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Taps
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Taps (1981) -- Military cadets take extreme measures to insure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers.

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   5,783 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 81% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Harold Becker
Writers:
Devery Freeman (novel)
Robert Mark Kamen (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Taps on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 December 1981 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
This school is our home, we think it's worth defending.
Plot:
Military cadets take extreme measures to insure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. more
User Comments:
Improbable but entertaining...early Hutton, Penn and Cruise... more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Siege at Bunker Hill: T.A.P.S (UK) (TV title)
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Runtime:
126 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #26439) | Singapore:PG

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Sean Penn and a handful of other actors received military horsemanship training for the scenes as the leader of the school's mounted cavalry. He later stated "It's not like riding out on a backwoods trail-The trick is to salute, control the horse, keep in step with the other riders and try not to fall off." more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When all the adult staffers of Bunker Hill Academy are loaded onto the bus, we see a Captain and a few other uniformed soldiers. Bache's statement that the Cadet Major is only outranked by the commanding general, then, is untrue. Active military personnel outrank ANY cadet in a K-12 military academy. more
Quotes:
[the cadets have taken over the academy]
Master Sergeant Kevin Moreland: Let me tell 'em it was growing pains - the wrong execution of the right idea.
Brian Moreland: "The wrong execution of the right idea"?
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Movie Connections:
Features "Star Trek: Spock's Brain (#3.1)" (1968) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
Improbable but entertaining...early Hutton, Penn and Cruise..., 11 November 2006
6/10
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

Hold the fort seems to be the slogan of these military cadets when they decide to rally behind TIMOTHY HUTTON who wants an armed defense of the school from authorities who want to shut it down after an accidental shooting by the presiding General Bache (GEORGE C. SCOTT). Aiding and abetting are TOM CRUISE and, in his film debut, SEAN PENN.

The tale seems highly improbable but is played so earnestly, is scripted so well, and directed so competently that it manages to hold the attention until the more or less predictable outcome.

The cadets are all extremely well played, from the very young boys to those who appear to be in their early twenties. When the authorities are unable to take back the school, the parents appeal to the children through loud speakers. "Sometimes being accepted by your friends, isn't worth the price," says one mother.

Unfortunately, the stalemate phase of the movie lasts much too long to sustain interest. But it's interesting now to watch the very young Hutton, Penn and Cruise show why they became superstars. I agree with Maltin who says it "plays its cards too soon, leaving a lot of dead weight before the outcome."

Summing up: Improbable story, but entertaining in a curious way.

Memorable line from Hutton's father resonates today: "They think you're home grown terrorists."

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Remake on the way Marty-91
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