Dogfight

The bittersweet romance Dogfight stars River Phoenix as one of four Marines enjoying San Francisco on their last night before being shipped off to Vietnam (in 1963, on the night before President Kennedy is assassinated). They plan to attend a “dogfight” party, where each marine competes to bring the ugliest date. After Phoenix encounters a shy and reluctant girl (Taylor) in a coffee shop, she becomes his unwitting victim, only gradually realizing that their “date” is not what it appears. (89 mins., 35mm)

Print courtesy of the Sundance Institute Collection at the UCLA Film & Television Archive.