Saints and Soldiers

Saints and Soldiers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRyan Little
Screenplay byGeoffrey Panos
Matt Whitaker
Story byGeoffrey Panos
Produced byAdam Abel
Ryan Little
StarringCorbin Allred
Alexander Niver
Kirby Heyborne
Lawrence Bagby
Peter Asle Holden
CinematographyRyan Little
Edited byWynn Hougaard
Music byJason Bateman
Bart Hendrickson
Production
companies
Go Films
Medal of Honor Productions LLC
Distributed byExcel Entertainment Group
Release date
  • August 6, 2004 (2004-08-06)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
German
Budget$780,000[1]
Box office$1.3 million[1]

Saints and Soldiers is a 2003 war drama film directed by Ryan Little and produced by Little and Adam Abel. It is loosely based on events that took place after the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge. The film stars Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Lawrence Bagby, and Peter Asle Holden as four American soldiers trying to return a British airman with vital intelligence to the Allied lines.

After researching World War II and the Battle of the Bulge, Little began shooting in January 2003 in Utah. Filming lasted 30 days. Little and Abel were able to save money on production by recruiting a group of World War II reenactors who volunteered their services, costumes, and props. Excel Entertainment released the film at festivals to garner publicity before it was released to the public. The movie won numerous Best Picture awards from over 15 film festivals.

Critical reception was generally positive with praise towards the message, story, performances (particularly of Allred and Niver), production values, and action sequences. Though the screenplay, pacing, and ties to Mormonism were criticized by some reviewers, several film scholars argued that despite the Latter Day Saint (LDS)-related themes, the film appeals to a wide audience.

The movie's success launched its titular film series, including three standalone sequels.

  1. ^ a b "Boxofficemojo.com". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2012-03-21.