Tigerland (2000)

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers (WGA):

Ross Klavan (written by) &
Michael McGruther (written by)

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The system wanted them to become soldiers. One soldier just wanted to be human.

Plot:

A group of recruits go through Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana's infamous Tigerland, last stop before Vietnam for tens of thousands of young men in 1971.

Plot Keywords:

Platoon | Recruit | Infantry | Vietnam | Fort Polk Louisiana

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Colin Farrell	...	Pvt. Roland Bozz
Matthew Davis	...	Pvt. Jim Paxton
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Pvt. Miter
Tom Guiry	...	Pvt. Cantwell (as Thomas Guiry)
Shea Whigham	...	Pvt. Wilson
Russell Richardson	...	Pvt. Johnson
Nick Searcy	...	Capt. Saunders
Afemo Omilami	...	SFC Ezra Landers
James MacDonald	...	Staff Sgt. Thomas (as James McDonald)
Keith Ewell	...	Sgt. Oakes
Matt Gerald	...	Sgt. Eveland
Stephen Fulton	...	Sgt. Drake
Tyler Cravens	...	M.P. Sergeant
Michael Edmiston	...	Hit the Brakes! Driver
Arian Waring Ash	...	Sheri (as Arian Ash)

Also Known As:

Tigerland (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, a scene of strong sexuality and some drug use.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Brazil:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:R | France:U | Germany:16 | Singapore:R21 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Camp Blanding, Starke, Florida, USA

Company:

Haft Entertainment

Trivia:

Even though this movie clearly establishes early on that it takes place at the real Ft. Polk, Louisiana, USA (including displaying a big, on-screen, entrance sign at the very beginning), all the sources of film data describing this movie state that it takes place at 'fictional' Ft. Lake, Louisiana, USA.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The soldiers are being trained for Vietnam but their weapons are M16A3s (as evidenced by the three prong suppressor) which were not fielded until after Vietnam.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Paxton: [voice-over] My father said the army makes all men one, but you never know which one. He didn't know Roland Bozz.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tropic Thunder: Rain of Madness (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

SOOKIE SOOKIE

Fairly authentic and very much like Fort Polk in the early 70s.

While it was filmed at a Florida National Guard site, "Tigerland" totally reminded me of Fort Polk, LA., firing ranges, maneuver areas, waist-deep water and all. The movie was fairly authentic and the characters similar to those same ones at my AIT in 1974. The difference between the Tigerland year, 1971, and mine of 1974 is all the drill sergeants and instructors knew they weren't going back to Vietnam, as it was pretty much all over, so training was very relaxed - not a challenge at all. That was the precursor to all our troubles in the 70s and 80s, which I know for a fact as I stayed in until 2004. I never heard anyone mention "Tigerland" but the Army did have realistic Vietnam training villages at different bases across the U.S. Vietnam Vets tell me that up to 1972 Basic & AIT could be pretty rough and rugged, because the trainers had been there and were mandated to train Vietnam-bound men those skills to make it, although that was not always the case. Both a drill sergeant at Polk and later one of my Vietnam Vet NCOs, when we had become instructors at a basic training brigade at Fort Bliss, told me there was nothing they could do to get anyone ready and people just had to find out and figure out for themselves. This movie rates high.