The Great Santini
| The Great Santini | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Lewis John Carlino |
| Produced by | Charles A. Pratt |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on |
The Great Santini by Pat Conroy |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Ralph Woolsey |
| Edited by | Houseley Stevenson, Jr. |
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $4.7 million |
The Great Santini is a 1979 American drama film written and directed by Lewis John Carlino, based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Pat Conroy. The film stars Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, and Michael O'Keefe, and tells the story of a U.S. Marine Corps officer whose success as an F-4 Phantom military aviator contrasts with his shortcomings as a husband and father. Set in 1962, before widespread American involvement in the Vietnam War, the plot explores the high price of heroism and self-sacrifice.
A warrior without a war, Lt. Col. Wilbur "Bull" Meechum, a pilot also known as "The Great Santini" to his fellow Marines, moves his family to the military base town of Beaufort, South Carolina, in peacetime 1962. His wife Lillian is loyal and docile, tolerant of Meechum's temper and drinking. Their teenaged kids, Ben and Mary Anne, are accustomed to his stern discipline and behave accordingly, while adapting to their new town and school.
Ben is a basketball star. On the court at school, he is a dominating player. In one-on-one games on his driveway at home, his father won't let him win, even if it means using unnecessarily physical tactics or humiliating the boy, bouncing the ball off him. Ben finally beats him in basketball, but rather than be proud of his son's dedication, he berates and insults him. Ben is publicly embarrassed one night at the school gym when his dad, drunk, orders him to get even with an opponent who committed a foul. Ben decks the boy and is ejected from the game.
Ben befriends a young black man called Toomer, who is being harassed by Red Petus, a bigoted bully. Toomer exacts revenge on Red with the help of a hive of bees, but tragic consequences ensue as Red shoots Toomer. Ben, against the orders of his father, leaves the house and tries to help Toomer, but arrives too late. Meachum is angry for his son's disobedience, but his fellow Marines tell him that Ben showed courage by choosing to help his friend.
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Wikipedia