ⓘ Details

Movie TitleDevotion

Release DateNovember 23, 2022

TaglineIn America’s forgotten war, they made history.

Runtime139 minutes / 2 hours 19 minutes

DirectorJ. D. Dillard

Screenplay Written ByJake Crane and Jonathan A. H. Stewart

Based OnDevotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos

Is It a Remake?No. Devotion is a dramatization based on Adam Makos’ factual book about Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner.

BudgetApproximately $90 million

Box OfficeApprox. $20.5 million domestic / Approx. $21.8 million worldwide

↑ Return to Top

👥 Main Cast

Jonathan MajorsJesse Brown

Glen PowellTom Hudner

Christina JacksonDaisy Brown

Thomas SadoskiDick Cevoli

Daren KagasoffBill Koenig

Joe JonasMarty Goode

Spencer NevilleBo Lavery

Nick HargroveCarol Mohring

Boone PlattBuddy Gill

Dean DentonCaptain Sisson

Thad LuckinbillPeters

Joseph CrossCharlie Ward

Serinda SwanElizabeth Taylor

↑ Return to Top

🏆 Awards

⭐ Black Reel Awards Nominee — Outstanding Actor, Jonathan Majors

⭐ Black Reel Awards Nominee — Outstanding Production Design, Wynn Thomas

⭐ NAACP Image Awards Nominee — Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, Jonathan Majors

⭐ Georgia Film Critics Association Nominee — Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema

⭐ African-American Film Critics Association Recognition — Listed among AAFCA’s top films of 2022

⭐ No Academy Award, Golden Globe, or BAFTA nominations were verified for the film.

↑ Return to Top

📖 Short Plot Summary

During the Korean War, U.S. Navy aviator Tom Hudner joins Fighter Squadron 32 and meets Jesse Brown, the Navy’s first Black carrier pilot. As the two men train, fly dangerous missions, and face the pressure of combat, their relationship grows from cautious professionalism into a powerful bond. When a mission over Korea turns disastrous, Hudner must make an impossible choice that tests the meaning of loyalty, brotherhood, and devotion.

↑ Return to Top

❝ Key Quotes

“The real battle in all of life is being someone that people can count on.” — Jesse Brown

“You can’t always do what you’re told.” — Tom Hudner

“This one’s ours.” — Jesse Brown

“Just remember, you belong.” — Daisy Brown

“We bring everyone home.” — Tom Hudner

“It’s not what you do. It’s why you do it.” — Jesse Brown

↑ Return to Top

💡 Trivia

Director

Devotion was directed by J. D. Dillard.
Dillard has discussed a personal connection to aviation through his father, who was a naval aviator.
The film balances large-scale aerial combat with a character-driven focus on Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner’s friendship.
Unlike a purely fictional aviation film, Devotion is rooted in Adam Makos’ nonfiction account of Brown and Hudner during the Korean War.

Cast / Casting

Jonathan Majors stars as Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator to complete the U.S. Navy’s basic flight training program.
Glen Powell plays Tom Hudner and was also one of the producers on the film.
Christina Jackson plays Daisy Brown, Jesse Brown’s wife.
Joe Jonas appears as Marty Goode, one of the VF-32 pilots.
Serinda Swan plays Elizabeth Taylor in a supporting role connected to the pilots’ shore leave sequence.

Soundtrack / Score

Chanda Dancy composed the film’s score.
The score supports the film’s mix of aerial action, wartime tension, and emotional tribute.
The film also uses period-flavored music to evoke the late-1940s and early-1950s setting.
The music is used less as a pop soundtrack and more as a dramatic support system for combat sequences and personal moments.

Location

The story includes U.S. Navy training, carrier operations, Mediterranean deployment, and combat during the Korean War.
The Numbers lists Georgia as a filming location for the production.
Aircraft-carrier and aviation material were key visual components of the film’s production design.
The film’s setting moves from naval bases and shipboard life to dangerous missions over Korea.

Behind-The-Scenes

The screenplay was written by Jake Crane and Jonathan A. H. Stewart.
The film is based on Adam Makos’ book Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice.
Black Label Media, Stage 6 Films, and STX Films are listed among the production companies.
Sony Pictures released the film domestically on November 23, 2022.
The reported production budget was approximately $90 million.

Nostalgia

Devotion is set during the Korean War, often referred to as “the forgotten war.”
The film leans into classic aviation-drama imagery: carrier landings, squadron camaraderie, pilot rituals, and the danger of flying propeller-driven combat aircraft.
Its emphasis on duty, sacrifice, and military brotherhood recalls older Hollywood war dramas while using modern aerial filmmaking.
The movie’s emotional center is not just combat spectacle, but the memory of Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner’s real-life legacy.

Easter Eggs

The title connects directly to the theme of the story: personal devotion, military devotion, and the loyalty between Brown and Hudner.
The film’s VF-32 squadron details are tied to the real U.S. Navy fighter squadron involved in Brown and Hudner’s story.
The carrier and aircraft material centers on the F4U Corsair, a visually distinctive fighter associated with both World War II and the Korean War era.
The film’s final tribute reinforces that the story is designed as a memorial to real people, not just a wartime adventure.

Misc.

Devotion is rated PG-13 for strong language, some war action/violence, and smoking.
Rotten Tomatoes summarizes the film as an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name.
Metacritic lists the film as action, biography, drama, and war.
Box Office Mojo lists the film’s domestic distributor as Columbia Pictures.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists Devotion as Episode 97, with Don rating it 3.50, Ken rating it 3.50, Jon rating it 3.50, and an overall rating of 3.50.

↑ Return to Top