Taps (1981)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Devery Freeman (novel)
Robert Mark Kamen (writer)

Release Date:

20 December 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Military | Military Academy | Tragic Events | School Closing | Teen

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

George C. Scott	...	General Harlan Bache
Timothy Hutton	...	Cadet Major Brian Moreland
Ronny Cox	...	Colonel Kerby
Sean Penn	...	Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer
Tom Cruise	...	Cadet Captain David Shawn
Brendan Ward	...	Charlie Auden
Evan Handler	...	Edward West
John P. Navin Jr.	...	Derek Mellott
Billy Van Zandt	...	Bug
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Cadet Captain J.C. Pierce
Donald Kimmel	...	Billy Harris
Tim Wahrer	...	Cadet Major John Cooper
Tim Riley	...	Hulk
Jeff Rochlin	...	Shovel
Rusty Jacobs	...	Rusty

Also Known As:

The Siege at Bunker Hill: T.A.P.S (UK) (TV title)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #26439) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The exterior shots of the film were shot at Valley Forge, but the interiors (including General Basche's office) were shot on sets built in Vally Forge's massive Polo field by Alfred Sweeney and Stan Jolley.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When taking inventory of the armory, the man counting the weapons states they are ".45 millimeter caliber 1911's". M1911 pistols are .45 caliber, meaning the bore is .45 inches in diameter, and not the metric measurement of 45 millimeters (a significantly larger measurement, to the point where they would be classed as artillery, rather than small arms). In countries which issued the M1911 (or copies), and to whom the Metric system was common, the cartridge was referred to as 11.43x23mm.

Quotes:

Brian Moreland: Sir, how could they do this?
General Harlan Bache: With the stroke of a pen, sir. Their field of honor was a desktop.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Homestarrunner.com: Everything Else, Volume 3 (2007) (V)

Filmed in 1981; still applies today

"Taps" is a story of twisted priorities and conflicting ideals of what honor, valor, and a fighting man really means. This was (and still is) an unmatched screenplay that is ever so true today. It should be mandatory viewing for anyone planning a military career so that they can really evaluate their reasoning for joining the armed services. It should be especially mandatory for any ROTC cadet in college (I'm in such a program, so I speak from experience).

Everyone involved played excellent roles and made the viewer make it as if they were really caught up in such a situation in real life. It didn't seem to be an "acted" movie; it was just that good. I think that Ronny Cox also put some feeling into his role, but if it had to be made in the '90s, I'd pick Dale Dye (who played brief but great roles as a captain in both Platoon and Casualties of War).

Again, this movie should get more credit than it has because the movie's themes and issues still haunt us, even in this "new world order" we're supposedly in. Great work to all involved!