Details
Movie Description
GARDENS OF STONE is Francis Ford Coppola's poetic tribute to the men who form the Old Guard, soldiers in charge of burying the dead at Arlington National Cemetery during the war in Vietnam. Clell Hazard (James Caan), an army sergeant who opposes the war because he believes it can't be won, becomes attached to a battle-hungry young soldier, Jackie Willow (D. B. Sweeney). Hazard knows the reality the youth will encounter if he goes to Vietnam, after serving two tours himself. His girlfriend, Washington reporter Samantha Davis (Anjelica Huston), also opposes the war, but for different reasons. Feeling useless in the Old Guard, Hazard requests a transfer to Fort Bragg, where he can help prepare the young soldiers for what they must face in Vietnam. Jackie is reunited with his girlfriend, Rachel (Mary Stuart Masterson), whose father, a retired colonel (played by Masterson's real-life father, Peter Masterson), sees the war as a commercial opportunity. James Earl Jones is a show-stealer as Goody Nelson, Hazard's best friend and voice of reason. The film's scenes of military burials--drills carried out with precision and ritual--are beautiful to watch.
Synopsis
James Caan plays Clell Hazard, a sergeant assigned to the Old Guard, soldiers in charge of burying the dead at Arlington National Cemetery in 1968. After serving in Vietnam, he believes the war is not winnable, so when young soldier Jackie Willow (D. B. Sweeney) wants to be sent there, Hazard and friend Goody Nelson (James Earl Jones) try to dissuade him. Hazard's girlfriend, Samantha (Anjelica Huston), is a liberal Washington reporter who also opposes the war. The military drills that make up the burial ceremonies serve as a bittersweet backdrop to the story.
Film Notes
Shot in DeLuxe color.
Title design by Colossal Pictures, Inc. and opticals by Cinema Research Corporation.
"Special thanks to the Honor Guards and Bands of all Services: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, for their pride and devotion in attending the last call for their fallen comrades at Arlington National Cemetery."
The film is dedicated to the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the Old Guard of The Army, Ft. Myer, Virginia.
Industry Reviews
"...[The] production values are first-rate with longtime collaborator Dean Tavoularis' production design evoking the mood of the times. Jordan Cronenweht's cinematography is dark and suggestive..."
Variety - Jagr. (05/06/1987)
"...A compassionate study....It is a passionate impasse, played out by full, good characters and fine performers....GARDENS OF STONE'S intelligence and its unsimple characters make it a notable attempt to deal with that war..."
Los Angeles Times - p.C1 - Sheila Benson (05/08/1987)
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