Bardlerx Strictly average movie

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

LeonLouisRicci This Movie has Echoes of Cable Television and it Shows. The Way it is Shot and Scored is Evident of Many of its Small Screen Siblings. The Music is Over the Top, Draws Attention to Itself, and is Obvious Most of the Time and the Cinematography, while Adequate is Sort of Bland and Unremarkable.The Attraction Here is Robert Duvall's Performance that Garnered an Oscar Nomination. The Rest of the Cast Struggles to Keep Up but Succeeds. Michael O'Keefe was Also Given a Best Supporting Nod as the Son, and is Overshadowed and by Comparison Duvall Kicks His Ass, and Leaves Him Whimpering.The Story is Autobiographical from the Book by Pat Conroy and it is About a Warrior Without a War. The Viewer Wishes that He Had One Because it Can Be Painful at Times Watching this Patriarch Pound His Family Into Tip-Top Fighting Condition.Overall, it is a Fine Film with Just Enough Ingredients to Keep Things On a Somewhat Even Keel as Duvall's God Complex is On Display. It Seems the Movie is Underseen and Off the Radar and it Deserves to be Rediscovered.

Wuchak Two films were released in 1979, "Apocalypse Now" and "The Great Santini," wherein Robert Duvall played essentially the same character -- a gung-ho, half-crazed Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps.In "The Great Santini" Duvall plays fighter pilot commander Bull Meechum, who drives his family to his new base in Beaufort, SC (where the film was actually filmed). It's peace-time in the early 60s before the Vietnam War. Bull is ultra-charismatic but flawed. At any given time you either love him or hate him; you'll see this same struggle with his family members. He generally treats them like Marine subordinates which, for the most part, works and they seem to have a lot of good times together, but there's a dark side as Bull is overly competitive, especially with his just-turning-18 son Ben (Michael O'Keefe). Perhaps this is because he's a warrior without a war and he has to fight/win someone. He's also an alcoholic, albeit a functional one. The story details the family's good times and bad times.If you're in the mood for a good drama you can't go wrong with "The Great Santini." Although there are a few comedic moments, which are life-like in nature, this is essentially a serious study on the joys & agonies of family dynamics. The story offers numerous insights to ponder, which makes it a great film for repeat viewings.Many times during the film I was reminded of my growing-up years. In Bull Meechum I see a bit of my father.The one-on-one basketball game between Bull and his son is an exceptional scene. The rest of the family is watching and cheering. They're all having a fun time until it takes an unexpected dark turn. Bull can't handle losing to his son and responds like a total jerk. Yet it smacks of real life. Years ago I was playing chess with my wife on a Lake Erie beach and she beat me, which wasn't usual, and for some reason I got upset about it, perhaps because I wasn't in the best of moods to start with. Looking back, of course, I see how pathetic it was.Unlike Bull and Ben in the film I didn't have an actual relationship with my father. Generally, the only time he'd talk to me was when he was calling me names, cussing me out or telling me I was never going to amount to anything. One day, when I was 15 and my father was in his mid-50s, I was in my room upstairs and my dad started yelling at me from the bottom of the stairs. I couldn't really hear what he was saying and, mumbling, just kinda blew it off. He then ran up the stairs yelling and charged into my room in a rage. If he ever ran at me in such a manner in the past I would just flee the scene, but in this case I was cornered and had nowhere to run. Hence, we went at, the first and only time (physically), father against son. As great as his rage was, mine was greater. Don't get me wrong, I believe in honoring parents and all, but at that point I couldn't take anymore. I was done with the names, the cuss-outs and the deadly curses (e.g. "You're gonna turn to $#!&"). I was able to put him in a headlock fairly quickly and squeezed tight until his entire head turned beet red. I then let him go and he walked out of the room muttering, defeated. And no wonder, he was in physical decline while I was just entering my prime. Strangely, in weeks and months to come he would brag on me about the incident.Why do I bring this personal story up? Because the film is so true-to-life that it will likely stir up growing-up memories for any adult viewer, pleasant and unpleasant, happy and sad.The eldest daughter, the redhead, is played by Lisa Jane Persky. She initially comes off as eccentric, geeky and not very attractive, but wait until you see her on prom night later in the picture. If I was 18 I'd take her out without a second thought. Anyway, go to IMDb and check out a couple of recent pictures of her and witness what a truly beautiful woman she grew up to be.I should also point out that the film has a good, authentic Southern vibe like a handful of other films, e.g. "Mississippi Burning," "Ode To Billy Joe," "Cat People" (the remake) and even (believe it or not) "Squirm." There's so much more I could say about this picture, but I'll leave it for you to discover. Once again, if you're in the mood for a good drama you can't go wrong.GRADE: A-

dwpollar 1st watched 10/11/2010 -- 7 out of 10 (Dir-Lewis John Carlino): Well crafted drama about a tough marine colonel played by Robert Duvall trying to juggle his career as a jet pilot trainer who moves often, with his family life. He runs his family somewhat like his teams in the marines but not unlike that career, he sometimes causes trouble because of his drinking and flamboyant behavior. At the beginning of the movie, the family is moving into a new town in South Carolina and they have to adapt to their new surroundings one more time. His son, played by Michael O'Keefe, is supposed to follow in his footsteps and he tries to oblige. The movie is light-hearted at first, but becomes very melodramatic in the last 1/2 hour(which, in my opinion, is the movie's only real fault). The son befriends a stuttering black man, who gets bullied by some racists, which provided a side story that really doesn't add much to the movie, in my opinion, but it's done well. The acting is very well done, especially when it's trying to show how the family copes. This overlooked gem gave the two male stars Academy award nominations, but the film was not distributed well and is not very well known. It deserves to be viewed more often, so go out there and rent or buy this one--- you won't be disappointed.

moonspinner55 Muddled adaptation of Pat Conroy's book(briefly retitled "The Ace" at one point)features Robert Duvall as strict Marine Bull Meechum, raising his kids with an iron fist in 1962. Duvall is well cast but one-note in the lead; didn't this guy have another side they could've explored? Was he only about outbursts and confrontation? The character is written as such a hot-headed buffoon that he elicits no sympathy. Film is fatally doomed by irrational racial sub-plot that gets shoehorned in, possibly to take us away from the father for a few minutes but, alas, not to a better place. Michael O'Keefe as the son has a nice, mellow way with an exchange, and it's always nice to see Blythe Danner's work--and yet, she's wasted as the mom. ** from ****