The Great Santini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Great Santini | |
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| Directed by | Lewis John Carlino |
| Produced by | Charles A. Pratt |
| Written by | Lewis John Carlino & Herman Raucher (from the novel by Pat Conroy) |
| Starring | Robert Duvall Blythe Danner Michael O'Keefe |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Ralph Woolsey |
| Editing by | Houseley Stevenson Jr. |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. & Orion Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 26, 1979 |
| Running time | 115 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Great Santini is a 1979 film which tells the story of a highly successful Marine officer whose success as a military aviator contrasts with his shortcomings as a husband and father. It also explores the high price of heroism and self sacrifice on the man's soul and interpersonal relationships. It stars Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, Michael O'Keefe, Lisa Jane Persky, Julie Anne Haddock, Brian Andrews, Stan Shaw and David Keith.
The movie was adapted by Lewis John Carlino from the novel by Pat Conroy, with assistance from an un-credited Herman Raucher. Carlino also directed the film. The title character, Lt. Col. Bull Meechum aka "The Great Santini," was based on Conroy's father.
The movie, for the most part, follows the book. As with most movies based on books, there is some material left out in the movie. The movie's major divergence from the book is the oldest son's best friend (an African-American in the movie and a Jew in the book), how the relationship between the two plays out, and how that relationship affects the oldest son's relationship with his father.
It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Robert Duvall) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael O'Keefe).
