Day 21: The Movie With Your Favorite Death Scene

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)

I struggled between a comedic and an honorable death scene. It looks like the honorable won out over the comedic (which would have been Boba Fett and the Sarlacc Pit).

There's nothing hardly anything more honorable than sacrificing your life to save another. Captain John Miller, who's sole mission was to find Private Ryan and send him home, sacrificed his life for Private Ryan. Yes, there were other circumstances at hand, but all in all, chose to stay and fight and keep Ryan out of harms way during the final battle scene.

Because of his sacrifice, Ryan was able to go home and live full life after his three other brothers died in combat during WWII. And what does Miller say to Ryan as he lay there just before dying? "James, earn this... earn it."

It gives me chills again just thinking about it. Amazing film. And another brilliant performance by Tom Hanks.

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