Ike: Countdown to D-Day
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| Ike: Countdown to D-Day | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Harmon |
| Produced by | Dennis A. Brown Paul Carran Lionel Chetwynd Tim Christenson David Craig |
| Written by | Lionel Chetwynd |
| Starring | Tom Selleck James Remar Timothy Bottoms Gerald McRaney Ian Mune |
| Music by | Jeff Beal |
| Cinematography | David Gribble |
| Editing by | Chris Peppe |
| Distributed by | A&E Television Networks Columbia TriStar |
| Release date(s) | May 31, 2004 |
| Running time | 120 min. |
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
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 (James Remar), Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. (Gerald McRaney), British General Bernard Law Montgomery (Bruce Phillips), and French General Charles De Gaulle (George Shevtsov).
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 (Ian Mune). His chief of staff, Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith is also portrayed in the film, by Timothy Bottoms.
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.
