The Great Escaper is a 2023 British biographical comedy-drama film directed by Oliver Parker, written by William Ivory, and starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson.

It is based on the true story of 90-year-old British World War II Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan who "broke out" of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France in June 2014.

[3][4] The Great Escaper had its world premiere in London at BFI Southbank on 20 September 2023,[5] and was released in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2023, by Warner Bros.

Bernie, who served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, hopes to attend the 70th anniversary of D-Day, but is told that there are no spaces left on any of the group tours to Normandy for the event.

Back in the UK, the care home staff are all in a panic over the mysterious disappearance of Bernie, whose whereabouts Rene does not reveal until much later in the day, when she confesses the truth to her nurse, Adele, that he has "escaped" to Normandy.

He brushes past them in dismay and goes straight to Rene, to whom he confesses the truth of his guilt over Douglas' death, and his despair at the wasted lives of all the young men who died on that fateful day 70 years ago.

[10] Principal photography commenced the following year, on 8 September 2022,[11] and director Oliver Parker noted that Glenda Jackson "shot almost all her big scenes in the first twelve days".

The website's consensus reads: "Sweet without straying into sentimentality, The Great Escaper gains added resonance thanks to a pair of stellar performances from Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson.

[19] Lou Thomas of Empire magazine gave the film 4 stars out of 5, stating "A moving and surprisingly nuanced drama offering far more than flag-waving nostalgia.

[20] Kevin Maher of The Times also gave the film 4 stars out of 5, saying "Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson are remarkable as a D-Day veteran and his wife in a charming tale".