Brendan Fraser stars as Eisenhower in film about D-Day meteorologist
Brendan Fraser plays Eisenhower in a film about a meteorologist whose weather forecast shaped the D-Day decision.
Brendan Fraser stars as General Dwight Eisenhower in the film "Pressure". The film tells how weather forecasting shaped one of history's biggest military decisions.
Royal Air Force Group Captain James Stagg, played by Andrew Scott, predicted storms that would threaten the planned June 5, 1944 invasion of France. Stagg had to convince Eisenhower to delay D-Day by up to two weeks.
This overrode the US military's own meteorologist who predicted clear conditions. Eisenhower later said the advantage on D-Day came down to having better weathermen than the Germans.
Directed by Anthony Maras and based on a play by David Haig, the film also stars Damien Lewis as Montgomery and Kerry Condon as Eisenhower's secretary. It marks another strong role for Fraser since winning an Oscar for "The Whale" three years ago.
- June 5, 1944
- Planned invasion date
- Group Captain James Stagg
- RAF meteorologist
- Colonel Irving P. Krick
- US meteorologist
- Anthony Maras
- Film director
Why it mattersThe film shows how scientific expertise and the willingness to challenge powerful figures can prevent disaster, a theme Fraser calls a warning against disregarding science.
AustraliaThe film was directed by Australian filmmaker Anthony Maras and features a major role for Fraser, who won international recognition at this year's Oscars.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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