| | | | TAPS
(1981) |
he voices of choirboys ease us into the scene of a church service at Bunker Hill Military Academy in the United States. The Commandant of the academy (George C. Scott) addresses the assembled cadets who sit rigidly in their immaculate uniforms. The closing ritual, a reading from the Book of Rememberance, to honour the fallen.
We see "life in the lines" of a group of individuals of various ages, and are introduced to the main characters of the story. The Cadet Major Brian Moreland (Timothy Hutton), his close friend and confidant Alex Dwyer (Sean Penn) and gung-ho red beret David Shawn (Tom Cruise). We also meet some of the younger cadets and see how the life of a cadet starts at the very bottom of the heap as a veritable slave, but that through hard work and discipline, the cadets rise to the top positions of authority in the upper classes.
Our three central characters are the seniors of their peers, but there is a tension borne through rivalry between Dwyer and Shawn. Moreland, the son of a war-hero Master Sergeant in the regular army, holds order and reigns supreme in his position as top cadet.
But the spit and polish of this institution is about to be replaced with the steel and glass of change. The Board of Trustees sees the real estate potential of the academy as more lucrative than that of producing the military leaders of tomorrow. Condominiums are planned to replace the 141 year-old buildings of Bunker Hill (actually the Valley Forge Academy) much to the dismay of Commandant and Cadets alike. The good news is that the cadets can finish their year's studies and those not graduating will have time to look for a new school.
However these thoughts are put aside as the cadets prepare for the upcoming ball, where girls in ball gown are met at their vehicles by exceptionally polite and ceremonially dressed young men. However events are marred when local roughs start causing trouble at the gates of the academy.
When the senior classmen and the Commandant arrive to break things up, one of the roughs pulls the ceremonial sidearm from the Commandant's dress uniform holster and in the struggle it discharges, killing one of the locals. Police roll in and we see a dejected Commandant trying to understand how the weapon could be loaded.
Calls for the immediate closure of the academy flood the media, and the Board of Trustees moves to close down Bunker Hill. However, the Cadet Major and his troops have different ideas. They enter the magazine and arm themselves with m-16, m-60's and quietly secure the academy against a siege. Trucks are deployed to the local warehouses to fill orders for enough supplies to last the duration.
Things start to come apart when another conflict with locals starts to unfold when a truck stalls in town. When the roughs start to get too close for comfort, the shots ring out and the locals scatter long enough for the boys to escape - minus a truck.
By this stage, the word is out that the boys have taken over the grounds and they announce the terms of their occupation. Renegotiation over the future of the academy and the reinvestigation of the case against the Commandant.
The authorities seem unwilling to accept terms from these "children" and so the situation escalates into an almost full conflict against the local national guardsmen, armed with tanks and helicopters, hundreds of troops and giant floodlights to psychologically disrupt the discipline and composure of the cadets.
Inside the walls, discipline is starting to break under the pressure of begging mothers at the gates and little boys trying to fill the job normally filled by trained, hardened men. As one boy breaks ranks and head for the fence, he drops his weapon, it discharges and he is killed in the ensuing outbreak of fire.
A dark cloud falls over the scene as his lifeless body slumps against the gates. The pressure is on everyone now, with more and more boys failing to turn up at morning muster, Moreland, Dwyer and Shawn are torn between their desire to save the academy and the reality of their situation.
When things finally do come to a head, there is a tragic conclusion that leaves a hollow sadness and darkness over the academy that was bathed in sunshine and glory at the start of the film.
I remember being young and eager for a military career when this movie was released, and at the time felt it was an awesome movie. Now, as an ex-serviceman who is a part of the civilian life, I still think back with fond memories of this movie. It is one I can watch over and over again. The second half tends to lose the pace and overall feeling of "tightness", but maybe that also reflects the situation of the young men in this story.
The 80's style and feel of this movie takes me back to a time where things were a bit more wonderous and almost anything was possible. Just as these boys felt their personal crusade would see them save their beloved institution. Watch it, enjoy it, and don't worry about picking it apart, love it for what it is, and marvel at where the starts had their early breaks.
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This film is a must see for anyone who loves the 80's and who wants to glimpse back at the stars in the making. It is a classic in the sense that it is a war movie, anti-war movie and teen movie all in one.
It is also a slight at those who would tear down our heritage to make a quick buck and create tacky, high density housing.
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TAPS is based on the novel "Father Sky" by Devery Freeman and was adapted for the big screen by writers Robert Mark Kamen, James Lineberger and Darryl Ponicsan. Where the movie is an action film about loyalty, the book delves much deeper into the pychology which created the unique loyalty for which people were willing to kill or die. It also examines the overall effect of a military academy, where the main purpose of the upper classmen is to strip you of your own identity and replace it with a pre-ordained, approved version. Well worth a read. 
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This was Sean Penn's first movie. -Thanks to Kara Victoria
The main star Timothy Hutton was first seen during the 80s in "Ordinary People" playing Donald Sutherland's character's son. He also starred in Turk 182, another story where the system crushes someone he loves and respects and he fights back in an unconventional way.
The Superintendant's house is really named "Crossed Sabres" and is also the name for the annual school yearbook. -Thanks to Mark (VFMA Class of 1971)
Taps was filmed at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne PA during the 1980-1981 school year. All cadets (students) at VFMA had to be an extra. I am driving the fourth Jeep in the beginning parade scene.
Amelia Romano, who played Mrs. Molloy, the housekeeper, taught acting at the 'Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater' in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s. -Thanks to Rahel Jaskow
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The "Main Gate" where the confrontation between the "townies" and Gen. Basche (George C. Scott) takes place, never exsisted. That gate was constructed for the movie only, and was returned to its original form of a small "single person gate" for the real superintendant to exit the Main Area and cross the street to his house. Also, Many of the interior scenes were filmed on sets constructed in the academy's former riding hall named Clothier Hall, which no longer exists. -Thanks to Mark (VFMA Class of 1971)
The stars had to do an induction in the Valley Forge Academy prior to filming so that they had a first-hand glimpse into the life of an academy and the rituals and hierarchy that was a part of the life of a cadet.
While Tom Cruise's character was the gung-ho type, Tom was not so impressed with the academy life and decided a local hotel was more to his liking.
The disruption to the academy caused by delays in fiming led to permission for other productions being denied by other academies.
Initially when cast in the film, Tom Cruise didn't have many lines as he was only going to play a background character in the film, but Director Harold Becker was so impressed by the way he conducted himself as one of the military cadets during rehearsals that he was offered the part of David Shawn. -Thanks to Robert Baum
One of the uncredited "Red Berets" is now a real Major serving in Iraq. MAJ Greg Markert is serving somewhere in the Mosel region and will be back in April 08. The tanks that are shown are M48A5 Patton tanks and belonged to the 1st Squadron 104th Cavalry of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The .50 Caliber Machine Gun, which kills Hutton and Cruise, mounted on the loader hatch was done by Hollywood. It normally mounts a M60D machine gun.
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|  |  |  | | TAPS
Locations |
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 Featured Movie Location: Bunker Hill Academy
Wanna see the real life filming location used for Bunker Hill Academy in the movie? These scenes were actually shot at Valley Forge Military Academy, located in Wayne, Pennsylvania. [New! Show Google Map]
The "Main Gate" where the confrontation between the "townies" and Gen. Basche (Geo. C. Scott) takes place never exsisted. It was constructed for the movie only, and was returned to its original form of a small "single person gate" for the real superintendant to exit the Main Area, and cross the street to his house.
Many of the "interior scenes were filmed on sets constructed in the academy's former riding hall named " Clothier Hall, which no longer exists.
The Superintendant's house is really named "Crossed Sabres", -the name for the annual school yearbook. [Thanks to Mark]
Featured Link: Valley Forge Military Academy
Can you help? Do you know any of the Wayne, Pennsylvania (or any other) filming locations used for TAPS? [Please send them in]
|  | | | | ![[16:9 -Widescreen Enhanced]](16_9.gif) | ![[5.1 CH SURROUND]](dd5.gif) | Trailer, Commentary, Featurette |
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| | | | Trailer |
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A pretty standard military movie score.
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| | "This school is our home, we think it's worth defending"
| |  | | Tom Cruise stars... |
Year:
| 1981 | Studio:
| 20th Century Fox | Director:
| Harold Becker | Starring:
| George C. Scott,
Tom Cruise, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Ronny Cox
| | - | - | Genre:
| Drama / Historic | | | | + | I loved the performances, costumes, settings, and general feel of the movie. The story was almost a fantasy for young boys who were eager to prove themselves men. | - | Some of the characters are parodies, and the outcomes are generally predictable, also the second half tends to wane compared to the first parts. |
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