Synopsis
As he approaches manhood, Ben Meechum struggles to win the approval of his demanding alpha male father, an aggressively competitive, but frustrated marine pilot.
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Cast
- Robert DuvallBull Meechum
- Blythe DannerLillian Meechum
- Michael O'KeefeBen Meechum
- Lisa Jane PerskyMary Anne Meechum
- Julie Anne HaddockKaren Meechum
- Brian AndrewsMatthew Meechum
- Stan ShawToomer Smalls
- Theresa MerrittArrabella Smalls
- David KeithRed Petus
- Paul ManteeCol. Virgil Hedgepath
Recommendations
- 100
Chicago Sun-Times
Sentimental without being corny, a tearjerker with dignity. The Great Santini is a movie to seek out and to treasure. - 80
Variety
Robert Duvall gives an excellent portrayal of a semi-psychotic, softened with a warmer side. But Duvall has to fight for every inch of footage against the overwhelming performances by several others in the cast - and that's the strength of The Great Santini. - 75
TV Guide Magazine
Though its emotions are big, the performances are so nicely nuanced that sentiment never overwhelms the story's emotional realism. - 70
The New York Times
Mr. Duvall, Miss Danner and Mr. O'Keefe are the main reasons you should see The Great Santini. They play together with the kind of ease and self-assurance that, in a movie, is as exhilarating as it is rare. - 70
Washington Post
Despite the artificial ending, The Great Santini is a powerfully written and acted movie. [03 Oct 1980, p.22] - 67
Christian Science Monitor
The Great Santini deserves praise for its willingness to look long, hard, and seriously at a realistic family situation -- a willingness too rarely found at a time when most films are obsessed with futile fantasies. [07 Aug 1980, p.19] - 63
Washington Post
For all its awkwardness and mawkishness, Santini deserves the shot. It has an authentic core of family drama and humor that could stir a large public. [03 Oct 1980, p.C1] - 50
Time Out
Carlino's direction doesn't help: he was responsible for the atrocious Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, and The Great Santini suffers from the same triteness, with its Deep South setting and a 'progressive' racial subplot that plunges deep into tear-jerk territory. See it for the acting; wallow in the sentiment.
