Men of Honor (2000)

Director:

George Tillman Jr.

Writer (WGA):

Scott Marshall Smith (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

History is made by those who break the rules.

Plot:

The story of Carl Brashear, the first African American, then also the first amputee, US Navy Diver and the man who trained him.

Plot Keywords:

Navy | African American | Determination | Training | Racism

Awards:

9 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 18

4:15 AM

HBO

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Chief 'Billy' Sunday
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Chief Carl Brashear
Charlize Theron	...	Gwen Sunday
Aunjanue Ellis	...	Jo
Hal Holbrook	...	'Mr. Pappy'
Michael Rapaport	...	GM1 Snowhill
Powers Boothe	...	Captain Pullman
David Keith	...	Captain Hartigan
Holt McCallany	...	MM1 Dylan Rourke
David Conrad	...	Lt. / Cmdr. / Capt. Hanks
Joshua Leonard	...	PO2 Timothy Douglas Isert
Carl Lumbly	...	Mac Brashear
Lonette McKee	...	Ella Brashear
Glynn Turman	...	Chief Floyd
Dennis Troutman	...	Boots
Joshua Feinman	...	DuBoyce
Theo Nicholas Pagones	...	FC Mellegrano (as Theo Pagones)
Ryan Honey	...	Surveyor 2nd Yarmouth
Chris Warren Jr.	...	Young Carl Brashear
Lester B. Hanson	...	Admiral Yon
Jack Frazier	...	Rear Admiral French
David Richard Heath	...	Medical Officer
Demene E. Hall	...	Mrs. Biddle
Alimi Ballard	...	Coke
Shawn Michael Howard	...	Junie
Troy Lund	...	Blonde Gate SP
Henry Harris	...	Rescued Pilot
Matt Dotson	...	Marine Guard at Hearing
David Meyers	...	Dr. Cudahy
Richard Perry Turner	...	Dr. Dinkins
George 'Chick' Rankins	...	Cab Driver (as George 'Chick' Rankins)
Richard Sanders	...	Donny Moor Bartender
Nasir Najieb	...	Black Inductee
Dennis Bateman	...	Navy Instructor
Eric Newsome	...	Naked Grunt
Steven Clark Pachosa	...	Navy Recruiter / Chief Petty Officer
Marilyn Faith Hickey	...	Pinch-Faced Woman at Detox Center
Bruce Burkhartsmeier	...	Presiding Officer
Michael Tyrone Williamson	...	Waiter
Michelle Guthrie	...	Therapist
Michael Patrick Egan	...	Sailor
Scott Kraft	...	Ropeleski
Tim Monsion	...	News Reporter
Dulé Hill	...	Red Tail
Timothy McCuen Piggee	...	School Master
John Polce	...	Hospital Security (as John J. Polce)
The Count	...	Band Leader
Allen Gerbino	...	Aerial Coordinator / Pilot #1
Art Gotisar	...	Pilot #2
Robert Blanche	...	Shore Patrolman
Ivory Dilley	...	Frantic Girl (as Ivory L. Dilley)
Chad W. Smathers	...	Drowning Boy
Wayne Morse	...	Navy Orderly
Rachel Jahn	...	Candy Striper
Jon Du Clos	...	Sunday's Assistant
Leon Russom	...	Decker
Richard Radecki	...	Fan Tail Chief
Randy Flagler	...	Bomb Chief
Jeremy Taylor	...	Deckhand
Jason Bailey	...	Sonar Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ayanna Berkshire	...	Jazz Club Dancer (uncredited)
Carl Brashear	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Heath Centazzo	...	Navy Deck Hand (uncredited)
Russ Cootey	...	Officer with Champagne (uncredited)
Joe Guarneri	...	Navy Deck Hand (uncredited)
Ethan Hoyt	...	Naval Officer (uncredited)
Chris Krueger	...	Deep Sea Diver (uncredited)
Jonah Loeb	...	Navy Soldier (uncredited)
Tyler Posey	...	Boy (uncredited)
Geno Romo	...	Diver (uncredited)
Laurie Slater	...	Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
Brad Everett Young	...	Shocked Navy Diver (uncredited)

Directed by
George Tillman Jr.

Writing credits (WGA)
Scott Marshall Smith		(written by)

Produced by
Bill Badalato	....	producer
Bill Cosby	....	executive producer
Stan Robertson	....	executive producer (as Stanley Robertson)
Robert Teitel	....	producer

Original Music by
Mark Isham

Cinematography by
Anthony B. Richmond

Film Editing by
John Carter
Dirk Westervelt

Casting by
Anne McCarthy
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Leslie Dilley

Art Direction by
Lawrence A. Hubbs

Set Decoration by
Kate J. Sullivan

Costume Design by
Salvador Pérez Jr.		(as Salvador Perez)

Makeup Department
Stacye P. Branche	....	makeup department head
Thomas R. Burman	....	special makeup effects artist
Keith Christiansen	....	special makeup effects artist
Bari Dreiband-Burman	....	special makeup effects artist
Denise Fischer	....	additional makeup artist
RaMona Fleetwood	....	makeup artist
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist: Mr. De Niro
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist: Mr. De Niro
Deborah K. Larsen	....	makeup artist: Ms. Theron
Violet Ortiz	....	additional hair stylist
B. David Pratt	....	additional hair stylist
K.G. Ramsey	....	hair department head
Susan Sittko Schaefer	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Bill Badalato	....	unit production manager
Billy Badalato	....	production supervisor
Aaron Downing	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rocco Marra	....	second assistant director
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	second unit director (as Ernie Orsatti)
Douglas A. Raine	....	second assistant director (as Doug Raine)
Barry K. Thomas	....	first assistant director (as Barry Thomas)

Art Department
Will Blount	....	property master
Mike Carrillo	....	assistant property master
Mick Cukurs	....	set designer (as Erwin 'Mick' Cukurs)
Darrin Denlinger	....	storyboard artist
Ken Erck	....	signwriter
Sean Fong	....	set dresser
Matthew Gilbert	....	first assistant prop master
Scott Herbertson	....	set designer
Sean Kennedy	....	buyer
Daniel Maltese	....	set designer
Monica Rose Maynard	....	art department coordinator
Laura M. O'Brien	....	art department coordinator
Drew Pinniger	....	set dresser
Dean G. Roberts	....	carpenter
Debi Shirk Tagliaferro	....	art department coordinator
Pat Tagliaferro	....	construction coordinator (as Patrick Tagliaferro)
Jana Treadwell	....	labour gang boss
Brad Turner	....	set dresser
Patricia Walker	....	charge scenic
Jim Wallis	....	set designer
Helen Wilson	....	sewer
Nancy Yeo	....	stand-by painter
Benjamin Hayden	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Joshua Hunt	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Anna Behlmer	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Burk	....	assistant sound editor
Ted Caplan	....	sound effects editor
Derek Casari	....	adr engineer
Derek Casari	....	foley engineer
Blake R. Cornett	....	assistant sound editor
Thomas Giordano	....	sound mixer: underwater unit
Craig Heath	....	adr recordist (Worked as Sound Recordist but not credited) (as Craig 'Pup' Heath)
Skip Longfellow	....	first assistant sound editor
Larry Mann	....	supervising sound editor (as Lawrence H. Mann)
Andy Nelson	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Obermeyer	....	sound mixer
Rodger Pardee	....	sound effects recordist
Rob Perkins	....	additional adr recordist
Rudy Pi	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Robert Renga	....	sound recordist
Donald Sylvester	....	adr supervisor
Jay Wilkinson	....	sound effects editor
Corey Woods	....	sound utility
Ronald L. Wright	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Mark Blatchley	....	special effects technician
Chris Jones	....	special effects technician
Boyd Lacosse	....	pyro coordinator
Ron Rosegard	....	special effects
Kai Shelton	....	special effects tech
Keith Urban	....	special effects foreman
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.	....	visual effects supervisor
Daniel Chuba	....	visual effects: Hammerhead Productions (as Dan Chuba)
C. Marie Davis	....	visual effects executive producer
Babette Dickerson	....	visual effects editor
Theresa Ellis	....	digital compositor
Daniel Mellitz	....	video assist operator: visual effects, re-shoot
Rob Menapace	....	motion control operator
Peter W. Moyer	....	visual effects supervisor: Digital Filmworks
Marco S. Paolini	....	digital compositor
Mark Sawicki	....	optical camera
Andrew Shuford	....	modelshop visual effects production assistant
Mark G. Soper	....	visual effects coordinator
David Stump	....	effects director of photography
Rich Thorne	....	visual effects supervisor
Amy Tompkins	....	visual effects editor: CIS
Christopher Warren	....	director of miniature photography
Gene Warren III	....	visual effects production supervisor
Gene Warren Jr.	....	visual effects consultant
Susan Zwerman	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Jeff Bramstedt	....	stunts
David Fittanto	....	stunts
Michael Fittanto	....	stunts
Art Hickman	....	stunts
David Hugghins	....	stunts
Kris A. Jeffrey	....	marine captain & water safety
Bret Kiene	....	stunt double: Robert De Niro
Bret Kiene	....	stunts
David Leitch	....	stunts
Kent W. Luttrell	....	stunt rigger
Stephen R. Molison	....	stunts
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (as Ernie Orsatti)
Ron Otis	....	stunts
Justin Sundquist	....	stunts
Dain Turner	....	stunts
Tierre Turner	....	stunts
Jim Pearson	....	stunt marine (uncredited)
Nancy Young	....	stunt double: Charlize Theron (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Baird	....	video assistant
John Banholzer	....	grip
Tyger Belton	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Taylor Carter	....	camera assistant trainee
Phillip V. Caruso	....	still photographer
Chris Cuevas	....	second assistant camera: additional camera
Darrin DeLoach	....	assistant camera: additional photography
Matthew Devitt	....	underwater best boy grip: miniature unit
Russell Engels	....	gaffer (as Russ Engels)
Brian Fleskes	....	grip
Bruce 'Sarge' Fleskes	....	best boy electric
Mike Goldman	....	grip
Jim Grce	....	gaffer: Los Angeles
Daniel R. Haizlip	....	best boy grip
Elizabeth Hedges	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse	....	key grip (as W.C. 'Chunky' Huse)
Rory Robert Knepp	....	Steadicam operator
Rory Robert Knepp	....	additional camera operator
David R. Kohn	....	set lighting technician
Brian C. Lawson	....	rigging grip
Bruce Lawson	....	rigging key grip
Patrick Murray	....	gaffer: underwater unit
Dino Parks	....	gaffer: second unit
Cynthia Pusheck	....	underwater camera operator
George Richmond	....	camera operator
Jonathan 'Chunky' Richmond	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Pete Romano	....	underwater director of photography
Scott Ronnow	....	second assistant camera
R. Michael Stringer	....	dolly grip: additional photography
Carl A. Vidnic	....	underwater electrician: underwater unit
John 'JW' Warner	....	underwater grip: miniature unit
Steven J. Winslow	....	assistant camera: Wescam camera
Steven J. Winslow	....	camera technician
Greg Schmitt	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Emily Dunlap	....	extras casting
Angela Fee	....	extras casting assistant
Chris Gray	....	extras casting
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Alex Newman	....	casting associate
Megann Ratzow	....	casting: Portland
Rachael Erwin	....	casting assistant (uncredited)
Susan Funk	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Amy Maxwell	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Chris Parson	....	casting intern (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marsha Bozeman	....	key costumer: women (as Marsha L. Bozeman)
Artemio Carpio	....	costumer
Harold Crawford	....	key costumer: men
Jalene Murphy	....	set costumer
Marcie Olivi	....	costumer: Mr. DeNiro
Christi Work	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Blake Maniquis	....	first assistant editor
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer
DeNon Porter	....	first assistant editor
Kathy Thomson	....	digital color corrector
Kurt Leitner	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Thomas A. Carlson	....	music editor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Stephen Krause	....	scoring mixer
Ken Kugler	....	orchestrator
Frank Macchia	....	orchestrator
Cindy O'Connor	....	music assistant
Caryn Rasmussen	....	music copyist
Chris Ridenhour	....	assistant music preparation
John Rodd	....	orchestral scoring recordist
Paul Stewart	....	music supervisor
Peter Erskine	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chet Badalato	....	transportation coordinator
Steve Brill	....	transportation captain
John Suttles	....	production driver
Rick Wiley	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Robert Allen	....	set medic
Katie Baron	....	production assistant
Greg Biggerstaff	....	production assistant
Crista Birgy	....	first assistant accountant
Carl Brashear	....	key military consultant
Matt Clements	....	diving coordinator
Iris Cole-Hayworth	....	location scout
Gina Cooper	....	assistant coordinator
Kathy Edwards	....	post-production accountant
Amalia Ferreiro	....	production secretary
Michael Fine	....	construction medic
Susan Funk	....	extras wrangler
Jamala Gaither	....	set production assistant
Allen Gerbino	....	aerial coordinator
Dawn Gilliam	....	script supervisor
Monica Goldstein	....	assistant: producer: Bill Badalato
Peter Graf	....	Stab-C technician
Joe Hartwick Jr.	....	production accountant (as Joseph R. Hartwick Jr.)
Todd Jameson	....	assistant dive coordinator
Kathy McDonald Jones	....	production coordinator
Todd Kreuter	....	location assistant
Adam Leichtman	....	assistant: Robert DeNiro
Brian Maynard	....	medical coordinator (as Brian F. Maynard)
Amy McCain	....	production secretary
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Matthew H. O'Connor	....	marine coordinator
Michael Parks	....	location manager
Eileen Peterson	....	unit publicist
Jason Poteet	....	boat captain
Shaun Roberts	....	staff set production assistant
Geno Romo	....	stand-in
Howard Samuelsohn	....	dialect coach
Taylor Saxon	....	set medic
Daisy Schwartz	....	assistant: Mr. De Niro
Julie Ann Snow	....	first assistant accountant
Todd Spears	....	assistant accountant
Kirk Steppe	....	location supervisor
Suzy Strawn	....	studio teacher
Dan Talbott	....	production assistant
George L. Tarrant Jr.	....	assistant to director
Gerald A. Vitatoe Jr.	....	production assistant
Troy Waters	....	assistant marine coordinator
J. Wilfrid White	....	marine crew
Naomi Yospe	....	assistant production coordinator
Susan Funk	....	photo double: Charlize Theron (uncredited)
Jim Lipman	....	boat captain (uncredited)
Linda McGinnis	....	medic (uncredited)

Thanks
Philip M. Strub	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Fox 2000 Pictures
• State Street Pictures

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Network (2004) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fox Film (2001) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Netherlands Fox Film Corporation (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2001) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (200?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RTL Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing) (RTL5)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• CIS Hollywood (special visual effects)
• Digital Filmworks (additional visual effects)
• Fantasy II Film Effects (additional miniature ship photography) (as Fantasy II Film Effects Inc.)
• Hammerhead Productions (special visual effects)
• Motion Picture Aviation Services Inc. (engine room mock-up)
• Sessums Engineering (underwater ship and helicopter sequences)

Other Companies

• 20th Century Fox Studios  post-production sound facilities (as Twentieth Century Fox Studios)
• Background Action  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Custom Film Effects  main and end titles
• EFilm  laser film recording
• Gypsy Grips Inc.  key grip (as The Gypsy Grips)
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• McKnight Entertainment  soundtrack published by
• Motown Records  soundtrack published by
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Newman Scoring Stage, Twentieth Century Fox Studios, The  score recording
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Rex Post  additional adr recorded at
• Scarlet Letters  main and end titles
• TM Equipment Rentals  lighting equipment
• Transportation Resources  transportation equipment
• Wet Dog Studios  score mixed at

Also Known As:

Men of Honour (UK)
Navy Diver (USA) (working title)
The Diver (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut) | Malaysia:U (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37764)

Filming Locations:

Cathlamet, Washington, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

This picture was made with the blessing and cooperation of the U.S. Department of the Navy.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The diving helmets used were not U.S.Navy Mark V helmets. They were actually a commercial model produced by DESCO and mated to a mark V breastplate.

Quotes:

Billy Sunday: The Navy Diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If it's sunk, he brings it up. If it's in the way, he moves it. If he's lucky, he will die young, 200 feet beneath the waves, for that is the closest he'll ever get to being a hero.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Howard Stern on Demand: Cuba Gooding Jr." (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Want You to Be My Baby

Much like the spirit of films like The Hurricane and Glory, Men of Honor grips us and makes us really feel for a man struggling to make his dream come true.

Men of Honor stars Cuba Gooding Jr., as real life Navy Diver Carl Brashear who defied a man's Navy to become the first African American Navy Diver. Sometimes by his side and sometimes his adversary there was one man who Carl Brashear really admired. His name was Master Chief Billy Sunday (Robert DeNiro). Sunday in a lot of ways pushed, aggravated and helped Carl become the man he wanted to be.

I loved Cuba in this film. His portrayal here is as liberating and as powerful as Denzel Washington was in The Hurricane. Through every scene we can see his passion, motivation and stubbornness to achieve his dream. We can see the struggle within in him as he embarks to make his father proud. I also loved how the director created and brought forth a lot of tension in some of the key diving scenes. Brashear's encounter with a submarine during a salvage mission is heart-stopping and brilliant.

The only fault I could see would have to lie in the supporting cast. Cuba and DeNiro's characters are very intricate and exciting to watch. Which does make you a little sad when they have to butt heads with such two-dimensional supporting characters. The evil Lt. Cmdr. Hanks, Sunday's wife (Charlize Theron), the eccentric diving school colonel (Hal Holbrook) and Cuba's love interest are the characters I found to not have very much depth. What could have made these characters more substantial and more effective was a little more time to develop them. Why was that colonel always in his tower? How come Sunday's wife was so bitter and always drunk?

Another curious question has to be this. What happened to Carl Brashear's wedding? I mean if this film is chronicling this man's life wouldn't his wedding be an important event? Maybe it's just me. Men of Honor, however, is a perfect example of the triumph and faith that the human spirit envelops. This film will inspire and make you feel for this man's struggle. Which I do believe was the reason this powerful story was told. My hat goes off to you Carl Brashear. I really admire your strength.