Let’s not be pretentious.  One of my favourite action-films is Battleship (Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson) – the story of an international fleet of ships which comes across an alien armada while on a naval war games exercise.

 

For who could resist this exchange at the end of the film, between the heroic Lieutenant Commander Alex Hopper (Kitsch, who’s battled hard with the aliens at this point) and his hoped-for future father-in-law, Admiral Shane (Neeson):

 

“LCDR Alex Hopper: Sir.

ADM Shane: What is it?

LCDR Alex Hopper: I want you to know…that I am in love with Sam. And I am asking your permission to marry your daughter.

[Admiral Shane thinks for a moment.]

ADM Shane: No.

LCDR Alex Hopper: Thank you sir, I mean it’s…what?

ADM Shane: No.

LCDR Alex Hopper: Sir…I saved the world!

ADM Shane: Saving the world is one thing, Hopper. My daughter is quite another.”

 

Fabulous, isn’t it?  “Sir … I saved the world!”  I wait for that line every time I watch the film.

As tongue in cheek as the Admiral’s comment is, I guess LCDR Hopper got a taste, just for a moment, of what it felt like to not be recognized or rewarded for his efforts.