THE PLOT OF TOPGUN
Now if you've bothered to come to this site, you probably know the basic story of TOPGUN, but here it is anyway (somewhat abridged)...
It's about Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchel (Tom Cruise), a 'naval aviator' in the US navy. His father was killed in an F-4 many years ago, and Maverick thinks he has been told the wrong story. The Navy told his family that it was his father who messed up. No way. Anyway, Maverick soon gets a name for himself as an outstanding, but dangerous young pilot, maybe too good. When the best pilot in Maverick's squadron (Cougar) turns in his wings, Maverick and his rio, Goose (Anthony Edwards), are next in line to go to the Navy's prestigious fighter weapons school, known to the pilots as 'Top Gun'. While there, Goose and Maverick meet up with Iceman (Val Kilmer) and his navigator, Slider (Rick Rossovich). Iceman takes an immediate dislike to Maverick, because of his dangerous style. During an inductiuon session at Top Gun, the group meet their commander for the duration of the course, Mike Metcalf, callsign Viper (Tom Skerrit), who, on realising Maverick's arrogance, reassures him that that's what he likes in a pilot. In an amusing scene, Maverick tries to chat up this woman at a bar after having bet Goose that he could have 'carnal knowledge' (of a woman this time) on the premises. He sings 'You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'' to her with Goose, and is amazingly asked by her to sit down. Unfortunately for him, after some worryingly corny chat up lines, the woman's 'date', an older guy called Perry walks in. However, Maverick doesn't give up, and follows the woman into the ladies room. But he doesn't get lucky, at least not that night. The next day, the guys are at the briefing for their first TOPGUN training mission, and an instructor, Jester, introduces them to a civilian contractor (who you do not salute), Charlotte Blackwood, Charlie (Kelly McGillis), who has a degree in astrophysics, and is going to talk to them about the planes they would be facing in combat, the MIG-28s (which, actually, do not exist). Not surprisingly, this woman turns out to be the woman from the bar the night before. And it's really funny. After lots of practice missions to get points to win the TOPGUN trophy, Maverick and Iceman are neck and neck, Iceman just having the edge because of the risks that Maverick always takes. Meanwhile, things begin to heat up between Maverick and Charlie, Charlie using the excuse that she is interested in Maverick's MIG sighting to get closer. Maverick even leaves a Volleyball game to be with her. Now that's commitment. However, one day, Maverick's plane runs through another's jetwash, entirely by accident. Maverick and Goose enter a flat spin. At the last minute, they both eject, but because of the air flow, the canopy doesn't fully go clear, and Goose hits it headfirst with great force. Goose dies, and Maverick consoles his wife, played by Meg Ryan. Iceman offers his apologies, and Viper gets Maverick up in the air again as soon as possible. Maverick blames himself, and simply isn't the same man. However, Viper then reveals to him the truth behind his father's death, that he was in fact a hero. Maverick gets new confidence, and returns to his impeccable flying skills. However, Iceman is by now way ahead of him on points, and wins the trophy. After evryone graduates from the Fighter Weapons School, the main characters are coincidentaly all asiigned to the same mission in the same place on the same boat with Maverick's old commander, Stinger (James Tolkan). After an action-packed finale in which Maverick lets go of Goose, recovers from a flat spin and save Iceman, the good American god-fearing liberators win, while the godess communist oppresers are blown to pieces. Maverick and Iceman give each other a hug, but when Maverick returns to Charlie's house, she's moved. In the last scee of the film, Maverick's in a bar, and the familiar song, 'You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'',starts up on the jukebox. It is, of course, Charlie, and the two get it on.