THE GREAT SANTINI (1980) C widescreen 115m dir: Lewis John Carlino

w/Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, Michael O'Keefe, Lisa Jane Persky, Julie Anne Haddock, Brian Andrews, Stan Shaw, Theresa Merritt, David Keith, Paul Mantee

A powerful, sensitive family drama (based on the novel by Pat Conroy) concerning a professional warrior (Duvall) who finds his only battle plan for dealing with his family during peacetime is evasive action. Duvall's Marine Corps fighter pilot is a vivid, tightly held portrayal of a man who brooks no rebellion at home but is egged on by his own internal contradictions to self-destructive rebellion.

From Variety's review of the film: "Robert Duvall gives an excellent portrayal of a semi-psychotic, softened by 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 . ...

"As the sensitive son who strives to meet all of his father's supermasculine standards, Michael O'Keefe is terrific and emerges as the major star of the picture. Blythe Danner is also strong as the wife who suffers Duvall's excesses."

From The Movie Guide: "Deftly scripted, beautifully shot --- making good use of its South Carolina locations --- and magnificently acted, THE GREAT SANTINI garnered Academy nominations for both Duvall and O'Keefe. Though its emotions are big, the performances are so nicely nuanced that sentiment never overwhelms the story's emotional realism. In addition to Duvall's tour-de-force performance, Danner is outstanding as the nurturing mother, and O'Keefe's heartfelt portrayal of the tortured son earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor."