Taps is a movie about Honor and Duty. It is a movie about Glory and Commitment...and yet, it is a movie about none of that. Most of the students at Bunker Hill are career military children, with futures as officers. They have lived their lives...
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Taps is a movie about Honor and Duty. It is a movie about Glory and Commitment...and yet, it is a movie about none of that. Most of the students at Bunker Hill are career military children, with futures as officers. They have lived their lives in such places, and like the synopsis says, "This school is our Home..."
Thus, there is the conundrum. For we all believe in defending our homes and defending our heritage, but what's the price? What must we sacrifice to achieve that goal? This movie tries to answer that, tries to get us to look. It's a scary look, with pain and sadness. They are, after all only children with so much potential, so much possibility!
The acting is very good, all the way down to the youngest of the cadets. Harold Becker paints each character very well. George C. Scott as an aging General is unflinchingly good. Sean Penn, as the voice of reason. Timothy Hutton, groomed for West point, the fine polish of a well sharpened sword. And Tom Cruise, slightly crazy, slightly gung-ho.
This film touches your heart by the end, with all the frailty of faults of the characters whom are really just trying to save something they love.