Sinopsis
Iniciándose con la invasión aliada a Normandía el 6 de junio de 1944, los miembros del segundo batallón de asalto, bajo las ordenes del capitán Miller, luchan por ganar el control de la playa. En el combate dos hermanos resultan muertos. Un poco antes, en Nueva Guinea, un tercer hermano muere también. Su madre, la señora Ryan, va a recibir tres telegramas de defunción el mismo día. El jefe del ejército estadounidense, George C. Marshall, ve la oportunidad de aliviar el sufrimiento de la señora cuando se entera de la existencia de un cuarto hermano, el soldado James Ryan, y decide enviar a 8 hombres (el capitán Miller y un grupo selecto de su batallón) a buscarlo y devolverlo a casa de su madre.
Reparto
Tom Hanks — Captain MillerTom Sizemore — Sergeant HorvathEdward Burns — Private ReibenBarry Pepper — Private JacksonAdam Goldberg — Private MellishVin Diesel — Private CaparzoGiovanni Ribisi — T/4 Medic WadeJeremy Davies — Corporal UphamMatt Damon — Private RyanTed Danson — Captain HamillPaul Giamatti — Sergeant HillDennis Farina — Lieutenant Colonel AndersonJoerg Stadler — Steamboat WillieMax Martini — Corporal HendersonDylan Bruno — ToynbeDaniel Cerqueira — WellerDemetri Goritsas — ParkerIan Porter — TraskGary Sefton — RiceJulian Spencer — GarritySteve Griffin — WilsonWilliam Marsh — LyleMarc Cass — FallonMarkus Napier — Major HoessNeil Finnighan — Ramelle ParatrooperPeter Miles — Ramelle ParatrooperPaul Garcia — Field HQ MajorSeamus McQuade — Field HQ AideRonald Longridge — CoxswainAdam Shaw — DelanceyRolf Saxon — Lieutenant BriggsCorey Johnson — RadiomanLoclann Aiken — Soldier on the BeachJohn Barnett — Soldier on the BeachMaclean Burke — Soldier on the BeachVictor Burke — Soldier on the BeachAiden Condron — Soldier on the BeachShashi Rami — Soldier on the BeachShane Hagan — Soldier on the BeachPaul Hickey — Soldier on the BeachShane Johnson — Soldier on the BeachLaird Macintosh — Soldier on the BeachBrian Maynard — Soldier on the BeachMartin McDougall — Soldier on the BeachMark Phillips — Soldier on the BeachLee Aaron Rosen — Soldier on the BeachAndrew Scott — Soldier on the BeachMatthew Sharp — Soldier on the BeachVincent Walsh — Soldier on the BeachGrahame Wood — Soldier on the BeachJohn Sharian — CorporalGlenn Wrage — DoyleCrofton Hardester — Senior Medical OfficerMartin Hub — Czech Wehrmacht SoldierRaffaello Degruttola — GoldmanNigel Whitmey — Private BoydSam Ellis — Private HastingsErich Redman — German #1Tilo Keiner — German #2Stephan Grothgar — German #3 / Voice on BullhornStéphane Cornicard — JeanMichelle Evans — Jean's WifeMartin Beaton — Jean's SonAnna Maguire — Jean's DaughterNathan Fillion — Minnesota RyanLeland Orser — Lieutenant DeWindtMichael Mantas — Paratrooper LieutenantDavid Vegh — Paratrooper OliverRyan Hurst — Paratrooper MichaelsonNick Brooks — Paratrooper JoeSam Scudder — Paratrooper #1John Walters — Old French ManDorothy Grumbar — Old French WomanJames Innes-Smith — MP LieutenantHarve Presnell — General MarshallDale Dye — War Department ColonelBryan Cranston — War Department ColonelDavid Wohl — War Department CaptainEric Loren — War Department LieutenantValerie Colgan — War Department ClerkAmanda Boxer — Mrs. Margaret RyanHarrison Young — Ryan as Old ManKathleen Byron — Old Mrs. RyanRob Freeman — Ryan's SonThomas Gizbert — Ryan's GrandsonNina Muschallik — Ryan's Granddaughter (uncredited)Mac Steinmeier — Waffen SS Soldier (uncredited)Derek Lea — Bangalore Assistant (uncredited)Leoš Stránský — German Sniper (uncredited)Vincent Ventresca — Soldier on Beach (uncredited)Conor Power — D-Day Soldier (uncredited)