The agonies and ecstasies of family life, father vs. son, etc.

Two films were released in 1979, "Apocalypse Now" and this one, wherein Robert Duvall played essentially the same character -- a gung-ho, half-crazed Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps.

Here Duvall plays fighter pilot commander Bull Meechum, who drives his family to his new base in Beaufort, SC (where the film was actually filmed). It's peace-time in the early 60s before the Vietnam War. Bull is ultra-charismatic but flawed. At any given time you might love him or hate him; you'll see this same struggle with his family members. He tends to treat them like Marine subordinates which, for the most part, works and they seem to have a lot of good times together, but there's a dark side as Bull is overly competitive, especially with his just-turning-18 son Ben (Michael O'Keefe). Perhaps this is because he's a warrior without a war and he has to fight someone. He's also an alcoholic, albeit a functional one.

If you're in the mood for a good drama you can't go wrong with this. Although there are a few comedic moments, this is essentially a serious study on the joys & agonies of family dynamics. The story offers numerous insights to ponder. Many times while viewing I was reminded of my growing-up years. In Bull Meechum I see a bit of my father.

The one-on-one basketball game between Bull and son is an exceptional scene. The rest of the family is watching and cheering. They're all having a fun time until it takes an unexpected dark turn. Bull can't handle losing to his son and responds like a jerk. Yet it smacks of real life.

Unlike Bull and Ben in the film I didn't have an actual relationship with my father. The only time he'd talk to me, generally speaking, was when he was calling me names, cussing me out or telling me I was never going to amount to anything. One day, when I was 15 and my father was in his mid-50s, I was in my room upstairs and my dad started yelling at me from the bottom of the stairs. I couldn't really hear what he was saying (something about a progress report at school) and, mumbling, just kinda blew it off. He ran up the stairs yelling, charging into my room in a rage. If he ever came at me in such a manner in the past I would just flee the scene but, in this case, I was cornered and had nowhere to run. Hence, we went at, the first and only time, father against son. As great as his rage was, mine was greater. Don't get me wrong, I believe in honoring parents and all, but at that point I couldn't take anymore. I was done with the names, the cuss-outs and the curses (e.g. "You're gonna turn to $#!&"). I was able to put him in a headlock fairly quickly and squeezed tight until his entire head turned beet red. I then let him go and he walked out of the room muttering, defeated. And no wonder, he was in physical decline while I was just entering my prime. Strangely, in weeks & months to come he would amusingly brag on me about the incident.

Why do I bring up this personal story? Because the film will likely stir growing-up memories, pleasant and unpleasant, happy and sad.

The eldest daughter, the redhead, is played by Lisa Jane Persky. She initially comes off as eccentric, geeky and not very attractive, but wait until you see her on prom night later in the picture. If I was 18 I'd take her out without a second thought.

Lastly, the flick has a good, authentic Southern vibe like a handful of other movies, e.g. "Mississippi Burning," "Ode To Billy Joe," "Cat People" and "Places in the Heart."