Watch The Great Santini For Free

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

One of the reasons "The Great Santini" is of interest is the fact that a movie like this probably wouldn't get made today, at least by a major Hollywood studio. The movie is in great part a character study of an individual (played by Duvall) who isn't very likable. Though I can picture some viewers being turned off by the film because of this unlikable character, I did find the character interesting to watch. He is so abrasive, even towards his family, that whenever he appeared I kept a close watch on him to see if I could find something to explain why this man was the way he was. I should also mention that Duvall's performance is extremely convincing, Oscar worthy as a matter of fact. In fact, all of the performances in the movie are very good.While the movie's performances and presentation of the title character make this worth a look, I will have to admit that they don't quite mask some significant flaws - mainly with the screenplay. The movie plays out like a series of vignettes instead of one strong plot thread that evolves over time. And quite often what happens in the vignettes could be completely taken out without hurting the rest of the movie at all. (Study how the predictable subplot with the character of Toomer is quickly forgotten once it ends.) Also, the ending is kind of weak, wrapping things up too quickly and not giving a real hint of what's to come of these characters. The movie, despite these flaws, does still have interest, enough that I'm glad I watched it. Though I feel it's definitely not to all tastes. I would recommend you first read up on the movie extensively before deciding whether or not to watch it.

Lt. Col. 'Bull' Meechum (Robert Duvall) is a wildcat Marine Pilot stationed stateside ; at the beginning , he along with his family are living in Spain , then , they return to USA . The family is formed by father , mother (Blythe Danner) and children (Michael O'Keefe as Ben , Lisa Jane Persky as Mary Anne , Julie Anne Haddock as Karen and Brian Andrews as Matthew Meechum) . They are a dysfunctional family , rigidly governed by the father , as he abuses and deals them in military style , because he doesn't allow himself any other way yo show his affection .The motion picture mingles tenderness , warm humor , racism with harsh cruelties inherent with unsettling as well unpleasant main character , including his repressed emotions , frustrated career and family mistreat . According to author Pat Conroy, Lt. Col. Bull Meecham is based entirely on his own father, Donald Conroy, a Marine fighter pilot who referred to himself in the third person as "The Great Santini." Donald Conroy took the nickname from a magician he'd seen as a child ; in fact Pat and Donald Conroy were on the set on the day . Producers gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of the US Marine Corps , in the production of this picture . The movie was virtually undistributed and originally released directly to cable and airlines, under the title "The Ace" , when the NY Times reviewed it very favorably, it was pulled from cable, and released due to critical acclaim to theaters under the title "The Great Santini" . Very good acting by Robert Duvall as an aggressively competitive, but frustrated marine pilot strictly related to his family with whom he shares a strident and sometimes fun love-hatred relationship . Skillful acting especially from the youngsters with special mention to Miles O'Keefe . And standout performance by Blythe Danner ; despite playing the mummy , Blythe Danner is only 12 years older than children Michael O'Keefe and Lisa Jane Persky . Secondary cast is pretty good such as Stan Shaw , Paul Gleeson , Paul Mantee , Michael Strong and David Keith film debut .Atmospheric cinematography by Ralph Woolsey , filmed on location in South Carolina and in Samuel Goldwyn studios , Hollywood Calif. Cameraman used lenses and Panaflex camera by Panavision , prints by Technicolor . In 1981, the movie got nods for nominated for Academy Awards to actor and supporting actor. Rousing musical score by the master Elmer Bernstein in his particular as well as martial style . The motion picture was professionally written and directed by Lewis Jon Carlino who extracted good performances and well-developed events .He is a writer and director, known for The mechanic , Mafia , Seconds ; having only directed three films : Class , The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea and this Great Santini .

This movie is not heavily reviewed on this site. Thought I would contribute one more in case some movie fans don't know this film is one of the top 20 films ever made. Not technically brilliant. There are all sorts of audio and sound looping mistakes. There is some deft camera work. During the big game, the camera dollies up and down the court for good capture of action. There are some long composed shots of the beauty of South Carolina. It is mostly medium shots and two shots of dialog. There are no long continuous shots, and it is quite choppy. Kinda like television. The dialog and the story are outstanding. Bull Meechum's speeches are pure military gold. " You are flying with Bull Meecham now. I s**t you not, gentlemen, this is the eye of the storm!" I try to work that into my own speeches to this day. Another one that gets me, when racist Red Petus is shouting at (black) Toomer's back, "Look at me!" It captures his frustration and self-loathing perfectly. The entire scene of Ben's mother explaining the behavior of his father, after the harrowing basketball game, in the dark bedroom is worth watching again and again. Speaking of which, the scene where Bull tortures his son by bouncing the ball off his head is legendary in sports fan's and coaching circles. "One, two, three... Cry!"Great writing makes a great movie- but the acting positively makes this a high point of cinema. In my opinion, Robert Duvall is just as good as Robert DeNiro. His career is littered with high points and classics, but this one is my favorite. Most reviewers here say the character is unsympathetic. Duvall shows much of his tenderness when he wakes up his son at 4AM to describe the day 18 years before when he was born. The entire first 20 minutes show his sense of humor and his playfulness. When I first saw this in 1980 I loved the guy from the get go- and then the abusive basketball game riveted me to my seat. Duvall (and the script) show all sides of The Great Santini- the gift of fury, the love, the pride, the lust, the frustration, the anger, the ignorance,... everything in a father's heart. Maybe it's just something women don't get.Micheal O'Keefe captures high school youth, too. He cries a few times, and it really wrenches your heart. This is Blythe Danner's greatest achievement. I really felt Lillian loved Bull Meechum, and there was a back story there. Of course, we don't get the back story, just like the kids don't. Her scenes with her son Ben had the subtle gritty ring of realism. She says a lot with her hands and her eyes. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent. There are many stories and events in this plot. I wish it could have been longer to explore the younger sister, Mary Jane, and maybe the children's experiences in school with their peers.In conclusion, I would like to say that people who review the film and don't like Bull Meechum tend to not like the movie. That is unfair.(if you watch Taxi Driver over and over you must come to the same conclusion: Travis Bickle is a scumbag, a loser, and a psychopath, but the acting and the movie are extraordinary, nonetheless) Also, I suppose that these people who react strongly never had a tough parent.I appreciated the rougher aspects of this character, and understood how he was missed by his family. His death is symbolic, because his son is now grown and is his own person within the story line. My own father was a tough, old, dinosaur. He didn't die when I was 18. But when I moved out and became a man, he turned into a hell of a guy. Kind, funny, patient... You could say that my 'old father' died. He just felt the best way to prepare your children for the world was through obedience, motivation, respect, and, yes, confrontation.

This was the first "sleeper" movie I ever discovered. I had read _The Water Is Wide_ and seen _Conrack_ but I had never heard of this film when I found it on cable. I was captivated by it from the point where I turned it on and watched it to the end. Then I caught it again and watched it all the way through. I watched it again and again. I tried to find out something about it and found that it was released in theaters under the name _The Ace_ and had bombed. How on earth could there be a movie so wonderful that I had never heard of? I think it's because it is TOO good. Movie audiences want their bad guys to be bad and their good guys to be good. Without the white and black hats to signal who they are supposed to be, the complex, realistic characters confuse general audiences. It was painful in parts, just the same way life is, and just like life, it was joyful, horrifying, funny, gross, wonderful, and hopeful. It was just too real for most people.Pat Conroy is the greatest living writer. This movie is what a movie should be.Because of this movie, I buy every movie channel that the cable company offers. I couldn't miss the blockbusters if I tried. But I find more than my money's worth each month in wonderful movies that were just too good for the general movie-going public.