Last Flag Flying (2017)

Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, a former Navy Corpsman Larry "Doc" Shepherd re-unites with his old buddies, former Marines Sal Nealon and Reverend Richard Mueller, to bury his son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Richard Linklater (screenplay), Darryl Ponicsan (screenplay)

Stars:

Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Carell

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bryan Cranston	...	Sal Nealon
Laurence Fishburne	...	Reverend Richard Mueller
Steve Carell	...	Larry 'Doc' Shepherd
J. Quinton Johnson	...	Washington
Deanna Reed-Foster	...	Ruth
Yul Vazquez	...	Colonel Wilits
Graham Wolfe	...	John Redman
Jeff Monahan	...	O'Toole
Dontez James	...	DAFB Guard
Tammy Tsai	...	Mother (Irene)
Richard Barlow	...	Angry Father
Cathy O'Dell	...	Grieving Mother
Jane Mowder	...	Rental Truck Employee
Richard Robichaux	...	Anorak
Jerry Lee Tucker	...	Raincoat

Storyline

In 2003, 30 years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Hospital Corpsman Larry "Doc" Shepherd re-unites with ex-Marines Sal and Mueller on a different type of mission: to bury Doc's son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire.

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Plot Keywords:

grief | father son relationship | iraq war | vietnam war | coffin | 

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Taglines:

Their Last Mission Wasn't On The Battlefield

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Last Flag Flying

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,558, 5 November 2017, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$965,481, 21 December 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amazon Studios, Big Indie Pictures, Cinetic Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The link to the Vietnam war of which the three main characters are veterans is more evident in the filmography of Lawrence Fishburne who played Tyrone 'Clean' Miller in Apocalypse Now (1979). The 'Disneyland' sequence told by those veterans is reminiscent of the Playmate visit in the Coppola movie.

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Goofs

Col Wilits' rank insignia are positioned incorrectly on his shirt collar.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sal Nealon: If you could just see yourself right now. You look like you just had a lobotomy. What's wrong with you?
O'Toole: [sitting on his barstool] This is reality.
Sal Nealon: Reality? My ass. It's all made-up. Let me ask you this, huh, how many times on this show have you seen the cops arrest, you know, killers and-and rapists or something like that? How many times did they slap the cuffs on some crooked CEO fuck?

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Bryan Cranston/Stephen Curry/Goldlink feat. Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy (2017)

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Soundtracks

Not Dark Yet
Written by Bob Dylan
Performed by Bob Dylan
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Friendships built in tough times are the strongest when times are tough

Last Flag Flying. There's no denying, Director Richard Linklater ("Boyhood," "Before Midnight") knows his way around relationship films. Here, the reserved Doc Shephard (Steve Carell) reunites with his former marine buddies "the no holds bar" Sal (Bryan Cranston) and now man of the cloth Rev. Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) to identify and bury Doc's deceased son. With an unspoken history between the men, the reunion and journey is continually filled with tension. When by-the- book Colonel Wilits (Yul Vazquez "Captain Phillips") tries to stand in the way of the guys mission, especially after truths are told, comrade in arms and best friend to the deceased Washington (J. Quinton Johnson - currently on Broadway "Hamilton") join the men as they prove once again, friendships built in tough times are the strongest when times are tough. Based a novel by Darrl Ponicsan, Linklater and him have adapted a touching and honest film that equally pulls at your heart strings and makes you laugh. All the key players here are at the top of the acting game and should be recognized for their contributions. What I especially liked about this film was that the history between the men and the story behind the death were all told without flashbacks. And, when the terrific Cicely Tyson appeared on screen, one could feel the audiences appreciation for her years of screen presences. To date, this is the best all around film I've seen, and you shouldn't miss it.