War of the Worlds (2005)
Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller |
War of the Worlds is a American science fiction action film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp, loosely based on the 1898 similarly-titled novel by H. G. Wells and jointly produced and released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures. It stars Tom Cruise with Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, and Tim Robbins in supporting roles. It also features narration by Morgan Freeman. The film follows an American dock worker who is forced to look after his children, from whom he lives separately, as he struggles to protect them and reunite them with their mother when extraterrestrials invade the Earth and devastate cities with giant war machines. This was Gene Barry’s final film before his retirement that year and his death in 2009.
The film was shot in 73 days, using five different sound stages as well as locations in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. The film was surrounded by a secrecy campaign so few details would be leaked before its release. Tie-in promotions were made with several companies, including Hitachi.
Divorced longshoreman Ray Ferrier works at a dock in Brooklyn, New York, and is estranged from his children: 10-year-old daughter Rachel, and teenage son Robbie. Ray’s pregnant ex-wife, Mary Ann, drops them off at his house in Bayonne, New Jersey, on her way to visit her parents in Boston.
Later, a strange storm occurs during which technology stops working and lightning strikes multiple times into the middle of a local intersection, disrupting all electricity. Ray joins the crowd at the scene of the impacts, where a massive “tripod” war machine emerges from the ground and uses powerful energy weapons to destroy the area, disintegrating most of the witnesses into a grey dust.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Josh Friedman (screenplay), David Koepp (screenplay), H.G. Wells (Novel)
Stars: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins, Rick Gonzalez, Yul Vazquez
Cast:
| Tom Cruise | … | Ray Ferrier |
| Dakota Fanning | … | Rachel Ferrier |
| Miranda Otto | … | Mary Ann |
| Justin Chatwin | … | Robbie |
| Tim Robbins | … | Harlan Ogilvy |
| Rick Gonzalez | … | Vincent |
| Yul Vazquez | … | Julio (as Yul Vázquez) |
| Lenny Venito | … | Manny the Mechanic |
| Lisa Ann Walter | … | Bartender |
| Ann Robinson | … | Grandmother |
| Gene Barry | … | Grandfather |
| David Alan Basche | … | Tim |
| Roz Abrams | … | Self |
| Michael Brownlee | … | TV Reporter, Osaka |
| Camillia Monet | … | News Producer (as Camillia Sanes) |
| Marlon Young | … | News Cameraman |
| John Eddins | … | News Van Driver |
| Peter Gerety | … | Hatch Boss / Load Manager |
| David Harbour | … | Dock Worker |
| Miguel Antonio Ferrer | … | Brazilian Neighbor |
| January LaVoy | … | Brazilian Neighbor’s Wife |
| Stephen Gevedon | … | Neighbor with Lawnmower |
| Julie White | … | Woman |
| Marianne Ebert | … | Hysterical Woman (as Marianni Ebert) |
| Rafael Sardina | … | Mechanic’s Assistant |
| Amy Ryan | … | Neighbor with Toddler |
| Ed Vassallo | … | Intersection Guy |
| Michael Arthur | … | Intersection Guy |
| Danny Hoch | … | Intersection Guy Cop |
| Sharrieff Pugh | … | Man Studying Street |
| Erika LaVonn | … | Photographer |
| Christopher Evan Welch | … | Photographer |
| John Michael Bolger | … | Man Holding Woman |
| Omar Jermaine | … | Man Holding Woman |
| Robert Cicchini | … | Guy in Suit |
| Jim Hanna | … | Bus Driver |
| Tracy Howe | … | Crowd Onlooker |
| Adam Lazarre-White | … | Crowd Onlooker |
| Vito D’Ambrosio | … | Crowd Onlooker |
| Zoe Quist | … | Crowd Onlooker (as Laura Zoe Quist) |
| Ana Maria Quintana | … | Crowd Onlooker |
| Lorelei Llee | … | Crowd Onlooker |
| Mark Manley | … | Ferry Worker |
| John Scurti | … | Ferry Captain |
| Becky Ann Baker | … | Disaster Relief Volunteer |
| Mariann Mayberry | … | Mother |
| Ty Simpkins | … | 3 Year Old Boy |
| Jerry Walsh | … | Smart Guy |
| Tommy Guiffre | … | National Guardsman |
| Daniel Franzese | … | National Guardsman |
| Ed Schiff | … | Older Man |
| Ellen Barry | … | Woman from Upstate |
| Amy Hohn | … | Panicky Woman |
| Dan Ziskie | … | Informative Guy (as Daniel Ziskie) |
| David Conley | … | Ill-Informed Guy |
| Daniel Eric Gold | … | Conspiracy Buff |
| Booker T. Washington | … | Conspiracy Debunker |
| Maggie Lacey | … | Upset Mother |
| Eric Zuckerman | … | Doomsday Guy |
| Daniel A. Jacobs | … | Younger Man |
| Asha R. Nanavati | … | Woman in Crowd |
| Joaquin Perez-Campbell | … | Young Soldier in Tank |
| Dendrie Taylor | … | Well Meaning Mother |
| James DuMont | … | Well-Meaning Father |
| Travis Aaron Wade | … | War of the Worlds Soldier |
| Ben Ciaramello | … | War of the Worlds Soldier (as Ben Ciaramello) |
| Ricky Luna | … | War of the Worlds Soldier |
| Columbus Short | … | War of the Worlds Soldier |
| Kent Faulcon | … | War of the Worlds Soldier |
| Kevin Collins | … | Marine Major |
| Terry Thomas | … | Marine Major |
| Clay Bringhurst | … | Airforce Pilot |
| Jorge-Luis Pallo | … | Army Private |
| Suanne Spoke | … | Businesswoman |
| Kirsten Nelson | … | Businesswoman |
| Melody Garrett | … | Older Woman |
| Lauri Johnson | … | Older Woman |
| Takayo Fischer | … | Older Woman |
| Shanna Collins | … | Teenager |
| Elizabeth Jayne Hong | … | Teenager |
| Art Chudabala | … | Man in Basket |
| Jeffrey Hutchinson | … | Man in Basket |
| Dempsey Pappion | … | Man in Basket |
| Chris Todd | … | Man in Basket |
| Johnny Kastl | … | Boston Soldier |
| Juan Carlos Hernández | … | Boston Soldier |
| Bruce W. Derdoski Jr. | … | Boston Soldier |
| John N. Morales | … | Boston Soldier |
| Morgan Freeman | … | Narration (voice) |
| Tom Kenny | … | SpongeBob SquarePants (voice) (archive footage) |
| Lisa Sample | … | Boston Survivor |
| Dylan Alfonso | … | Homeless Teen (uncredited) |
| Amir Allak | … | Survivor (uncredited) |
| Chad O. Allen | … | Refugee (uncredited) |
| Eduardo Alvear | … | Passenger (uncredited) |
| Dustin Ardine | … | Refugee outside the Diner (uncredited) |
| Alan Kemper Armani | … | Survivor (uncredited) |
| Cass Asher | … | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Claudia Barroso | … | Portuguese Woman (uncredited) |
| Gerald Blakey | … | Refugee (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia