Hero

Bernie Laplante is a small-time crook and petty thief whose life is going badly: he is divorced, his ex-wife has custody of their son, and the police are closing in on him. One night, while out near Chicago, he happens to be on the scene when an airliner crashes, and he pulls several passengers from the wreckage before slipping away into the dark. He leaves behind a single muddy shoe, which becomes the only clue to the identity of the unknown rescuer.

A television reporter who survived the crash sets out to find the man who saved her, and a reward is offered for the mystery hero. Rather than come forward, Bernie stays silent, and a homeless man named John Bubber steps in to claim the role, becoming a celebrated public figure. Bernie, meanwhile, has to decide what the truth is worth to him.

Stephen Frears directed the film, the sixth of twenty-three features in his career in the order given, following The Grifters and preceding The Snapper. David Webb Peoples wrote the screenplay, and Laura Ziskin produced. Dustin Hoffman plays Bernie, with Geena Davis as the reporter Gale Gayley, Andy García as John Bubber, Joan Cusack as Evelyn Laplante, Kevin J. O'Connor as Chucky and Chevy Chase as Deke, among a large credited cast. Released in October 1992 with a budget of 42 million dollars, the film holds a critics' rating of 6.5/10 from 21 reviews and scores 6.3/10 on TMDB from 545 votes.