The Gift of Fury
Brief Synopsis
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The four Meechum kids and their mother move from Marine post to Marine post, following their father, a pilot, in the peaceful years before the Vietnam war. Bull Meechum, the self-described "great Santini," is manic: a martinet at once enthusiastic and abusive of his family. In Beaufort, South Carolina, Bull is assigned to whip into shape a squadron of pilots, and Ben makes friends with Toomer, a slow-talking Black youth. Racial and family tensions explode in violence, and Ben must find a way to make peace with his father.
Cast & Crew
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Lewis John Carlino
Director
Julie Anne Haddock
Robert Duvall
Blythe Danner
Michael O'keefe
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Release Date
1979
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 55m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Technicolor)
Synopsis
The four Meechum kids and their mother move from Marine post to Marine post, following their father, a pilot, in the peaceful years before the Vietnam war. Bull Meechum, the self-described "great Santini," is manic: a martinet at once enthusiastic and abusive of his family. In Beaufort, South Carolina, Bull is assigned to whip into shape a squadron of pilots, and Ben makes friends with Toomer, a slow-talking Black youth. Racial and family tensions explode in violence, and Ben must find a way to make peace with his father.
Director
Lewis John Carlino
Director
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Release Date
1979
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 55m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Technicolor)
Award Nominations
Best Actor
1981
Robert Duvall
Best Supporting Actor
1981
Michael O'Keefe
Quotes
I'd like to propose a toast, to my son. He is eighteen today. He has just ordered his first drink. Before he drinks it, I'd like to wish him a long life, a wife as fine as his mother, and a son as fine as he's been. To my son!- Bull Meechum
I want us to win and win big. I want us to make our school proud, I want us to make our parents proud, our grandparents proud, our first and second cousins proud, our POONTANG proud and ourselves proud.- Coach Spinks
I didn't know you looked so stacked, sports fans.- Bull Meechum
How sicko sexual can you get?- Mary Anne Meechum
They're staring at us like we're freaks or something.- Mary Anne Meechum
No they're no. Look, just pick someone out. Go on up to them and say, "Hi my name's Mary Anne Meechum. I'm new in town, like you for a friend." Just like that.- Ben Meechum
You know what Toomer? This is terrific. There's a shooting star.- Ben Meechum
There's no star boy. That's the tear of infant Jesus falling on such a sinful, hateful world. This is sure one fine night, isn't it buddy boy?- Toomer
Yep, this is one fine night Toomer.- Ben Meechum
Trivia
The South Carolina house where much of the movie takes place is the same house in Beaufort used in Big Chill, The (1983). It is known as the "Edgar Fripp Home" as well as "Tidalholm."
