Saving Private Ryan/Trivia

• Banned in China:
  • Actually, Malaysia. Though it was released in DVD afterwards.
  • Averted in India. The Indian Censor Board demanded Spielberg to cut out some of the more violent scenes in the movie. Spielberg refused. When the Indian Home Minister saw the movie for himself, he ordered it to be released uncut.
• Dawson Casting: Sort of. By the time of Normandy, most officers (in battle and combat) were in their late twenties to early thirties at most, with everyone under them being younger, even if only by a couple years. Tom Hanks was in his early 40s when this was filmed. All of the other actors were (for the most part) older than their characters, save Horvath (whose relative age is left untouched entirely).
• Disabled Character, Disabled Actor:
  • In the opening scene, a soldier who had just had his legs blown off was played by an actor who had lost his legs years before.
  • Subverted with the one-armed colonel, played by Bryan Cranston, who is not an amputee.
• Dueling Movies: This film and The Thin Red Line; they were pitted against each other at the Oscars and amongst war movie buffs. This was more a function of marketing than anything else - The Thin Red Line was significantly slower-paced and more philosophical as compared to Ryan's traditional war movie feel.
• Enforced Method Acting: The actors portraying the rest of the eponymous Ryan's platoon had to go through very realistic, difficult military training. The eponymous Ryan...didn't. Which actually doubles this trope: Damon's exemption was planned to create resentment on the part of the rest of the cast, which mirrored their character's feelings.
• Fake American: Canadian Barry Pepper as the Southern-Fried Private God-fearing sniper Daniel Jackson.
  • Nathan Fillion, who plays James 'Minnesota' Ryan, is also Canadian.
• Hey, It's That Guy!:
  • Forrest Gump is Captain Miller. Max Peltier is his number two guy.
  • Among the troops under Miller are Dom Torreto, Miller Banks, Parker Selfridge, Det. Jack Andrews and Sgt. Strank.
  • Jason Bourne / Loki is the last of the Ryan brothers.
  • Mal Reynolds / Richard Castle is the wrong Private Ryan.
  • Daniel Faraday has no clue what FUBAR means.
  • Sam Malone and his troops rescue Captain Miller and his Rangers from a squad of Germans.
  • Joe Fontana gives Captain Miller the order to rescue Private Ryan.
  • The one-armed colonel who who delivers the death notices of the three Ryan brothers to General Marshall is Hal / Walter White.
  • Dale Dye, a Vietnam veteran and real-life Marine, has a cameo in the movie as the white-haired officer who advising General Marshall against sending a rescue party after Ryan. He also served as a military consultant for the movie.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Michael Madsen was offered the role of Sgt. Horvath. He declined the role and recommended Tom Sizemore for the part.
  • Edward Norton was also tapped for the role of Private Ryan.
  • Before Tom Hanks was tapped for the role of Captain Miller, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford were both considered for the role.