The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie primarily takes place in the Pacific Northwest, starting with the forests of Washington State where the hijacker parachuted into the wilderness. The chase then extends to the desert outskirts near Tucson, Arizona, with key scenes set at an aircraft boneyard and involving a hot-air balloon.

• washington state
• tucson arizona
• pacific northwest
• setting
• locations

The film is set in 1971, the same year as the real D.B. Cooper hijacking. This time period is significant because it depicts a pre-digital era of investigation, before modern surveillance technology was available to law enforcement.

• 1971
• time period
• era
• 1970s
• historical context

The film explores three central themes: Chase & Deception, which drives the cat-and-mouse dynamic between the hijacker and investigators; Dreams vs. Consequences, examining what one risks for money and whether pursuit itself becomes the goal; and Loyalty & Betrayal, showing how trust shifts between characters as plans unfold.

• themes
• chase
• deception
• loyalty
• betrayal
• consequences
• dreams

In the film, D.B. Cooper is portrayed by Treat Williams as a military veteran with grand ambitions who executes the plane hijacking. He is depicted as resourceful and willing to take significant risks, using cleverness and improvisation to stay ahead of his pursuers.

• treat williams
• db cooper
• character
• veteran
• protagonist

Gruen is played by Robert Duvall. He portrays an insurance investigator and former army sergeant who becomes relentless and calculating in his pursuit of the hijacker, driven by both professional duty and a personal stake in the hunt.

• robert duvall
• gruen
• insurance investigator
• antagonist
• pursuing character

Hannah, played by Kathryn Harrold, is Meade's estranged wife who runs a river rafting company. She becomes entangled in the escape and serves as a practical, resilient counterpoint to the chaos surrounding the pursuit, providing both assistance and grounded perspective.

• kathryn harrold
• hannah
• wife
• river rafting
• support character

Remson, played by Paul Gleason, is Meade's army buddy who becomes aware of the hijacking and joins the pursuit to recover the stolen money. His involvement adds pressure and urgency to the chase, contributing to the tension between the characters.

• paul gleason
• remson
• army buddy
• secondary character
• money recovery

The Chase & Deception theme forms the film's core, with the hijacker using misdirection and the rugged terrain to stay ahead of Gruen, Remson, and authorities. This constant cat-and-mouse dynamic creates tension as each escape method, Jeep, balloon, cropduster, unfolds across the Northwest and Southwestern settings.

• chase
• deception
• manhunt
• cat and mouse
• escape

Washington State's dense forests provide the remote wilderness where the hijacker initially evades capture after parachuting down. Arizona's desert outskirts and aircraft boneyard become pivotal in the aftermath, offering starkly different terrain that shapes the final stages of the pursuit and escape methods.

• washington forests
• arizona desert
• aircraft boneyard
• setting contrast
• chase locations

The film speculates on the real 1971 D.B. Cooper hijacking case, where a man hijacked a Boeing 727, parachuted out with ransom money, and vanished into the Pacific Northwest. While the real Cooper was never identified, this movie offers a fictional interpretation of what might have happened.

• db cooper
• true story
• real event
• 1971 hijacking
• speculation