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 by), Darryl Ponicsan (screenplay by)

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 | friendship | death of son | father son relationship | iraq war | 

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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

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh ,Pennsylvania, USA

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 film is a spiritual sequel to The Last Detail (1973).

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Goofs

While Sal and Mule are driving to and from the U-Haul store, they're supposed to be in central Delaware, near Dover Air Force Base, on the Delmarva Peninsula, which is one of the flattest places in the US. The highest point is less than 20 feet above sea level. In the film, they passed hills, houses on hills, and areas that looked much more like western Pennsylvania (shot in Pittsburg) than Delaware. Nothing worked, except for viewers who have never been in Delaware.

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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

Wide River to Cross
Written by Julie Miller (as Julie Anne Miller) and Buddy Miller
Performed by Levon Helm
Courtesy of Dirt Farmer Music LLC, under exclusive license by Vanguard Records

User Reviews

A war film without the war

Richard Linklater on Last Flag Flying: 'We're not meant to kill. We're not cut out for it' I agree. This film hits the right tone, respectful to the men who have served this country, while also pointing out the futility of war. The ensemble cast is brilliant: Steve Carell does such a subtle job with a great deal of poignancy and what can you say about Bryan Cranston's burned out veteran who is constantly looking for a good time, while Laurence Fishburne is marvelous as a pastor. Such a wonderful film... another great film by Linklater.