Tigerland (2000)

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.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers:

Ross Klavan, Michael McGruther

Stars:

Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, Clifton Collins Jr.

2 wins & 5 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 Ash	...	Sheri

Storyline

In September 1971, a platoon of recruits arrives in Ft. Polk, LA, for infantry training before leaving for war. The final week takes place in Tigerland, a swamp similar to Vietnam. Jim Paxton has enlisted; he wants to experience everything and write books later. He befriends Roland Bozz, a cool Texan with a gift for getting into trouble and for helping misfits get discharges. At least one sociopath in the platoon hates Bozz, even as the sergeants grudgingly recognize his leadership abilities. As the platoon heads into its week in Tigerland, Paxton's body gives out, Bozz makes plans to go AWOL, and the sociopath gets hold of live ammo. Is the Louisiana swamp more dangerous than the DMZ?

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | platoon | recruit | sergeant | fort polk louisiana | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Regency Entertainment / Monarchy Enterprises

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 2001 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Camino de guerra

Filming Locations:

Camp Blanding, Starke, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,715, 8 October 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$139,692, 5 June 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haft Entertainment,New Regency Pictures,KirchMedia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tigerland was filmed with 16mm film to give it a gritty, documentry like feel.

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Goofs

In AIT the troops are all wearing permanent press fatigues. These did not become standard issue until the mid-1970s.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Minority Report (2002)

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Soundtracks

BARRACKS GUITAR
Written and Performed by Adam Kay

User Reviews

Schumacher's best effort thus far

TIGERLAND (2000) ***1/2 Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, Clifton Collins, Jr., Thomas Guiry, Shea Whigham, Russell Richardson, Nick Searcy, Afemo Omilani, James McDonald, Keith Ewell, Arian Ash, Haven Gaston, Cole Hauser. Filmmaker Joel Schumacher makes an audacious attempt to rekindle his directing juices in this low-budget semi-independent film about Vietnam with a cast of unknowns that works remarkably well. Set circa 1971 Louisiana in a special Army training camp for new recruits prior to shipment in the ongoing war and told in flashback by one of the survivors the film centers its bare bones plot around the able shoulders of Irish newcomer Farrell in a potential star-making turn as Private Roland Bozz (think 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' in fatigues and you get the overall impression), a feckless troublemaker of his platoon whose antics have a method to his madness: keeping yourself alive despite the odds. Raw and uncompromising are best suited to describe the film's gist and in particular its focus of Bozz leading his comrades in arms through their hellish grunt duty prior to their fated dooms. Original and smartly written by Ross Klaven and Michael McGruther giving their characters a fresh spin on an all too familiar genre with humanity at its core.