Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Invaderbank
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Nayan Gough
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
idontneedyourjunk
I haven't read the book, but it has a rating of 4.27/5 from over 20,000 ratings (Pat Conroy), so I'm going to presume it's pretty good.The movie? Not so much.Set in the 60's, it follows a 4th year cadet through training (specifically hazing) who is given the job of looking out for the first black cadet allowed into the institute.He completely fails to do so, finds out there's a secret group forcing out people they don't like through torture (the first 70 minutes). He reads a diary that helpfully lists all the members of the last 30 years and blackmails all his problems away (the last 20 minutes). Oh, and his best friend betrays him. The end."Wild" Bill Paxton (as credited) is as mediocre as the movie, so at least he fits in? He appears with Judge Reinhold, who was in his last movie (Stripes), and first time appearing with Michael Biehn, who was the best soldier actor in the movie. Someone must have agreed, because the following year, he got the role of Kyle Reece in The Terminator (Bill would get a bit part, as would Rick Rossovich).Filming took place in London, and Bill Paxton met his future (and second) wife Louise Newbury on a #37 bus there.TLDR; what a stupid movie.
Leftbanker
This was bay far Conroy's best novel and also the best movie adaptation of his work. It's a tight little thriller with the enchanting backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina. I made a pilgrimage to most of the places in his books, places he describes with such passion and clarity in his novels. Of course, The Citadel wouldn't allow the movie to be made at the school so they filmed Lords at the Virginia Military Institute. I can only imagine that these are horrible places to go to school.The film is fast-paced and tells a compelling story of friendship, honor, and betrayal. The whole sadistic hazing bull is still a big part of military training but for what reason no one really seems to know. Treating people like animals and heaping abuse on people in training only serves to make petty and angry idiots, not leaders. I went to school when I was in the military with some West Points grads and they were the worst officers that I encountered in all of my service. I think the book and this film point this out.
barbarausa
The movie is adequate and casting for "The Bear" was perfect. The film lost the eliminate of mystery and intrigue the book had. By showing "The Ten" to early and on campus they stole from the mythology of the fraternity. On the other hand, it is impossible to make a film that lives up to a Conroy novel as their is just too much. If a producer was smart they would hire Pat Conroy to make a TV series out of any one of his novels. I don't mean a mini series, but an actual TV series that would probably need to run three seasons. If Conroy didn't want to write the series than David E. Kelley could possibly do justice to many of Conroy's novels or in the case of the Lords Of Discipline Arron Sorkin could possibly write it. Obviously Pat would be the ideal writer though. Trying to do any Conroy novel in a two or even three hour film is just ridiculous. That's why "The Prince of Tides" was such a bad film. It did not stand a chance of having even the same story line as the novel because the real story could not be covered by a film.
pazmasta
The book was quite good in terms of writing. The movie was very mediocre. However, people need to keep in mind that the book was a FICTION novel. That the movie was NOT based on a true story. That at the citadel an upperclassman is forbidden to even TOUCH a lower classmen. That the book is a standing JOKE among the cadets there and the movie is a laughing stock. To compare the events of this movie to reality shows very poor taste. Please keep this in perspective before comparing the book to today's military or military academies. The only place where the walk of shame is still practiced is at the Virginia Military Institute and there only for honor violations (lying, cheating, stealing, or encouraging another to do so).That being said, the book was an excellent novel and the movie was okay. (even if I object to the light it cast on American military institutions) I was able to relate to some of the characters and situations (though I had to snicker at certain parts)
