''Shooter'' is a 1988 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

action drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

based on the book ''Shooter'' by and about

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

-winning photographer

David Hume Kennerly David Hume Kennerly (born March 9, 1947) is an American photographer. He won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his portfolio of photographs of the Vietnam War, Cambodia, East Pakistani refugees near Calcutta, and the Fight of t ...

, who had been a combat photojournalist during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and later the White House photographer for President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

. The film was produced as a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

which was not picked up as a series by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

and originally aired on September 11, 1988.

Summary

The film followed the adventures in Vietnam of a fictional photo journalist named Matt Thompson, played by Jeffrey Nordling in his debut role. It was made shortly after ''Good Morning Vietnam'' had been a success in theaters, and it borrowed two actors from the ''Good Morning Vietnam'' cast,

Noble Willingham Noble Henry Willingham, Jr. (August 31, 1931 – January 17, 2004) was an American television and film actor who appeared in more than thirty films and in many television shows, including a stint opposite Chuck Norris in ''Walker, Texas Ranger ...

and Cu Ba Nguyen, as well as having a similar free-spirited protagonist who is constantly clashing with his superiors. The television pilot was filmed on location in Thailand. David Hume Kennerly served as executive producer and writer. Gary Nelson directed the film.

Cast

Jeffrey Nordling Jeffrey Richard Nordling (born March 11, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Manning in ''Once and Again'', Larry Moss in '' 24'', Nick Bolen in ''Desperate Housewives'', and Gordon Klein in '' Big Little Lies'', as wel ...

as Matt Thompson / Grunwald *

as Rizzo *

Kario Salem Kario Salem (born May 23, 1955) is an American television, film, stage actor and screenwriter. Early life Salem, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is a 1973 graduate of Agoura High School in Agoura, California. Career In 1997, Salem ea ...

as Rene *

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jam ...

as Tracey *

Alan Ruck Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's best friend, in John Hughes's film ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986); Stuart Bondek, a lecherous, power-hungry member of ...

as Stork O'Connor * Jerry Alan Chandler as Klaus *

Carol Huston Carol Huston (born August 15, 1959) is an American actress and singer. Early life Carol Huston was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in Des Plaines, Illinois. Huston attended Forest View High School in nearby Arlington Heights, where ...

as Cat *

Rosalind Chao Rosalind Chao (; born September 23, 1957) is an American actress. Chao's best-known roles have been Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show ''AfterMASH'', Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie ''The Joy Luck Club (film), The Joy Luck Club'', the ...

as Lan *

Nick Cassavetes Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes (born May 21, 1959) is an American actor, director, and writer. He has directed such films as ''She's So Lovely'' (1997), ''John Q.'' (2002), ''The Notebook'' (2004), '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), and '' My Sister's Kee ...

as Tex *

Grace Zabriskie Grace Zabriskie (' Caplinger; born May 17, 1941) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sarah Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Lois Henrickson in '' ...

as Sister Marie *

Adrian Paul Adrian Paul Hewett (born 29 May 1959) is an English actor best known for the titular role of Duncan MacLeod on the television series '' Highlander: The Series''. In 1997, he founded the Peace Fund charitable organisation. Early life Paul was b ...

as Ian * Louis Roth as Garth Andrews *

Steven Ford Steven Meigs Ford (born May 19, 1956) is an American actor, and son of former U.S. President Gerald Ford and former First Lady Betty Ford. Early life Ford is the third child and youngest son of former President Gerald Ford and former First Lad ...

as Capt. Walker

Awards

Shooter won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for cinematography.

References

External links

* 1988 television films 1988 films 1980s action drama films American action drama films NBC network original films Television films as pilots Television pilots not picked up as a series Films directed by Gary Nelson Films scored by Paul Chihara 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{action-drama-film-stub