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clemsondad
Reviews
Breaking Away (1979)
Info in lead character's info is somewhat incorrect...
Concerning the lead character's info, about him graduating from the parochial high school in Philadelphia in 1968, I feel that info could be incorrect. Reason: he was born in 1955 and that would have made him graduate from high school in either 1973 or 1974, not in 1968 - which would have made him roughly 13 years old. In other words, he is either older than what his birth date is listed as or he actually graduated with his age group. And, it appears that all the actors in the film - with the exception of Jackie Earle Haley, are older than the characters they play. What do you think? Do you agree that the info of the lead character's high school graduation date is incorrect and should be changed?
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Not the US Naval Academy!
I read the previous commentary, stating that the movie was based on an individual getting attending aviator school at the Naval Academy. This is a gross inaccuracy! The individual which Richard Geer depicts is an individual who apparently has a college degree (B.S or B.A) and applied for and was accepted to the United States Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) in the state of Washington. A far cry away from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD. Nevertheless, the truth is that for approximately 14 weeks, the officer candidate gets paid the equivalent of an enlisted E-5 pay while attending the school, and must endure the rigors ("torture," if you will) of those who are in-charge of training them - USMC Drill Instructors. It's an officer basic training, but no where near the four grueling years that Midshipmen at the Naval Academy must endure. When the candidate has passed all classes and physical conditioning evaluations, they graduate and are commissioned as reserve officers in the United States Navy (Ensign) or United States Marine Corps (Second Lieutenant). Many of them have already applied to be Navy or Marine Corps aviators and have taken mini-courses on how to survive in high altitude without oxygen or in the event of a crash at sea. After they're commissioned, the first enlisted person to render them a military salute will get a silver dollar. They must then report to basic undergraduate pilot school - which is usually held at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pennsecola (Florida). This will also include those newly commissioned officers who recently graduated from the US Naval Academy, Annapolis. In the "olden days," as mentioned in the movie, if an officer candidate "DOR'd" or failed any portion of the training, they would have to serve as a "Swabbie" (i.e., enlisted sailor) for a period of four years, usually starting out at the E-3 rank. A severe cut in pay. That alone would make someone go for the "brass ring." Just my 2-cents worth.