Under Fire

In the late 1970s a trio of American journalists finds themselves immersed in Nicaragua's turmoil as a brutal power struggle unfolds. They chase a headline that could change the course of the story, then discover that their own safety and professional distance are slipping away. Personal trust, newsroom loyalty, and the ethics of reporting clash under the weight of advancing conflict as foreign meddling and local danger press in from all sides. The film keeps its focus on how reporters witness violence up close, recording the events while their judgments and friendships become part of the very story they aim to tell.

Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, Under Fire is a 1983 drama built around an original screenplay credited to Ron Shelton and Clayton Frohman. It centers on a trio of journalists who chase a dangerous Nicaragua story while grappling with ethics, safety, and the toll of covering a country in upheaval.

Box office figures for Under Fire are not widely documented, reflecting its modest release and the era's distribution realities. The film mostly circulated through art houses and selective markets, finding a receptive audience among viewers who seek politically aware dramas rather than broad commercial hits.

No major awards are listed for Under Fire. While the cast features renowned names such as Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, and Ed Harris, the film did not secure notable nominations from the Academy, the Golden Globes, or other prominent bodies. As a result it remains a strong example of its period's political cinema without trophy recognition.

Critics treated the film as a taut, morally shaded portrait of journalism under pressure. It probes the struggle to stay objective when danger crowds in, the price of risking one's safety for a story, and how friendship and ambition can collide when power and propaganda enter the frame. Its tone favors understated realism over sensationalism.