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Top Gun

Updated: 12/30/2025, 12:48:02 PM Wikipedia source

Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns", written by Ehud Yonay and published in California magazine three years earlier. It stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), are given the chance to train at the United States Navy's Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerritt also appear in supporting roles. When Top Gun was released on May 16, 1986, although its visual effects and soundtrack were universally acclaimed, the film initially received mixed reviews from film critics. Despite this, four weeks after its release, the number of theaters showing it increased by 45 percent, and it overcame initial critical resistance to become a huge commercial hit, grossing $357.4 million dollars globally against a production budget of $15 million. Top Gun was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1986, as well as the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide. The film maintained its popularity over the years and earned an IMAX 3D re-release in 2013, while the retrospective critical reception became more positive, with the film also emerging as a cult classic. Additionally, the soundtrack to the film has since become one of the most popular film soundtracks to date, reaching 9× Platinum certification. The film won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for "Take My Breath Away" performed by Berlin. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". A sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, in which Cruise and Kilmer reprised their roles, was released 36 years later on May 27, 2022 to widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.

Infobox

Directed by
Tony Scott
Written by
mw- Jim Cash Jack Epps Jr.
Based on
"Top Guns"by Ehud Yonay
Produced by
Don Simpson Jerry Bruckheimer
Starring
Tom Cruise Kelly McGillis Val Kilmer Anthony Edwards Tom Skerritt
Cinematography
Jeffrey L. Kimball
Edited by
Chris Lebenzon Billy Weber
Music by
Harold Faltermeyer
Productioncompany
Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Distributed by
Paramount Pictures
Release dates
May 12, 1986 (1986-05-12) (New York City) May 16, 1986 (1986-05-16) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$13–15 million
Box office
$357.4 million

Tables

· Reception › Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Film Editing
Nominee(s)
Billy Weber and Chris Lebenzon
Result
Nominated
Best Original Song
Best Original Song
Award
Best Original Song
Category
"Take My Breath Away" Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Sound
Best Sound
Award
Best Sound
Category
Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O'Connell, Rick Kline, and William B. Kaplan
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Sound Effects Editing
Award
Best Sound Effects Editing
Category
Cecelia Hall and George Watters II
Nominee(s)
Nominated
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Award
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Category
Top Box Office Films
Nominee(s)
Harold Faltermeyer
Result
Won
Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
Award
Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
Category
"Take My Breath Away" Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock
Nominee(s)
Won
Brit Awards
Brit Awards
Award
Brit Awards
Category
Best Soundtrack
Nominee(s)
Top Gun
Result
Won
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Nominee(s)
Harold Faltermeyer
Result
Nominated
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Award
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Category
"Take My Breath Away" Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock
Nominee(s)
Won
Golden Reel Awards
Golden Reel Awards
Award
Golden Reel Awards
Category
Best Sound Editing – ADR
Nominee(s)
Andy Patterson and Juno J. Ellis
Result
Won
Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects
Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects
Award
Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects
Category
Won
Golden Screen Awards
Golden Screen Awards
Award
Golden Screen Awards
Category
Won
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
Award
Grammy Awards
Category
Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
Nominee(s)
"Top Gun Anthem" – Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens
Result
Won
Best Instrumental Composition
Best Instrumental Composition
Award
Best Instrumental Composition
Category
"Top Gun Anthem" – Harold Faltermeyer
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Japan Academy Film Prize
Japan Academy Film Prize
Award
Japan Academy Film Prize
Category
Outstanding Foreign Language Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
National Film Preservation Board
National Film Preservation Board
Award
National Film Preservation Board
Category
National Film Registry
Nominee(s)
Inducted
People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
Award
People's Choice Awards
Category
Favorite Motion Picture
Nominee(s)
Won
Award
Category
Nominee(s)
Result
Ref.
Academy Awards
Best Film Editing
Billy Weber and Chris Lebenzon
Nominated
Best Original Song
"Take My Breath Away" Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock
Won
Best Sound
Donald O. Mitchell, Kevin O'Connell, Rick Kline, and William B. Kaplan
Nominated
Best Sound Effects Editing
Cecelia Hall and George Watters II
Nominated
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Top Box Office Films
Harold Faltermeyer
Won
Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
"Take My Breath Away" Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock
Won
Brit Awards
Best Soundtrack
Top Gun
Won
Golden Globe Awards
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Harold Faltermeyer
Nominated
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
"Take My Breath Away" Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock
Won
Golden Reel Awards
Best Sound Editing – ADR
Andy Patterson and Juno J. Ellis
Won
Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects
Won
Golden Screen Awards
Won
Grammy Awards
Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
"Top Gun Anthem" – Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens
Won
Best Instrumental Composition
"Top Gun Anthem" – Harold Faltermeyer
Nominated
Japan Academy Film Prize
Outstanding Foreign Language Film
Nominated
National Film Preservation Board
National Film Registry
Inducted
People's Choice Awards
Favorite Motion Picture
Won

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