue, revenge, robbery