Line #0 Heartwarming/TopGun


1	* After the engagement with the two [=MiGs=] at the start of the movie, Cougar suffers a panic attack and is unable to land his plane, ''and'' he's low on fuel. [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight Maverick aborts his landing, despite being low on fuel himself, to fly back up and coach Cougar to a safe landing.]] He gets chewed out for it by his superiors[[note]]"Gentlemen, you just did a very brave thing. ''[[SuddenlySHOUTING What you should've done was land your plane!]]''"[[/note]], but at least Cougar gets to resign and go home to a family who nearly lost their father, including his son, whom he's never met.
2	** An underplayed but notable one, at least in context, is that while Cougar is having his massive panic attack, the movie shows that even attempting to go in the direction of forcefully getting Cougar's head back in the game was not working at all, but when Maverick comes up alongside Cougar and is gentle, reassuring, and encouraging, Cougar manages to pull it together enough to come back and perform a successful carrier landing in one attempt. It's a very marked difference from the attitude often held in [=WW1=] and sometimes [=WW2=] where soldiers suffering from panic attacks and PTSD were told to man up (or were outright assaulted), only making things worse. In flying, it's a well-known and proven strategy to help pilots in trouble by being reassuring, calm, and encouraging to help them not succumb to panic; when people inside and outside the plane all work together to help a pilot in need, their chances of survival increase dramatically. That a movie BackedByThePentagon shows all of this so explicitly and sympathetically is heartwarming in itself.
3	** There's a small extra moment where, just before Stinger (Maverick's CO) starts to chew them out, he softly tells him he did "An incredibly brave thing." He has to chew them out, and they ''should'' be chewed out, but he's willing to give them that little "attaboy for doing the moral thing to help a friend". Even better, Stinger almost seems to act like Maverick's choice is (begrudgingly) part of the reason why Stinger is recommending him for Top Gun--it takes a brave, confident, and caring pilot to risk running out of fuel to go back into danger to save his endangered wingman.
4	** Stinger's also very patient and understanding with Cougar, trying to convince him (after saying Cougar should be in sickbay) that he's going to be okay and what happened doesn't diminish him as a pilot. Given that the movie was BackedByThePentagon, it's heartwarming to see the military setting an example in popular culture about how having a panic attack or breaking down once under an intense situation doesn't make one unfit for future duty or any less of a man.
5	* After Goose's death, Maverick has to deliver his late [=RIO=]'s personal effects to his widow, and you can tell he's torn up with guilt over taking her husband away from her and uncertain what to say. As soon as he approaches, she hugs ''him'' and offers him reassurance to return to flying for his own good.
6	-->'''Carole''': God, he loved flying with you, Maverick. But he'd flown anyway... without you. He'd have hated it, but he would have done it.
7	* Despite the animosity between them, Iceman offers Maverick his sincere condolences for Goose's death.
8	-->'''Iceman''': Mitchell... I'm sorry about Goose. Everybody liked him. I'm sorry.
9	* Upon arriving at the graduation ceremony, Maverick simply congratulates Iceman and Slider for winning the Top Gun trophy, showing no resentment.
10	* Viper gets a couple near the end:
11	** First, when Maverick visits him, he finally discloses the details of how Maverick's father died, and reassures Mav that his old man died honorably in combat. He also gives Maverick the option to honorably quit, remarking that the flat spin that Maverick suffered would've shaken him up too.
12	** At the graduation ceremony, Maverick is one of several graduates who's called to enter real combat the next day due to a crisis situation. Viper tells Mav he'll get a RIO when he gets to the ship, but if he doesn't, "give me a call, I'll fly with you." Some interpret this as Viper offering to be Maverick's RIO, which is comical for several reasons; really, Viper is saying that if Maverick doesn't find that connection and partnership with another RIO, then he's invited back to TOPGUN as an instructor. (They fly single-seat A-4s and F-5s.) Nevertheless, Viper showing Maverick such high regard and respect clearly means a great deal to Maverick, who's still somewhat mourning the loss of his friend and RIO and probably harboring some doubts in the back of his mind.
13	* After spending much of the movie in an antagonistic relationship, Maverick and Iceman work excellently as a team in the climactic battle and show absolutely none of the rivalry or animosity from before.
14	* "You! You are still dangerous. ({{Beat}}) You can be my wingman anytime." "Bullshit, you can be mine." Cue ManHug from Maverick and Iceman.

Context Heartwarming / TopGun