Although there are a number of excellent performances in this movie, by Blythe Danner, Michael O'Keefe and Stan Shaw and the rest of the cast, Robert Duvall stands out in his performance as the "warrior without a war". Depending on who you believe, this is an autobiographical tale from Pat Conroy about a military father who seemed to refuse to get too close to a family that he might lose at any time, given the nature of his "job", a Marine fighter pilot. There are a couple of subplots that revolve around his son and their love/hate relationship. This is a story that many people can relate to, particularly the military "brats", the military wives and anyone who finds themselves in a family with the father as the villain. But the bottom line is the performance by Robert Duvall. A "larger than life" characterization of a character that you can both love and hate. This film was originally titled "The Ace" and I found it ginally] on cable, Cinemax, I think. Thank goodness for cable, if for no other reason than for giving me the first opportunity to see this film.
Review of The Great Santini
