Taps

Starring: Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Ronny Cox, Evan Handler
Directed by: Harold Becker
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
1981

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: When it is announced that a private military school will be closed, a number of cadets (Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn) decide that this is unacceptable and overtake the school. With the police and military on the outside, the stakes rise as their situation- and their resolve- become more and more grave.

Review:

Tim: Taps works so well as a movie because it not only manages to be very entertaining and emotionally powerful, but it makes us question some of our long-held assumptions- things like honor, duty, and courage. It is also an important movie because it is one of the earliest Tom Cruise movies, and the feature film debut of Sean Penn. There are a lot of things to like about this movie.

As I just mentioned, the cast is pretty impressive. Timothy Hutton does fantastic work in the lead role. He was such a talented actor in his youth, and he gives a great performance here. He is believable, and has enough everyman qualities that we identify with him. Hutton is both believable as a leader, and as a naive young man who gets himself into a terrible situation. Hutton has help, though- this is certainly not a movie resting entirely on his shoulders. It was nice to see George C. Scott in a role that was perfect for him. He is enjoyable as the older general, a man who has spent his entire life in a uniform, and is focused now on developing the next generation of military leaders. Scott is very charismatic and enjoyable in the role.

The supporting cast is helped by two future stars, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn. Both actors are very, very young here, and have not had enough time to grow and mature into themselves yet. Cruise is decent as the cadet who enjoys playing soldier just a little too much. He is not great in the role, and has a few moments where his acting is questionable, but his presence is a welcome one, and I believed him in this role. Sean Penn has a quiet but important role. His in not flashy, but ends up being one of the most crucial roles of the film. This was a pretty impressive film debut, and hinted at the possibility of future greatness. I liked how Penn interacted with Hutton. As I've said, the supporting cast was good and definitely helped this film, but ultimately, the success of the film depended on Hutton, and he delivers here.

This film is certainly about some lofty things- namely, honor and duty. However, it never feels preachy- instead, we are caught up in an interesting, engaging, oftentimes fascinating story about cadets who do what they believe is right, despite the rest of the world seeing it a different way. Without a great deal of action, we are still kept on the edge of our seats- this is a tense, often nerve-racking movie. The film wisely lets us get to know the characters and to identify with their struggle. This makes us worry about them and become invested in their plight. I really enjoyed watching this movie.

Taps is a solid character-based drama that entertains and informs. It is a movie that has more depth than may first be apparent. It is a film that is not easy to shake, and will impact you long after you finish viewing. This is a very good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Red Dawn, Navy Seals, Ordinary People, War Games