Backdraft

Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Kurt Russell	Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey/Dennis McCaffrey
William Baldwin	Brian McCaffrey
Robert De Niro	Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale
Donald Sutherland	Ronald Bartel
Jennifer Jason Leigh	Jennifer Vaitkus
Scott Glenn	John 'Axe' Adcox
Rebecca De Mornay	Helen McCaffrey
Jason Gedrick	Tim Krizminski
J.T. Walsh	Alderman Marty Swayzak
Anthony Mockus Sr.	Chief John Fitzgerald (as Tony Mockus Sr.)
Rebecca DeMornay
Robert DeNiro
Tony Mockus, Sr.	Chief John Fitzgerald

Director	Ron Howard
Producer	Pen Densham; Richard Barton Lewis; Richard B. Lewis
Writer	Gregory Widen

A somewhat contrived screenplay doesn't stop this thriller from serving up some of the most spectacular fire sequences ever committed to film. Like any Ron Howard production Backdraft is impressively slick and boasts a stellar cast, including Kurt Russell and William Baldwin. The actors play sibling rivals who have been at odds since the death of their firefighter father years earlier. Robert De Niro is the veteran fire inspector who is tracking a series of mysterious and deadly arsons, and Donald Sutherland is effectively creepy as the former arsonist who understands the criminal psychology of pyromaniacs. Rebecca De Mornay, Scott Glenn, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are featured in supporting roles. Backdraft is a triumph of stunt work and flaming special effects. --Jeff Shannon