Dogfight (1991)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Eye of the Beholder

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

The small, touching Dogfight mainly works because of the immense skill, presence, and chemistry of its two stars. It begins with an act of cruelty. Four Marines, who have become best friends since their last names all start with "B," land in San Francisco for a 24-hour leave. They plan to participate in a "dogfight" contest. The winner is the one who can procure the ugliest date. Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) has trouble picking up a woman, until he runs into Rose (Lili Taylor) in a coffee shop. As they approach the bar where the "contest" is to be held, Eddie begins to have second thoughts, then drinks too much out of guilt.

Fortunately, the twosome escapes and they spend the night together wandering around and talking. The drama comes in because Eddie must continue to keep up certain lies, which he initially told her to get her to come along to the contest, to spare her feelings. Rose, who dreams of being a folk singer, is sweet and open and honest. The couple begins to genuinely grow to like each other. Alas, as it's 1963, fate has other plans. Director Nancy Savoca gives this tender little film its own soul, and it's hard to forget the brief time we spend with Eddie and Rose.

In 2024, the Criterion Collection released a superb Blu-ray of this lovely film, with a lush video transfer and a flawless DTS 2.0 audio track. There's a commentary track by director Savoca and producer Richard Guay, recorded in 2003 for the initial DVD release. We get a 32-minute sit-down interview with director Savoca and star Taylor, conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron (American Psycho). And we get a 29-minute featurette in which Guay interviews various members of the crew, including DP Bobby Bukowski. Additionally, there's a theatrical trailer and optional English subtitles. Highly recommended.