Gettysburg (1993)

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

Director:

Ron Maxwell (as Ronald F. Maxwell)

Writers:

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

Stars:

Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Berenger	...	Lieut. 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	...	Lieut. 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:

american civil war | battle of gettysburg | hug | gun | robert e lee character | 

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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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$913,617, 10 October 1993

Gross USA:

$10,769,960

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,769,960

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Television, Esparza / Katz Productions, New Line Cinema

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

Joss Whedon has cited this film as a primary influence for his short-lived television series Firefly (2002), a science fiction metaphor of the American Civil War taking place on other planets.

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Goofs

The battle of Little Round top takes place on the afternoon of July 2. After the battle, as Chamberlain speaks to the wounded Sergeant Kilrain, the actor's breath is visible, indicating cold weather. Later in the film, when a messenger climbs Big Round Top to speak with Chamberlain, the messenger's breath is visible.

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Quotes

General Robert E. Lee: To be a good soldier you must love the army. To be a good commander you must be able to order the death of the thing you love.

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Alternate Versions

Originally filmed as a cable-tv miniseries but briefly released theatrically at 248 minutes. Some video versions add another 30 minutes of new footage.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jeff Daniels/Mary J. Blige/Taylor Swift (2017)

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Soundtracks

My Old Kentucky Home
(uncredited)
Composed by Stephen Foster (1852)
[Played in Union camp when Tom Chamberlain is talking to the Confederate prisoners]

User Reviews

Learn more about the Civil War than you ever knew.

Wonderful depiction of the events leading to a pivotal battle of the Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg, with a focus on 3 key individuals: Confederate General Robert E. Lee (played brilliantly by Martin Sheen), Lee's second, Lt. General James Longstreet (Tom Berenger), and Union Col Joshua Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels).

Truly classic storytelling beautifully presented. Each key event is intelligently and gently depicted leaving little of the battles, the personalities, and the actions to be misunderstood. I felt much closer to the unfortunate events that were our Civil War than I ever imagined. I don't consider myself ignorant as a rule, but to tell the truth I never envisioned that the battles were basically fought hand-to-hand, face-to-face, long lines of fighting men falling, almost randomly, on both sides.

This movie, along with John Frankenheimer's "Andersonville" jump-started a serious interest for me in these historical docudramas, and the Civil War in particular. Thank you Mr. Frankenheimer, and Mr. Ronald Maxwell (director of "Gettysburg").