Top Gun

Based on real stories told by U.S. Navy fighter pilots, Top Gun changed the way the post-Vietnam public viewed the military. It catapulted Tom Cruise into super stardom and helped launched the careers of a band of young stars including Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Meg Ryan, and Tim Robbins. With mega-producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer at the helm and the visionary eye of director Tony Scott, Top Gun placed audiences inside the cockpit through striking aerial footage alongside a hit soundtrack. Behind Closed Doors takes an inside look on the American classic that was almost never made. Not only did it face a mountain of challenges but suffered the tragic death of famed stunt pilot Art Scholl during production. Initially dismissed by a number of critics, Top Gun made its way into American culture and became one of the most profitable films in the history of Paramount Pictures.