Taps (1981)

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

Director:

Harold Becker

Writers:

Devery Freeman (novel), Robert Mark Kamen (screenplay),

Stars:

George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Ronny Cox

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

An announcement that the venerable Bunker Hill Military Academy, a 141 year old institute, is to be torn down and replaced with condos sets off the young cadets led by their stodgy commander. Under the command of a student cadet major, the cadets seize the campus, refuse entry of the construction crews and ultimately confront the real military.

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Plot Keywords:

military | military academy | student | bare chested male | tragic event | 

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Taglines:

This school is our home, we think it's worth defending.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Capstrzyk

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prior to the production of the film, the key actors -Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise and others - were required to participate in a 45-day-long period of orientation with the students of Valley Forge Military Academy. They were given uniforms, borrowed from their real life counterparts at the school and given authentic military haircuts. They slept in campus barracks and were subjected to the same rigors and hardship that all Valley Forge cadets went through. While most of the actors enjoyed and excelled at their orientation, Cruise opted to leave the training for the comforts of a nearby hotel until filming began.

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Goofs

The Cadet Major is watching the motivational movie on an electric movie projector after the power had been cut and the auxiliary generator failed to start.

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Quotes

General Harlan Bache: [Bache is talking with Moreland and the outgoing Cadet Major, on the occassion of Moreland's ascendancy to the same rank for the next class] Honor. Burglar-proof, fool-proof, weather-proof, one hundred-proof.

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Connections

Referenced in Animaniacs: Video Review/When Mice Ruled the Earth (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Love is a Many Splendored Thing"
(uncredited)
Music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Played at the dance

User Reviews

Changing perspectives

The biggest kick I got was seeing Hutton, Cruise, and Penn as teenagers turning out amazing performances at such a younger age. I guess some actors are just destined to rise to the top.

George C. Scott also turned in a great, believable performance as an old wartime General. However I find it interesting, after seeing this movie over 20 years later, how it's context has changed for me personally. While in '81, the story was perhaps designed to generate sympathy for the General and his plight, I look at his situation today and feel nothing but pity for him, as I would for any Shakespearean tragic hero, who because of their narrow-sightedness, could not see the bigger picture. And in this case, their consequences caused a chain of events that took on an uncontrollable life of their own. Funny how the years can sometimes dictate understanding and perspective.

The previous review mentioned for this flick is 100% bang on.