The Great Santini

A film review by Christopher Null - Copyright © 2002 Filmcritic.com

An exceptional film, this odd combination of Top Gun and Ordinary People features Robert Duvall in one of his greatest performances (Oscar-nominated, too) as the difficult Marine family patriarch in the years leading up to the Vietnam War. This ain't Major Dad, as Duvall's "Great Santini" drinks hard and pushes his kids to the limit. Or beyond. Some of it's funny, some of its tragic, and with the exception of a misfired subplot about race relations, all of it's stellar.

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Rating

4.0 out of 5 Stars

Cast and Crew

  • Director: Lewis John Carlino
  • Producer: Charles A. Pratt
  • Screenwriter: Lewis John Carlino
  • Stars: Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, Michael O'Keefe, Lisa Jane Persky, Julie Anne Haddock, Brian Andrews, Stan Shaw
  • MPAA Rating: PG