Hero (1992 film)

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Hero (also known as Accidental Hero) is a comedy and drama movie starring Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia, Chevy Chase, and Joan Cusack and directed by Stephen Frears. It was released in the United States on Friday, October 2, 1992.

Hero is about Bernard "Bernie" LaPlante, a thief (played by Hoffman) who anonymously helps rescue survivors of a plane crash. Homeless Vietnam veteran John Bubber (Garcia) whom Bernie had briefly met earlier in the film, takes credit for the rescue when Bernie turns out to be too involved in his criminal activities and troubled life to realize that the media has worked up a frenzy trying to find the identity of the hero. Meanwhile, Gail (Davis) -- a TV reporter (and one of the crash survivors) -- has been hoping for an investigation that's not about exposing human weakness but one that discovers layer after layer of human goodness. She soon grooms Bubber's public image as a hero, and even falls in love with him, all the while under the impression that Bubber is the hero. The irony that constantly feeds the film is that Bernie, who is a real sleaze, has done an uncharacteristically noble thing and suffers greatly for it, while John Bubber, who is truly noble and virtuous, has been living a terrible life until he does an uncharacteristically sleazy thing.

Mariah Carey originally recorded her #1 hit single, "Hero", for the film but the filmmakers did not think the power ballad was a good fit. Instead, Luther Vandross sang the theme, "Heart of a Hero".

[edit] See also

Hail the Conquering Hero a movie on a similar theme by Preston Sturges. Many reviewers referred to the obvious similarities between Hero and Sturges' screwball comedy works.