Military cadets take extreme measures to ensure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers.
Director:
Harold Becker
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Title: Taps (1981)
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Nominated for
1
Golden Globe.
See more awards »
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| George C. Scott | ... | General Harlan Bache | |
| Timothy Hutton | ... | Brian Moreland | |
| Ronny Cox | ... | Colonel Kerby | |
| Sean Penn | ... | Alex Dwyer | |
| Tom Cruise | ... | David Shawn | |
 |
Brendan Ward | ... | Charlie Auden |
| Evan Handler | ... | Edward West | |
| John P. Navin Jr. | ... | Derek Mellott | |
| Billy Van Zandt | ... | Bug | |
| Giancarlo Esposito | ... | J.C. Pierce | |
| Donald Kimmel | ... | Billy Harris | |
|
|
Tim Wahrer | ... | John Cooper |
|
|
Tim Riley | ... | Hulk |
|
|
Jeff Rochlin | ... | Shovel |
|
|
Rusty Jacobs | ... | Rusty |
Learn more
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Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (81) »
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. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
Plot Keywords:
student | military academy | military training | military | school shooting |Taglines:
School's out See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Master Sergeant Kevin Moreland: Let me tell 'em it was growing pains - the wrong execution of the right idea.
Brian Moreland: "The wrong execution of the right idea"?
See more »
Written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell
Performed by Stevie Nicks
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This is the first time Timothy Hutton has worn an army uniform. The second was The General's Daughter (1999) and the third was Leverage: The Three Days of the Hunter Job (2009). See more »Goofs
When the cadets are watching M*A*S*H in the lounge, the opening sequence is on the screen, but the music is the closing music. See more »Quotes
[the cadets have taken over the academy]Master Sergeant Kevin Moreland: Let me tell 'em it was growing pains - the wrong execution of the right idea.
Brian Moreland: "The wrong execution of the right idea"?
See more »
Connections
Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt/Charlize Theron/Seth MacFarlane/Coldplay (2014) See more »Soundtracks
Stop Draggin' My Heart AroundWritten by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell
Performed by Stevie Nicks
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
25 December 1981 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Taps See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$14,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$93,005, 13 December 1981Gross USA:
$35,856,053Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$35,856,053Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1Contribute to This Page
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Having graduated from a military academy and later joining army ROTC myself it was almost like I was living back at my high school again. Especially due to the fact that I was a company commander my senior year and had my best friends as platoon leaders and XO. I got a much different take on the movie than most of you. It is one that was much more prevalent in the military academy I to than ROTC. Rather than a view of "misguided youths" (I would argue the point that they were misguided) I saw the movie as fight between the old and the new. The old conservative ways versus the post Vietnam War era generation. Whether to preserve conservative tradition or to continue with social liberalism. In the movie the fight was about tearing down the academy to build condominiums. In real life where I was, it was about turning our military academy into a normal prep school. In my case the fight didn't get violent, however like the cadets in the movie I picked the losing side.
In the movie I was heart broken that the governor would send troops to the school rather than try and work out a peaceful compromise when he saw the measure that people were willing to go to in order to protect their school. In real life I was very disheartened to see the old cadre of retired military officers get sacked and replaced by "soft" civilian administrators. It all hit a climax when one of my life's role models, a retired USAF Major and our companies tactical officer, spoke out against some of the changes being made and got himself sacked. For me that was George C Scott, Penn and Cruise were my friends and platoon leaders in my company and the crisis between the old ways and the new ways were very much the same. The movie reached out to me possibly more than any other. It was seeing my teenage self all over again.