Quotes

Rafe: Ma'am, I'm never gonna be an English teacher, but I know why I'm here, to be a pilot, and you don't dogfight with manuals, you don't fly with gauges, I mean it's all about feeling and speed and lettin' that plane become like it's apart of your body, and that manual says that a guy who's a slow reader can't be a good pilot... that file says I'm the *best* pilot in this room... Ma'am, please... Don't take my wings

Mistakes

During the scene in which the Japanese are planning the attack, one shot has several of the Japanese Officers looking at aerial photographs of the harbor. These pictures appear to be attached to some sort of poster board and on the back of one of them is the "Recycled Paper" emblem (the three arrows bent back on each other). Visible on the DVD. See more...

Trivia

During the attack, when the guys are in the control tower waiting for Danny and Rafe to lead the Japanese planes past them, one man says, "I'm cocked and locked." The phrase is also used during the Doolittle raid. The expression is unique to the Colt government-model .45 cal. semi-auto pistol and its clones. It means the hammer is cocked, but the safety is ON; it is how you carry a loaded .45 so it won't go off accidentally. A "cocked and locked" weapon CANNOT be fired. See more...

Picture

Movie Mistakes blog

Other great sites

Pearl Harbor (2001) - 5 questions

Directed by Michael Bay, starring Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jon Voight, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale (add more)

Genres: Action, Drama, Romance, War

The "questions" section is for any random questions that occurred to you while watching this film, or anything you didn't entirely understand, and which Google or the IMDb can't help with. Submit them as a question, and hopefully someone will answer (the bold comments in brackets) - check back regularly. If the answer is wrong, or missing information, please use the "clarify answer" option. Don't feel limited - want to know what music played in a certain scene? Whether this was the first film to use a certain effect? Here's the place to ask!

Questions

Question: Rafe's fighter combat experience is in Europe. How does he know the capabilities of a Zero?

Answer: Presumably fighter pilots were instructed about Japanese technical capabilities before they were transferred to the Pacific.

Edit Answered by raywest

Change answer Duplicate X

Question: When the ship where Dorie Miller is serving gets torpedoed and the captain is about to die, Dorie tells him "You trained us well". This line has always confused me. Does he mean the captain has trained each of the crew members?

Answer: More of a "you have been a great role model and taught/showed us the proper way to act". He was reassuring the Captain.

Edit Answered by shortdanzr

Change answer Duplicate X

Question: The IMDb lists a cameo by Matt Damon during the attack sequence. Can someone point out exactly where he appears?

Answer: He is in the scene where the smaller air-base is being attacked by the japanese. You have to look really closely but he is the driver of one of the jeeps right before the japanese bomb drops (the one that seems to be a dud and then explodes). Also, Matt seems to be one of the gunners on one of the first ships at Pearl Harbor to return fire (this is not verified but in slo-mo, one of the gunners seems to be him).

Edit

Change answer Duplicate X

Question: Why does Evelyn get a Purple Heart? As far as I understand, the only way to get it, is if you are wounded in combat.

Answer: From Dec 7, 1941 to Sept 22, 1943, the Purple Heart was also awarded for meritorious performance of duty. For wounds, "in combat" is much more restrictive than the actual requirements. Any injury caused directly or indirectly by a hostile foreign agency counts, including friendly fire if it was intended to hit an enemy.

Edit Answered by Myridon

Change answer Duplicate X

Question: Where exactly was Dolittle when pearl harbor was being bombed?

Answer: Probably in Washington. He rejoined active duty in 1940, was assigned to consult with industry re aircraft manufacture; also a trip to England on special mission to evaluate other countries' air power. He requested a return to flying status but was refused. He then was asked to assess feasablity of a air attack on Japan from carrier based planes, and when he asked to lead the mission his request was accepted.

Edit

Change answer Duplicate X