Ike: Countdown to D-Day
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Ike: Countdown to D-Day is a 2004 American television film originally aired on the American television channel A&E and was directed by Robert Harmon and written by Lionel Chetwynd.
Tom Selleck portrays General Dwight Eisenhower. The film emphasizes the difficult decisions he had to make while dealing with the varied personalities of his direct subordinates, including General Omar N. Bradley, Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., British General Bernard Law Montgomery and French General Charles De Gaulle.
The film does not have action sequences focusing instead on the inner dealings of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force that led to the successful D-Day invasion of World War II. The film concentrates on decisions actually made by Eisenhower and the pressure brought to bear on him personally, including his personal relationship with Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, who appears onscreen. His chief of staff, Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith is also portrayed in the film.
The film is also notable for being the only major video or film production in which General Montgomery's portrayal concentrates on his role as a competent military professional instead of focusing on his alleged personality disorders. General Patton's complex personality is also shown in a very brief set of scenes played by Gerald McRaney.
Countdown to D-Day was filmed entirely in New Zealand.