Gettysburg (1993)

Director:

Ronald F. Maxwell

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

8 October 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War | Western

Tagline:

Same Land. Same God. Different Dreams.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Battle | American Civil War | Gettysburg | Lieutenant General | Reference To Hamlet

Cast

Tom Berenger	...	Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
Martin Sheen	...	Gen. Robert E. Lee
Stephen Lang	...	Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett
Jeff Daniels	...	Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
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

Also Known As:

The Killer Angels (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

261 min | Sweden:254 min | UK:259 min | Netherlands:244 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate no. 31000) | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG | Greece:K-13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

TriStar Television

Trivia:

From the first ideas and story drafts, to the final editing and post production, almost 15 years of work went into the making of this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Longstreet informs Pickett of the July 3 attack in the morning, and yet the sun is in the western sky.

Quotes:

Maj. Walter H. Taylor: General Trimble is waiting. Will you see him now?
General Robert E. Lee: Very well.
[he looks at Marshall]
General Robert E. Lee: Major, I want a scouting party sent out posthaste to find General Stuart.
Maj. Charles Marshall: Yes, sir.
General Robert E. Lee: Thank you.
Maj. Charles Marshall: Right away, sir.
General Robert E. Lee: [Trimble enters the room] General Trimble.
Maj. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble: [Trimble salutes, and Lee returns it] Sir, I most respectfully request another assignment.
General Robert E. Lee: [Lee looks at Trimble, then sits down] Do please go on, General.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-02-26)" (2008)

Gettysburg: All Time Top 10

I've been reading all the other comments pro & con with great interest, and I just have to add my voice to the "pro" side for this ambitious and stirring epic. Gettysburg is indeed one of my "all time top 10" movies. I was especially curious to see it on initial theatrical release because of the casting of Martin Sheen as Lee; were I to cast a civil war movie, the name Martin Sheen would NEVER have entered my mind as an appropriate performer for this make-or-break role. To my astonishment, Sheen was MAGNIFICENT in his portrayal of Lee; in appearance, demeanor, and aura of command, Sheen COMPLETELY sold me. A stunning performance from an unexpected casting choice. I agree that "Gods & Generals" would have benefited from Sheen's re-casting, though Duvall did his best with the more limited part he was given.

Yeah, I agree that the script tended to a lot of bloviation and speechifying by the principals. I do think we need to make allowance for the fact that in this pre-technological 19th century era portrayed, people DID communicate in ways that seem artificial and awkward by our standards. This was a time when oratory, whether in churches, politics, or general discourse, was valued both as communication and entertainment. So even if the dialogue got a bit overblown, I was more than willing to cut the production some slack.

The beards were a problem for me also, especially poor Tom Berenger's. Still, he (like ALL the lead actors) transcended the limitations and delivered what resonated for me as a credible interpretation of the time and situation.

MANY details of the movie can be nit-picked, and of course, those determined to hate "Gettysburg" can always find a reason, rational or not. I was BLOWN AWAY by the quality and passion of this movie from my first theatrical viewing and it was one of the very first DVD's I purchased. After multiple viewings (all 4 hours) I'm still impressed and grateful that Ted Turner had the desire and ambition to tackle such a BIG project that would be sniped at from all corners for eternity. My goodwill extends to the much weaker (but still defensible) "Gods and Generals"; if they go ahead and produce "The Last Full Measure," I promise I'll be first in line at the movie theater AND pre-order the DVD!

10 out of 10!