Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

James Carabatsos (written by)

Release Date:

5 joulukuu 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | War

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway, career Marine and combat veteran. He is a man whose life has been defined by war. Korea and Vietnam taught him how to survive. He won the Congressional Medal of Honor but found public apathy and military bureaucracy. He is a hard-drinking loner but he's trying to reorganize his life and understand the woman he loves. He is a traditionalist who has to shape up his ragtag troops and he'll get the job done. His integrity is unwavering. His past is Heartbreak Ridge. He is ready for another battlefield and his finest hour. It will come.

Plot:

A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude.

Plot Keywords:

Ex Wife | Korean War | Military | Grenada | Veteran

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Clint Eastwood	...	Sergeant Thomas Highway
Marsha Mason	...	Aggie
Everett McGill	...	Major Malcolm A. Powers
Moses Gunn	...	Staff Sergeant Webster
Eileen Heckart	...	Little Mary Jackson
Bo Svenson	...	Roy Jennings, Palace Bar Owner
Boyd Gaines	...	Lieutenant M.R. Ring
Mario Van Peebles	...	Corporal 'Stitch' Jones
Arlen Dean Snyder	...	Sergeant Major Choozoo
Vincent Irizarry	...	Fragetti
Ramón Franco	...	Private Aponte (as Ramon Franco)
Tom Villard	...	Profile
Mike Gomez	...	Private Quinones
Rodney Hill	...	Private Collins
Peter Koch	...	'Swede' Johanson

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:R | USA:R (certificate #28415) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1986) | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Jay Weston Productions

Trivia:

In the original script, Sgt. Highway was a career army officer. The U.S. Army read the script and refused to participate. The character was then changed to a Marine. The Marine Corps first cooperated, but upon viewing a first cut, quickly disowned the film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While chastising GySgt Highway on his altering of the ambush plan, Maj Powers mentions that the men belong to the 2d Marine Division, 8th Marine Regiment. 2d Reconnaissance Battalion has never been a subordinate unit of 8th Marine Regiment. This supports the notion that perhaps the goof is in Highway's assignment to 2d Reconnaissance Battalion.

Quotes:

Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: This man has usurped authority and ignored my personal directives for over a week. Why, Lieutenant?
Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Sir, I thought the training exercise was...
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: You think too much and act too little. You are supposed to be an officer. Now look that word up in your platoon leader's handbook.
[to Highway]
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Who gave you permission to deviate from the training schedule?
Highway: I needed to evaluate my men, sir.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: They're not your men, you self-centered, egocentric, son-of-a-bitch! They're the United States Marine Corps men! The Second Division's men! The Eighth Marine Regiment's men! In other words, they're MY men and SO ARE YOU, GET IT?
Highway: The only thing I'll get is my head shot off if I go into a hot landing zone with a platoon that doesn't know it's job.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: You will follow my training program to the letter. No questions asked.
Highway: You go into combat tomorrow and you'll plant half those men.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: Ghosts (#3.1)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Secret Love

one of the most HILARIOUS war movies ever!!

I have to say that I really enjoyed watching this movie.

The grizzled, maverick war veteran, Sgt. Tom 'Gunny' Highway must be one of Clint Eastwood's more comedic roles (apart from the 'every which way' films) He had me bursting out laughing every time he even opened his mouth. One particular line that had me in stitches was when he was telling a cadet to put his Kevlar helmet back on by 1900 hours 'or he wouldn't have a head to wear it on'-pure class!! I've always liked Clint for his tough no-nonsense roles. This one is no exception! As a matter of fact, there were plenty of 'laugh-out-loud moments in this film to keep everyone happy-like the smart-ass remarks from the punk cadets.

The showdown between Highway and 'The Swede' was highly enjoyable, too.

'Heartbrake Ridge' is certainly a lot more lighter and easier to swallow than the similarly-themed 'Full Metal Jacket'.

This film certainly passes as perfectly adequate, undemanding popcorn viewing.