The Great Santini (1979)

Director:

Lewis John Carlino

Writers:

Lewis John Carlino (writer)
Pat Conroy (novel)

Release Date:

26 October 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The bravest thing he would ever do was let his family love him.

Plot:

As he approaches manhood, Ben Meechum struggles to win the approval of his demanding alpha male father, an aggressively competitive, but frustrated marine pilot.

Plot Keywords:

Marine | Locker Room | Toilet Bowl | Bitten To Death | Birthday Cake

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Robert Duvall	...	Lt. Col. 'Bull' Meechum
Blythe Danner	...	Lillian Meechum
Michael O'Keefe	...	Ben Meechum
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Mary Anne Meechum
Julie Anne Haddock	...	Karen Meechum
Brian Andrews	...	Matthew Meechum
Stan Shaw	...	Toomer Smalls
Theresa Merritt	...	Arrabella Smalls
David Keith	...	Red Petus
Paul Mantee	...	Col. Virgil Hedgepath
Michael Strong	...	Col. Varney
Bennett Liss	...	Cpl. Atcherly
Joe Dorsey	...	Coach Spinks
David Frankham	...	Capt. Weber
Jan Stratton	...	Mrs. Weber

Also Known As:

The Gift of Fury
The Great Santini (USA)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

Bing Crosby Productions

Trivia:

The South Carolina house where much of the movie takes place is the same house in Beaufort used in The Big Chill (1983). It is known as the "Edgar Fripp Home" as well as "Tidalholm."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Santini and his oldest son are at, what appears to be the officers club, there is a full shot showing Santini standing to make a toast. On the table there is a bottle. In the next full shot, the bottle has moved about four inches to the viewer's left.

Quotes:

Ben Meechum: [Angry with his father] I hope he dies out there with the rest of the snakes!

Movie Connections:

References King Kong (1933)

Robert Duvall's best performance!

I've seen Robert Duvall in other movies. He is a quiet, wise, somewhat reverent man. Being a fan of his, I caught "The Great Santini" on TV. And I gotta tell you, his performance as Bull Meechum just blew the hell out of me! I never knew he could play a role as fierce, violent, and powerful as Bull Meechum! Although it's a film with little attention, it's Robert Duvall best film! It's his best performance. The conflict between the father and the son is strong enough to wildly shake our emotions! Duvall was nominated for Best Actor, and he should've won! It's a must see! I tried purchasing it, but since it's not in high demand, the store didn't have it. It's worth owning, and it's definitely worth watching! Put it on your list of films to see next!