This story starts out in Tennessee where two little boys, Rafe and Danny are playing around. They have the idea to go play in Rafe's dad's plane and accidentally start it. Danny's father gets really mad about it and actually starts like beating Danny for it, which I did not find acceptable at all.
Then the film jumps to 1940ish when both boys are Lieutenants. Rafe and Danny are doing a flying drill type of thing, and Rafe challenges Danny to play chicken. It was pretty impressive, but the major was not too happy about it. While in his office, Rafe talks his way out of it, and major reveals that he has been accepted to go to Britain to help fight. Then it jumps to the train where Evelyn and some of the fellow nurse volunteers are and Evelyn begins to tell the story of how she and Rafe met. Rafe has to take a physical exam and becomes smitten with the nurse, Evelyn, who passes him even though he is dyslexic and has a hard time reading the board. That's probably not a great decision if reading accurately is an important job skill, but it's a movie, so no real harm. Even though they like each other, Rafe has volunteered for the Royal Airforce and is soon called to go serve. Before he leaves, he promises to return safely home to Evelyn, which I thought was really sweet. At this time, Danny and Evelyn are also transferred to Pearl Harbor.
Then disaster strikes when Rafe's plane is shot down, and he is presumed to be dead. Evelyn and Danny spend a lot of time together mourning, and of course fall in love. To their surprise, Rafe comes home on December 6 and figures out that Evelyn and Danny are together. If I were him, I would have felt really upset and probably betrayed. If you think about it though, you can't really be too upset. If your loved one thought you had died, I think that you would want her with someone that you knew would take care of her and treat her right. Sooo, Rafe is upset and the two men get into a fight at the bar.
The next morning, December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack. Things really aren't going well at all for the US side, but then Danny and Rafe get up in a plane and shoot down Japanese aircrafts. That was really brave, and pretty smart thinking. I think I would have been too shocked and distraught to think clearly and do what they did. They both are promoted to the rank of Captain and recieve a secret mission. Before they leave, Evelyn meets up with Rafe and tells him she is pregnant with Danny's child, so she even though she loves Rafe just as much, she is going to be with Danny. The reason she doesn't tell Danny is so that he can focus on the mission.
They go on the mission, which succeeds, but they run out of fuel and have to land in China where Japanese soldiers rush over to them and want to fight with them. A soldier is about to shoot Rafe, but Danny knocks him over, so in turn, Danny is shot and killed. Rafe pleads with Danny not to die, telling him he's going to be a father, but Danny dies. I found that part really sad, although kind of happy because then Rafe and Evelyn can possibly be together again, which is exactly what happens. Evelyn has the baby, Rafe and Evelyn get married, and they name the child Danny.
Overall, I thought this movie was very, very good. I'm a little conflicted about how it ended, but Rafe was her first love, and things just seemed to go more naturally with him. With Danny, especially at the beginning I thought her feelings were forced, but like I said, I liked the movie a lot and would definately recommend it to everyone.
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