The Last Detail (1973)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Hal Ashby

Writers:

Robert Towne (screenplay)
Darryl Ponicsan (novel)

Release Date:

12 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

No *#@!!* Navy's going to give some poor **!!@* kid eight years in the #@!* brig without me taking him out for the time of his *#@!!* life.

Plot:

Two Navy men are ordered to bring a young offender to prison but decide to show him one last good time along the way.

Plot Keywords:

Navy | Bar | Military | Teen | Boston Massachusetts

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	SM1 Billy 'Bad Ass' Buddusky
Otis Young	...	GM1 'Mule' Mulhall
Randy Quaid	...	Seaman Larry Meadows
Clifton James	...	M.A.A.
Carol Kane	...	Young Whore
Michael Moriarty	...	Marine O.D.
Luana Anders	...	Donna
Kathleen Miller	...	Annette
Nancy Allen	...	Nancy
Gerry Salsberg	...	Henry
Don McGovern	...	Bartender
Pat Hamilton	...	Madame
Michael Chapman	...	Taxi Driver
Jim Henshaw	...	Sweek
Derek McGrath	...	Nichiren Shoshu Member

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (cut) | Netherlands:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Canada:R

Filming Locations:

Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Acrobat Productions

Trivia:

John Travolta was strongly in the running to play Meadows, only losing to Randy Quaid at the last minute.

Goofs:

Continuity: About 50 minutes into the movie, the trio are walking by Gate 4 at the train station. One of the Marines they are about to fight is walking ahead of them. Moments later, the same Marine and several others are walking behind them.

Quotes:

Meadows: After... after... well maybe it was an act for her. I mean I know she was a whore. But I think she liked me.
Buddusky: They got feelings just like everybody else, kid; she probably did.
Meadows: Well, it was real for me. That's what counts.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Good Ole Country Livin'

Likeable Character Study From the 1970s

"The Last Detail" is not the strongest movie ever made, but it does succeed for the most part. Jack Nicholson (Oscar-nominated) and Otis Young are assigned to transport a young sailor (Randy Quaid, in his Oscar-nominated role) to a military prison because of a theft. Even though the mission is to be cut-and-dry, Nicholson and Young take pity on the young sailor and agree to show him one last good time before he reaches his final destination. The goodwill idea does have a good chance of back-firing on them though in the end. Nicholson is great, as usual, but it is the performance of Quaid that makes "The Last Detail" work as well as it does. He plays the part for what it is worth and makes the film believable and somewhat tense throughout. Not excellent, but still very good overall. 4 stars out of 5.