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The Great Santini (1979) More at IMDbPro »

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24 comments in total

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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Great story on the irony of being a Marine, 16 December 2002

Author: rlcsljo from Hollywood, ca

I have not seen this film in over 20 years, but having been in the Marines, it will always be burned in my memory. You may also have to be, or have been, a Marine to fully appreciate the film (although anyone that has lived under authoritarian rule must feel some sympathy for the situations presented).

Although the film may have been re-cut for video release, I remember Duvall's character as being a fully fleshed out dichotomy of a man who rebelled against authority when submission was called for (his practical jokes while performing military duties) and invoking authoritarianism when more compassion and understanding were called for (his family life).

This is what it was like to be a Marine: The Corps was your family and your family was just an inconvenient duty to be performed for society.

If the movie has been re-edited, I suggest you try to see the original theatrical release, if possible. I found it to be a thoughtful and powerful motion picture.

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Memorable character study of a warrior without a war, 10 June 2002

Author: herbqedi from New York, NY

Robert Duvall is magnificent as a classic warrior without a war who moves his family from town to town. Blythe Danner is an excellent match as his wife. And Michael O'Keefe deserves all the kudos he received plus more as Duvall's put-upon son. Lisa Jane Persky strikes a nice balance as the sarcastic-yet-still-loving daughter. Stan Shaw, Paul Mantee, Paul Gleason, and David Keith are flawless in edgy supporting performances. There's perhaps one scene that's slightly overdone which causes me to give it a 9/10 rather than a 10. Otherwise, The Great Santini is an utterly riveting family portrait from start to finish.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Duvall's Finest Performance, and an Awesome Character Study, 16 April 2001

Author: MadReviewer from Oldwick, NJ

"The Great Santini" is a powerful, gut-wrenching film that manages to tell the tale of a powerful, abusive, often unlikeable hero named Bull Meecham (Duvall). . . and yet you care about what happens to Bull Meecham just the same. Meecham, a legendary pilot and naval hero, is at his best when faced with death -- but at his worst when faced with peacetime, and with his wife and children. Meecham is actually both sad and scary when left alone with his family; he's an abusive terror, almost trying to start a full-scale war in his own home just so he can feel, well, normal.

Duvall is nothing short of brilliant in this movie -- he was nominated for an Oscar, and, in my opinion, he should've won it hands down. Also amazing is Blythe Danner as Lillian, his put-upon wife. An amazing character study that isn't always fun -- in fact, sometimes it's downright harrowing -- but definitely a great story with some incredibly moving performances. A-

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Just Like Living With a Ticking Time Bomb., 23 June 2004
Author: tfrizzell from United States

Hard-nosed military pilot Robert Duvall (Oscar-nominated in the title role) is a nut of epic proportions as he abuses his wife (Blythe Danner) and four kids (led by Oscar-nominee Michael O'Keefe) with verbal outbursts, bully-style antics and cruel behavior. Duvall's over-the-top role is an intensely interesting and volatile character who is full of fire, but also strangely sympathetic and dare I say even likable. The movie takes place just before the Vietnam years and keeps up an intensity because of the events going on in the world around them. Also O'Keefe gets into all kinds of trouble as a high schooler in the newest town the group has moved to. The relationship between Duvall and O'Keefe is the primary focus and the rest of the project is really just window dressing. Duvall is a revelation once again and he is able to keep everything believable and coherent. 4 stars out of 5.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
The Great Santini, 16 June 1999
Author: Tim Cox from Marietta, OH

Duvall received a much deserved Oscar nomination as a Marine who runs his family like he runs his men... with vigor and power. He's a Patton without a war and Duvall plays it off beautifully. O'Keefe (also Oscar nominated) is fantastic as his son who's only wish is to please his father. There are many startling scenes in the picture, especially the basketball game where Duvall orders O'Keefe to put another player "on the floor" for obvious flagrant fouls. Duvall's Bull Meechum rules with a iron fist and screams at his son, "Put him down, or you don't come home tonight." The film is based on Pat Conroy's novel and also stars the always wonderful Danner, as Duvall's wife and Stan Shaw as a black man befriended by O'Keefe. Lewis John Carlino directs.

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6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
This IS the "way it was"!!!!!!!!!, 8 November 2003
Author: xyscaling from United States

More common than not, even though it looks rather mean in these "politically correct" times, this is the way many families were back in the 50s.

The racial conflicts shown were very realistic and I'm sad to say did happen in the southern state in which I grew up. This movie does a good job of showing how the head of a family, the Dad, was "expected" to act.

Even though we are lead to believe he was a monster, we never found out that his son grew up to be a doctor of highest esteem.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
a wonderful movie with wonderful performances, 21 October 2007

Author: jmgalvan-1 from United States

Imagine a man who considers winning to be absolutely everything. He is like the coach of a sports team, yet he encompasses a far greater reach of authority. And yet, he wants even more authority and always seems to be getting it, because of his natural air of authority and others' natural air of backing down in the fright of his presence. He is a coach, a military man, a patriot, abusive, and to make things even more shocking: a father who just doesn't really know how to be one except his own way. And you have a picture of the type of character that Academy Award-winning actor Robert Duvall plays in this film. He got another nomination for the Academy Award in this film, although he unfortunately did not win it.

"The Great Santini" is a dramatic film near to perfection and one of the finest great movies of the 70s. Majority of the screen time is devoted to the relationship between Robert Duvall and his screen son, portrayed by Michael O'Keefe, also in an Oscar-nominated performance. The whole point of this is that O'Keefe is the oldest out of four children who have spent their whole life being raised, bullied, and commanded by Duvall. He runs their lives like a boot camp. There is no mercy, no generosity, and all you get for a good job, is a slap on the back. Duvall is trying to raise them in the best way he knows. He wants them to succeed in life, but the only method he knows that is effective is to be rough. And O'Keefe's character has decided he's had enough of being treated like a soldier in war.

Every aspect in "The Great Santini" is developed and executed perfectly to a magnificent entertaining level. The varsity basketball game depicted in the film is just like watching a real high school ball game. It's not full of tough, imaginative lines. Nothing remarkable happens during it, and yet it is a powerful sequence and highly entertaining, almost as if you were sitting with the cheering and jeering friends and family members of the characters. There are also powerful messages about racism and violence in the film, performed through a friendship between the characters portrayed by Michael O'Keefe, Stan Shaw, and David Keith. It is an excellent subplot that is the next-to-most-important aspect of the story and it involves pretty much all of the characters in some way, shape, or form. It's not just an in-the-background tragedy.

"The Great Santini" plays out as a magnificent story, mostly revolving around the character played by Robert Duvall. As we see him, he goes on an off with his temper and general-like behavior, and we come to like and dislike him over the course of the film, respecting him as if he were a real person before us. While he's really nothing more than a fictional character being portrayed by a magnificent and talented actor, he is in his own way, one of the greatest heroes of film history. And he just wants everybody to see things his way.

Recommended.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Robert Duvall's best performance!, 28 January 1999

Author: andy-227 from Sterling Heights, Michigan

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!

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5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
A haunting true story., 8 October 2005

Author: S.C. Skafte from Nova Scotia, Canada

When it comes to technical aspects, there's not much to say about this film. Lewis John Carlino's direction is simple yet adequate, and the cinematography leaves some to be desired.

No, it's the acting and script that really matter with this one. Robert Duvall is the main reason many will watch this, and it's easy to see why. The way he (and yes, many military men) treats his family is heartbreaking, and Duvall is completely immersed in the role.

Many would dismiss the film as TV movie-quality family drama, but that's simply an insult. This movie is far more, and far better than any others in it's genre.

7.7 out of 10

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A coming-of-age story in which the father has to learn to be a man before he can teach his son how to be one., 8 July 2006

Author: GrammarBroad from United States

This was the first "sleeper" movie I ever discovered. I had read _The Water Is Wide_ and seen _Conrack_ but I had never heard of this film when I found it on cable. I was captivated by it from the point where I turned it on and watched it to the end. Then I caught it again and watched it all the way through. I watched it again and again. I tried to find out something about it and found that it was released in theaters under the name _The Ace_ and had bombed. How on earth could there be a movie so wonderful that I had never heard of? I think it's because it is TOO good. Movie audiences want their bad guys to be bad and their good guys to be good. Without the white and black hats to signal who they are supposed to be, the complex, realistic characters confuse general audiences. It was painful in parts, just the same way life is, and just like life, it was joyful, horrifying, funny, gross, wonderful, and hopeful. It was just too real for most people.

Pat Conroy is the greatest living writer. This movie is what a movie should be.

Because of this movie, I buy every movie channel that the cable company offers. I couldn't miss the blockbusters if I tried. But I find more than my money's worth each month in wonderful movies that were just too good for the general movie-going public.

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