Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker (1994)

The story of Johnson Whittaker, one of the first African-American cadets admitted to West Point. Tied down and beaten by his fellow cadets, Whittaker was court-martialed on the grounds that... See full summary »

Director:

Harry Moses

Writer:

Harry Moses

Stars:

Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Waterston, Mason Adams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Richard Greener
Sam Waterston	...	Daniel Chamberlain
Mason Adams	...	Henry D. Hyde
Val Avery	...	Gen. Sherman
Eddie Bracken	...	Maj. Charles T. Alexander
Gene Canfield	...	McIntosh
Robert Clohessy	...	Dan Broyles
Al Freeman Jr.	...	Old Johnson Whittaker
Ken Garito	...	Cadet Lewis Ostheim
Greg Germann	...	Vernon Bailey
John Glover	...	Maj. Asa Bird Gardiner
Brad Greenquist	...	Dr. Beard
Peter Maloney	...	Capt. William Smith Michie
George Martin	...	President Rutherford B. Hayes
Scott Paetty	...	Cadet George Burnett

Storyline

The story of Johnson Whittaker, one of the first African-American cadets admitted to West Point. Tied down and beaten by his fellow cadets, Whittaker was court-martialed on the grounds that he staged his own assault to avoid taking a philosophy exam. His defense attorneys consisted of a racist and a Harvard Graduate who squabble over how best to present his defense.

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Plot Keywords:

west point | racism | told in flashback | courtroom | rutherford hayes | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Assault at Westpoint

Filming Locations:

Buena Vista, Virginia, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

The Garand rifle on the cover picture wasn't designed till the 1930s.

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Quotes

Maj. Asa Bird Gardiner: They shouted, "This is how we mark hogs down South". How do they mark hogs down South?
Cadet Johnson Whittaker: I don't know, I'm not a hogs marker.

User Reviews

Good Acting, but not for title character

I am glad this story was dramatized. It is an excellent, if not frustrating story and it is played out well. I do have to disagree with the portrayal of Johnson Whittaker, though. I do not feel Seth Gilliam did a good job at portraying the conflict, emotion and frustration he must have felt. Scenes with Samuel L Jackson were, as always, excellent. And Sam Waterston was excellent playing a bigoted lawyer conflicted in his feelings towards race and upholding the law. This movie makes you incredulous. But, since it is accurate and based on the court records, gives us a good indication of the incredible injustices that the supposed justice system was upholding in the late 1800s. (I know, it was a court martial, not a trial, but still presumably based on justice.)