Even through I didn't watch this... 30 years after it debuted in theaters worldwide in 1981-82 it's still truly the military film that welcomed us into the Reagan years in the US. It was adapted from the novel Father Sky written in 1979.. but adapted for the early 80s, tackling the state of US Military academies and the people who are a great part of them. In this film... it's not about the major US military academies but the minor ones that are being given their own moment.
In this case, Bunker Hill Military Academy. (The film through was filmed in historic Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania, near the famous fields where Washington and his men took camp for the winter in 1777.) The academy, similar to the Surovov Military Schools in Russia and Belarus as a junior military college, trains middle and high school level boys academics, character and leadership skills preparing them to become part of the US Army soon as officers in the USMA in West Point, and is led by the great George Scott, a retired US Army general officer, as its Commandant. (He's to me my Gen. Patton, Ol' Blood and Guts....)
That movie reminds me of the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War... (the academy got its name from this great battle)
At the academy's graduation parade Scott shocked everyone with his announcement: by the next year, as decided by the school board the academy will be closed and the land where it is located prime real estate. No one is more surprised of this than the next year's cadet commander, Timothy Hutton, by now a Cadet Major (Scott had promoted him the night before), leader of next year's seniors and the corps of cadets (the last in its history) and mentored by the veteran commandant. He's well loved by the cadets here and is truly their leader, especially by the cadet officers under him. Also surprised by this bad news are his two fellow cadet officers and best friends, CDT CPT Tom Cruise, a elite cadet company commander (thus the red beret on his uniform) and CDT CPT Sean Penn of the cadet cavalry troop and also the executive officer of the corps. The other cadet officers, Giancarlo Esposito and Evan Handler, cadets Daniel Kimmel, John P. Narvin Jr., Brendan Ward, and others were also dismayed but as always had hope in Hutton to do something about it at once. They share the same feeling with the Commandant... that when they're still around it will not close down and continue its mandate.
At the academy prom that same night a group of town teens came to disturb the occasion outside. When two of the COs suddenly approached them then angrily followed by the other cadets, a fight broke out and suddenly Scott came out to intervene when one of the teens stole his pistol and when he had it back, it shot one of the teens by accident, killing the teen. And after being arrested, he later had a heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital.
The result: the school board decided it would push on with the closure in a month or two. That made everyone shocked and soon the school would be a virtual fortress and its cadets, led by Hutton, Cruise and Penn... soldiers on a mission to save this piece of history for good, all at the cost of their lives.
While on the go for supplies the truck that CDT CPT Esposito drives with some of the cadets (Hutton was left behind and had told to the dean and others in the armory about his future plans to prevent the school's closure) is stalled and is attacked by the same teens that disturbed the prom but later comes back thanks to Cruise's efforts. Upon returning their weapons and positions are prepared and soon... it's in a state of siege. Soon the police surround the grounds, then the parents come in to ask their boys to give in, among them Wayne Tippit, the Army Master Sergeant who is also Tim's dad (In one occasion he tells Hutton that what they are doing is the "wrong execution of the right idea"), and soon... the Army National Guard unit led by Ronny Cox, a ANG Colonel who wants the cadets out. Soon he informs them of the commandant's demise and the cadets pay tribute to him at once but later.... things are gonna turn bad.
The film follows the rest of their actions very well. It's a well depicted and beautiful film made. It's truly the best military academy film made after over 30 years. Of course who would forget this would be Tim's first after his Oscars achievement, Tom's film no. 2 and Sean's debut performance? And also the late George Scott did well here too as the academy commandant. It's very good and it motivates me a lot.
Oh and the final scenes... when Cruise is found by Tim and Sean firing a machine gun at the Army National Guardsmen shouting "It's beautiful, man! BEAUTIFUL!" and is later shot dead with his best pal... it's tragic and shocking. One of the film's best moments. As a future US Navy NROTC student I'll gonna love it and I truly recommend watching this.
3 decades after, the memory of the cadets killed in the fight for Bunker Hill Military Academy will still be remembered, forever. They died for a good cause... and the film illustrates this in a great way.
Eternal glory be to all of them who died just like every soldier, doing the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of our freedom. I always think of them everyday. Always.
In this case, Bunker Hill Military Academy. (The film through was filmed in historic Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania, near the famous fields where Washington and his men took camp for the winter in 1777.) The academy, similar to the Surovov Military Schools in Russia and Belarus as a junior military college, trains middle and high school level boys academics, character and leadership skills preparing them to become part of the US Army soon as officers in the USMA in West Point, and is led by the great George Scott, a retired US Army general officer, as its Commandant. (He's to me my Gen. Patton, Ol' Blood and Guts....)
That movie reminds me of the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War... (the academy got its name from this great battle)
At the academy's graduation parade Scott shocked everyone with his announcement: by the next year, as decided by the school board the academy will be closed and the land where it is located prime real estate. No one is more surprised of this than the next year's cadet commander, Timothy Hutton, by now a Cadet Major (Scott had promoted him the night before), leader of next year's seniors and the corps of cadets (the last in its history) and mentored by the veteran commandant. He's well loved by the cadets here and is truly their leader, especially by the cadet officers under him. Also surprised by this bad news are his two fellow cadet officers and best friends, CDT CPT Tom Cruise, a elite cadet company commander (thus the red beret on his uniform) and CDT CPT Sean Penn of the cadet cavalry troop and also the executive officer of the corps. The other cadet officers, Giancarlo Esposito and Evan Handler, cadets Daniel Kimmel, John P. Narvin Jr., Brendan Ward, and others were also dismayed but as always had hope in Hutton to do something about it at once. They share the same feeling with the Commandant... that when they're still around it will not close down and continue its mandate.
At the academy prom that same night a group of town teens came to disturb the occasion outside. When two of the COs suddenly approached them then angrily followed by the other cadets, a fight broke out and suddenly Scott came out to intervene when one of the teens stole his pistol and when he had it back, it shot one of the teens by accident, killing the teen. And after being arrested, he later had a heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital.
The result: the school board decided it would push on with the closure in a month or two. That made everyone shocked and soon the school would be a virtual fortress and its cadets, led by Hutton, Cruise and Penn... soldiers on a mission to save this piece of history for good, all at the cost of their lives.
While on the go for supplies the truck that CDT CPT Esposito drives with some of the cadets (Hutton was left behind and had told to the dean and others in the armory about his future plans to prevent the school's closure) is stalled and is attacked by the same teens that disturbed the prom but later comes back thanks to Cruise's efforts. Upon returning their weapons and positions are prepared and soon... it's in a state of siege. Soon the police surround the grounds, then the parents come in to ask their boys to give in, among them Wayne Tippit, the Army Master Sergeant who is also Tim's dad (In one occasion he tells Hutton that what they are doing is the "wrong execution of the right idea"), and soon... the Army National Guard unit led by Ronny Cox, a ANG Colonel who wants the cadets out. Soon he informs them of the commandant's demise and the cadets pay tribute to him at once but later.... things are gonna turn bad.
The film follows the rest of their actions very well. It's a well depicted and beautiful film made. It's truly the best military academy film made after over 30 years. Of course who would forget this would be Tim's first after his Oscars achievement, Tom's film no. 2 and Sean's debut performance? And also the late George Scott did well here too as the academy commandant. It's very good and it motivates me a lot.
Oh and the final scenes... when Cruise is found by Tim and Sean firing a machine gun at the Army National Guardsmen shouting "It's beautiful, man! BEAUTIFUL!" and is later shot dead with his best pal... it's tragic and shocking. One of the film's best moments. As a future US Navy NROTC student I'll gonna love it and I truly recommend watching this.
3 decades after, the memory of the cadets killed in the fight for Bunker Hill Military Academy will still be remembered, forever. They died for a good cause... and the film illustrates this in a great way.
Eternal glory be to all of them who died just like every soldier, doing the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of our freedom. I always think of them everyday. Always.