Can You Hit the Mark on"The Deer Hunter" Trivia?

By: R. White
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Hit the Mark on"The Deer Hunter" Trivia?
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About This Quiz

"A deer has to be taken with one shot." CALLING ALL DEER HUNTERS! "The Deer Hunter" has been out for 40 years, and its fans still love this war drama. With all the drama happening in this film, can you hit the mark on "The Deer Hunter" trivia?

"The Deer Hunter" is a war drama that was released in 1978. Written by Deric Washburn and directed by Michael Cimino, the film follows three friends from their small-town life to fighting in the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage, and Meryl Streep.

While the film had a mediocre response at the box office, it definitely made an impact on fans and film critics. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, five of which it won (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor - De Niro, Best Supporting Actor - Walken, Best Film Editing). 

In 1996, the Library of Congress chose to preserve the film as being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." Was this film significant to you? Enough to nail this trivia quiz?

Do you remember which state the main characters were from? What did Linda do for a living? Besides Nick, who else was romantically interested in Linda?

Can you answer these questions? You just might be able to hit the mark! After 40 years, can you remember all "The Deer Hunter" trivia? Will you hit the mark with one shot?

Let's find out!

What state are the main characters from?
Ohio
Indiana
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
It is a blue collar town where the characters work at a steel plant; the main characters are average people.

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Why does Meryl Streep's character, Linda, want to move into Nick and Mike's place?
She wants to be closer to Nick
She wants to be closer to Mike
Her father beats her
Linda offers to pay them if she can live there while they're off to Vietnam; she wants to get away from her father.
She was evicted from her apartment

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Early in the film, the main characters are playing pool in the local bar and all join in on singing a song. What is it?
"You're Just to Good to Be True"
The members of the group have been lifelong friends who work and play together; they enjoy a comfortable relationship.
"American Pie"
"Blue Suede Shoes"
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

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Who was the best man at Steven's wedding?
Axel
Mike
Nick
Nick is played by Christopher Walken. His girlfriend serves as the maid of honor.
Stanley

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The car the friends use for deer hunting and Steven's wedding is iconic. What kind is it?
Ford Fairlane
Chevy Impala
It seems to be the only vehicle available to the friends attesting to the poor economy of the town.
Dodge Viper
Cadillac

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What tradition for good luck are Steven and his bride unsuccessful at during their wedding?
Consuming a drink together without spilling it
The spilling of the drink is unseen by everyone but is a foreshadowing of hard times to come.
Having the first dance
Feeding each other a piece of cake
Making a toast to the guests

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What promise does Nick ask Mike to keep?
To marry Linda if he doesn't make it back from Vietnam
To look after his mother if he doesn't make it back from Vietnam
To not leave him in Vietnam
This promise comes back to haunt Mike later, and foreshadows Nick's death.
To not get killed in Vietnam

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While on a deer hunting trip, Stanley forgets something. What is it?
Boots
Mike has an extra pair but he refuses to allow Stanley to use them. He says, "Stanley never comes prepared," and is very irritated.
Bullets
Gun
Orange hat

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What does Stanley accuse Mike of?
Stealing his bullets
Sleeping with his wife
Getting him fired
Being gay
Stanley is angry with Mike. He says, "I fixed him up with so many girls and nothing happens."

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Of what ethnic background are most the characters?
Irish
Russian
The Russian heritage binds many of the townspeople; they are proud of their roots but just as proud to be Americans.
Italian
Polish

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A song the characters sing in the bar has the line, "Kick me Jesus ___________________________________."
if you want me to forgive you...
and heal me the next day...
through the goalposts of life...
The song shows a playful side to the group; the songs throughout the movie show camaraderie.
if you want my attention...

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Which character does NOT go to Vietnam?
Axel
Axel is played by an untrained actor who was an actual steel worker from Indiana. "The Deer Hunter" is his only movie credit.
Nick
Mike
Steven

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What demand does Mike make when taken prisoner in Vietnam?
They let Steven go
They take his money to let him go
They use three bullets in the gun
Mike is staging an overthrow of the captors; he keeps a level head among the group.
They feed him fish

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How does Steven get injured during the war?
He falls from a helicopter in a rescue attempt
Steven shatters his legs in the fall. He is confined to a wheelchair when he is found.
He is trapped in an explosion
He is shot while trying to save a small child
He is shot in friendly fire

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The sign for the city of Clairton identifies it as the City of ______________________________________.
Prayer
Clairton is a blue collar steel town in the south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1970s. None of the movie was actually filmed there.
Good Neighbors
Saints
Peaceful Waters

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Which character returns from Vietnam as a decorated soldier and has a "Welcome Home" party thrown in his honor?
Axel
Stanley
Nicky
Mike
The party brings together old friends and excitement, but Mike never shows up for it; he is uncomfortable returning home.

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What does Mike say is the best way to get a deer?
"You gotta take a deer when you are with your best friend."
"You gotta take a deer with one shot."
Bullets and chance are a motif throughout the movie. While prisoners of war and in Vietnam, Mike and Nick engage in a game of chance with bullets.
"You gotta take a deer just before the early morning sun's rays blind you."
"You gotta take a deer when you are the most afraid of it."

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Where does Linda work?
The steel mill
The grocery store
Linda has a modest job and is still working there when Mike comes home from Vietnam.
The bowling alley
The florist

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Where did Steven go or what did he do after he returned home from the war?
He gets a girlfriend and abandons his wife and son.
He tries to resume his life with wife and son.
He went to a veteran's home.
Steven feels ashamed to return to his family. He wants to remain at the veteran's home away from family and friends.
He goes back to Vietnam.

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Who is the only person Mike says he needs with him to hunt?
God
Axel
Nicky
The friendship between Nicky and Mike is challenged on many levels and is not reconciled later in the story. Mike has to learn to move forward.
His dog

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What is consistent about the deer hunting scenes?
Choir music plays in the background
Mike has a spiritual experience when he is out in the wilderness hunting deer; the music enhances this closeness to God.
They are shot in black and white
Only the gun, not the shooter is shown
The deer are never shown

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What does Mike shout at the deer when he realizes he cannot shoot it?
"Don't look at me!"
"Run away!"
"You don't know!"
"Okay!"
Mike is changed after Vietnam; he hesitates while hunting and feels guilty.

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Stevie shows Mike he has a drawer full of ______________________________________"
US flags
money
Steven has been receiving money from someone in Vietnam; it is guilt money sent by Nick.
unopened letters from his wife
newspaper articles

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Where does Mike finally find Nicky when he returns to Vietnam?
An opium den
A prison
A hospital
A betting den
Nicky has become consumed with risking his life in games of chance. He cannot deal with all he has seen in the war.

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What is the final thing Mike hears Nicky say?
"Tell them."
"I love you, Mikie."
"Never forget what happened here."
"One shot."
Nicky's luck runs out when the "one shot" finally kills him; Mike is devastated.

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What local beer does Mike offer Linda at the wedding?
Rolling Rock
Rolling Rock was brewed near Pittsburgh in the 1970s. It was later bought out by Anheuser-Busch in 2006.
Goebel's
Genessee
Budweiser

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Who begins the singing at the bar after Nicky's funeral?
John
John starts humming while making breakfast and Linda then joins in; everyone else follows in a tribute.
Axel
Linda
Angela

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What song does everyone sing at the bar after the funeral?
"You've Got a Friend"
"We Are Family"
"God Bless America"
As they try to understand why America fought in Vietnam, they gather to console each other.
"Time in a Bottle"

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Why doesn't Mike initially show up for his "Welcome Home" party?
He didn't know it was being held
He is late from the airport
He's afraid Nick will be there
He is not mentally prepared for it
Mike drives past the party because he cannot deal with "normal" life after Vietnam; life will not be the same for him.

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What does Mike call an "omen" at the beginning of the movie?
A group of vultures
A green sky
A double rainbow
A halo around the sun
Mike sees it as a good sign, especially for hunting; it's a blessing for a hunter.

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Who aggressively hits a woman on the dance floor at the wedding?
Steven
Stanley
Stanley's girlfriend laughs at him and he feels humiliated in front of everyone.
Mike
John

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What does Nick think about while hunting, besides the deer?
The heart of the deer
The trees
Nick appreciates the simplicity of nature; it's a sharp contrast to war.
The silence of the woods and mountains
The wind

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Who else is interested in Nick's girlfriend, Linda?
Mike
Mike tries to fight and hide his attraction to Linda. She seems to feel the same way and also tries to suppress her feelings.
Stan
John
Axel

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What is the reaction of a Green Beret when asked about the war?
"F--- it!"
Mike and his friends react to the response with laughter because they don't understand yet. Clearly the vet is bitter about war.
He grunts
"God bless America!"
He coughs

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What significant decision does Nick make before leaving for 'Nam?
He proposes to Linda
Nick is caught up in the moment when Linda catches the bouquet at the wedding. It solidifies the relationship for him since he is leaving for Vietnam the next morning.
He sells his home
He makes his own funeral arrangements
He writes a will

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