Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, bad transfer to DVD: heres why
Review: The great santini is a terrific movie; an homage to traditions and revealing in dark and and tragic truths both of ourselves, and of the south. One of Duvalls finest performances and a film that dares to create a complex, not intirely likable, character and reveal the hidden lives of not- too perfect families. While a topper the DVD version is standard of the reissues one has gotten to expect these days. I have noticed through many letters asking why movie companies don't make a widescreen version. Working in the industry myself I can inform folks of the cold-hard truth. It's quite simple: in order to make a widescreen version the industry folks MUST go back to the original film and make a new film to tape transfer,repleat with major color-correction, which on older films is quite extensive(read expensive). Likewise any improvement in the audio would also need to be remixed and matched back to the original negative transfer! Many of the older films were tranferred to an analog master, Digital masters only becoming available in the late 80's. Unless the film has a wide and large audience returning to the original source and striking new widescreen digital masters is too expensive. The costs easily triple or quadruple the total cost of making the DVD. One would hope the industry take to preserving their heritage but time will tell on that policy.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREAT SANTINI
Review: THE GREAT SANTINI, AKA LT. COL. BULL MEECHUM, AS PLAYED BY THE GREAT ROBERT DUVALL IS A WARRIOR IN SEARCH OF A WAR. STATIONED IN AMERICA, IN PEACETIME, SANTINI WAGES A WAR THAT INCLUDES HIS FRUSTRATED CAREER GOALS (IT TAKES HIM A LONG TIME TO RECEIVE HIS PROMOTION), HIS HELD-BACK EMOTIONS (HE HAS GREAT DIFFICULTY TELLING HIS FAMILY HE TRULY LOVES THEM), AND HIS DEALING WITH THE FACT THAT HE IS AGING AND HIS SON IS BECOMING THE INDEPENDENT PERSON HE WANTS HIM TO BE, BUT NOT JUST YET. HE TREATS HIS FAMILY LIKE HIS COMPANY OF MARINES, ABUSING THEM IN THE NAME OF DISCIPLINE, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T ALLOW HIMSELF ANY OTHE WAY TO EXPRESS HIS AFFECTION AND DEVOTION TO THEM. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WITH HIS OLDEST SON, BEN, PLAYED EXPERTLY BY MICHAEL O'KEEFE. SANTINI IS RELENTLESS IN HIS ABUSE OF BEN BECAUSE HE BELIEVE THIS WILL MAKE HIM A BETTER MAN. HE THINKS BEN IS TOO SOFT, AND WHEN BEN BEATS HIM IN A ONE-ON-ONE GAME OF HOOPS, THE ABUSE ESCALATES TO THE POINT OF SANTINI CALLING BEN HIS FAVORITE DAUGHTER. BEN DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY SANTINI CAN SHOW HIS AFFECTION, UNTIL HIS MOM, WHO KNOWS SANTINI BETTER THAN SANTINI KNOWS HIMSELF, TELLS BEN THAT HIS FATHER TRULY LOVES HIM AND THAT THIS IS HIS WAY, HIS ONLY WAY, OF TELLING HIM. TOWARD THE END OF THE FILM SANTINI'S PLANE FLAMES OUT AND HE IS KILLED, HE COULD HAVE EJECTED BUT THE PLANE WOULD HAVE CRASHED OVER THE TOWN SO HE STAYED WITHT THE DYING PLANE UNTIL THE TOWN WAS OUT OF DANGER. INSTEAD OF FALIING APART, BEN ASSUMES THE ROLE OF FAMILY LEADER AND HIS MOTHER IS PROUD OF THE FACT THAT HER HUSBAND'S EFFORTS WITH BEN, ALTHOUGH SKEWED, WERE NOT IN VAIN. DUVALL'S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN THIS FILM SUCCESSFULLY BLENDS WARM HUMOR AND TENDERNESS WITH THE HARSH CRUELTIES INHERENT WITH DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES AND RACISM (A SUBPLOT IN THE FILM). THIS MOVIE, MUCH LIKE THE MOVIE STARMAN(JEFF BRIDGES) WAS PRACTICALLY UNDISTRIBUTED WHEN FIRST RELEASED, BUT RE-RELEASED DUE TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM. FIRST RATE IN EVERY RESPECT.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Buy It Til It Comes Out in the Widscreen Format
Review: The reviews that said: Good Film Bad Transfer are Right. Don't buy it until they do it right. I don't know why studios insist on doing this. I think it saves them money because they can use the old VCR transfers directly on the DVD. They make enough money on old stock to do it right.
Rating: 
Summary: Make way for a Marine Corps fighter pilot!
Review: This is an astonishing film. As the son of a career military man, I recognised some of the aspects of growing up in such an environment. The constant moving, the impermanence of things, and the general competitiveness that comes with the atmosphere are very accurately portrayed. Fortunately for me, my father was not the domineering Great Santini type!Robert Duvall plays a Marine Corps fighter pilot, one of the best of an elite corps, with an ego to match. His name is 'Bull' Meechum, but he styles himself the 'Great Santini'. Blythe Danner puts in an exquisite understated performance as the long-suffering yet loving wife, the strong and caring mother. Michael O'Keefe had what was perhaps the best role of his career as the coming-of-age son, competing with his father yet yearning for love and approval. Stan Shaw likewise turns in an excellent performance as Toomer, the black local who gets into trouble. While many of the other supporting cast did not go on to great fame, it is certainly not due to lack of acting ability as shown in this film. Despite being nearly a quarter of a century old now, the film stands up to the passage of time. The characters remain believable; the situations and cinematography bear up well. The film has a timeless quality that qualifies it as a classic, and portrays both the military and southern experience realistically without distortion pro or con. The main drama is between Meechum and his son Ben, but the secondary plot lines are strong without distracting from the primary interaction. The films ends in a strong, sombre mood, as the respect that has grudgingly built between father and son is finally realised, and the family dynamic continues its slow evolution as the family moves to yet another home at the end. The scene in which Ben, the son, finally beats Bull Meechum at basketball, at anything (Ben mentions it is the first time ANY of the children have beaten him at anything) is classic. Both Duvall and O'Keefe give strong performances as their respective characters, Duvall the father who is at once proud of his son for succeeding and still angry at his own shortcomings, lashing out at the family, and Ben, who stands his ground to claim his victory, despite the taunting and pettiness of his father. The DVD version presents no special features to speak of ; it is essentially a video on disc. However, it is a film that is well worth having in one's collection, and were they available to give, it would get ten stars.
Rating:
Summary: Make way for a Marine Corps fighter pilot!
Review: This is an astonishing film. As the son of a career military man, I recognised some of the aspects of growing up in such an environment. The constant moving, the impermanence of things, and the general competitiveness that comes with the atmosphere are very accurately portrayed. Fortunately for me, my father was not the domineering Great Santini type! Robert Duvall plays a Marine Corps fighter pilot, one of the best of an elite corps, with an ego to match. His name is 'Bull' Meechum, but he styles himself the 'Great Santini'. Blythe Danner puts in an exquisite understated performance as the long-suffering yet loving wife, the strong and caring mother. Michael O'Keefe had what was perhaps the best role of his career as the coming-of-age son, competing with his father yet yearning for love and approval. Stan Shaw likewise turns in an excellent performance as Toomer, the black local who gets into trouble. While many of the other supporting cast did not go on to great fame, it is certainly not due to lack of acting ability as shown in this film. Despite being nearly a quarter of a century old now, the film stands up to the passage of time. The characters remain believable; the situations and cinematography bear up well. The film has a timeless quality that qualifies it as a classic, and portrays both the military and southern experience realistically without distortion pro or con. The main drama is between Meechum and his son Ben, but the secondary plot lines are strong without distracting from the primary interaction. The films ends in a strong, sombre mood, as the respect that has grudgingly built between father and son is finally realised, and the family dynamic continues its slow evolution as the family moves to yet another home at the end. The scene in which Ben, the son, finally beats Bull Meechum at basketball, at anything (Ben mentions it is the first time ANY of the children have beaten him at anything) is classic. Both Duvall and O'Keefe give strong performances as their respective characters, Duvall the father who is at once proud of his son for succeeding and still angry at his own shortcomings, lashing out at the family, and Ben, who stands his ground to claim his victory, despite the taunting and pettiness of his father. The DVD version presents no special features to speak of ; it is essentially a video on disc. However, it is a film that is well worth having in one's collection, and were they available to give, it would get ten stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie about the effects the military has on a family
Review: This is one great and underrated film that both military and civilian personnel should see. Robert Duvall is very convincing as a Marine Corps pilot who unwittingly turns his years of military conditioning onto his children; thereby having a detrimental effect on them. This is one film I myself can almost relate to; it's not easy growing up in a household where either or both parents are overbearing and persistently employ wantonly-pejorative criticism and discipline.
Rating:
Summary: Still a good movie
Review: This is still a really good movie, even after more than 20 years. Remove the uniforms, and the plot could speak to a number of families. Still don't understand why the box shows an F-4 with Navy markings instead of Marine.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This movie is so touching, words cannot describe it! Rarely movies make me cry but this one did! There was such powerful acting and I was completey drawn to the characters. Robert Duvall was amazing and brilliantly displayed himself as the great santini. A marvelous job for O'Keefe as Billy. He definately moved me, what a great actor. This movie has got to be the most powerful i've seen in awhile! Wow!
Rating:
Summary: Hey, Sports Fan!
Review: What a great performance by Duvall as the ultra-macho, hard-drinking fighter pilot who is at once loved & hated by his family. This is an incredible flick. You won't be disappointed...
Rating:
Summary: Hey, Sports Fan!
Review: What a great performance by Duvall as the ultra-macho, hard-drinking fighter pilot who is at once loved & hated by his family. This is an incredible flick. You won't be disappointed...
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