Gettysburg (1993)

In 1863, the Northern and Southern forces fight at Gettysburg in the decisive battle of the American Civil War.

Director:

Ronald F. Maxwell

Writers:

Michael Shaara (novel), Ronald F. Maxwell (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Berenger	...	Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
Martin Sheen	...	Gen. Robert E. Lee
Stephen Lang	...	Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett
Richard Jordan	...	Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Armistead
Andrew Prine	...	Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett
Cooper Huckabee	...	Henry T. Harrison
Patrick Gorman	...	Maj. Gen. John Bell Hood
Bo Brinkman	...	Maj. Walter H. Taylor
James Lancaster	...	Lt. Col. Arthur Fremantle
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble / Narrator (as Morgan Sheppard)
Kieran Mulroney	...	Maj. G. Moxley Sorrel
James Patrick Stuart	...	Col. E. Porter Alexander (as Patrick Stuart)
Tim Ruddy	...	Maj. Charles Marshall
Royce D. Applegate	...	Brig. Gen. James L. Kemper
Ivan Kane	...	Cap. Thomas J. Goree

Storyline

The four and 1/4 hour depiction of the historical and personal events surrounding and including the decisive American civil war battle features thousands of civil war re-enactors marching over the exact ground that the federal army and the army of North Virginia fought on. The defense of the Little Round Top and Pickett's Charge are highlighted in the actual three day battle which is surrounded by the speeches of the commanding officers and the personal reflections of the fighting men. Based upon the novel 'The Killer Angels'.

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Plot Keywords:

battle | american civil war | civil war | stone wall | major | 

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Taglines:

Same Land. Same God. Different Dreams.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and epic battle scenes

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Killer Angels

Filming Locations:

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$10,769,960 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Television, Esparza / Katz Productions, Turner Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

271 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints) DTS (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ronald F. Maxwell tried for nearly 15 years to get this film made. By the time he had succeeded, author Michael Shaara had died. Maxwell met with his son Jeff Shaara during production and convinced him to carry on his father's work, which he did by writing a prequel, Gods and Generals, and a sequel, The Last Full Measure. The former was actually turned into the film Gods and Generals by Maxwell. The younger Shaara has also used his father's historical fiction approach to the American Revolution, the Mexican-American War, and both World Wars.

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Goofs

The remnants of the 2nd Maine were not transferred to the 20th Maine just before the battle of Gettysburg. This actually occurred some six weeks earlier, in mid-May 1863.

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Quotes

General Robert E. Lee: What day is it now, Major?
Maj. Walter H. Taylor: [takes out his pocket watch] It's long after midnight, sir. It's already Friday.
General Robert E. Lee: Friday, July the 3rd?
Maj. Walter H. Taylor: Yes, sir.
General Robert E. Lee: Then tomorrow is the Fourth of July.
Maj. Walter H. Taylor: Sir?
General Robert E. Lee: Independence Day?
Maj. Walter H. Taylor: Huh. I'd quite forgotten.
General Robert E. Lee: The good Lord has a sense of humor.

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Connections

Featured in The O'Reilly Factor: Episode dated 26 February 2008 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"The Minstrel Boy"
Words by written by Thomas Moore, tune traditional
Played at the Union church service on the morning of the second day

User Reviews

Gets Better Each Time

Utterly superb dramatization of the turning point battle of the Civil War. A clash so enormous in scale that whoever won, was destined to win the war. Brilliantly directed and screenwritten with top notch moving performances by all. Almost makes you understand why so many people are into those reenactment things.

I think to fully appreciate the more intelligent war films, you almost have to know the battle in detail going in. The movie uses dialogue to try and explain whats happening, but its extremely hard to conceptualize without the aid of graphics. I'm not saying you won't enjoy this film without a firm grasp of the battle details, only that you will enjoy it much more if you are able to do a little reading beforehand. Either way, see it. I am truly amazed by the depth of feeling all these guys were able to put into this project. Daniels and Berenger, in particular, give Oscar caliber performances. A total home run.