Taps
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Short description
Taps is a 1981 American drama set at a military academy whose grounds have been sold to property developers. When the cadets learn the school is to be closed and turned into apartments, they refuse to accept it. Led by Cadet Major Brian Moreland, the students occupy the academy and arm themselves, turning the campus into a fortified position. The standoff pits them against outside authorities, and the situation grows more volatile as events slip beyond anyone's control.
Harold Becker directed the film from a screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen and Darryl Ponicsan. It was the first of eight features Becker made between 1981 and 2001, ahead of Vision Quest and Sea of Love. George C. Scott plays General Harlan Bache, the academy's commander and Moreland's adoptive father, with Timothy Hutton as Moreland and Ronny Cox as Colonel Kerby. Early roles go to Sean Penn as Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer and Tom Cruise as Cadet Captain David Shawn.
Made by 20th Century Fox for about 14 million dollars, Taps returned roughly 36 million dollars worldwide, a modest multiple of its cost but enough to register with audiences. On IMDb it holds 6.8 from around 22,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.7 from about 310 votes; the critics' rating is 6.2 from 26 reviews, close to the audience scores rather than sharply divided from them.
What's left behind the scenes
- Before filming began, the lead actors Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, and others had to undergo a 45-day boot camp course alongside cadets at a military academy. The actors were issued genuine uniforms and given military haircuts. They lived in barracks and trained alongside regular cadets. Most of the actors passed the test with flying colors, while Cruise broke down and moved to a hotel, where he stayed until filming began.
- Tom Cruise was initially intended to play one of the supporting characters, but his performance at rehearsals impressed director Harold Becker so much that he offered the actor the role of David Shawn. Cruise initially refused, but eventually gave in under pressure from the director and producer Stanley R. Jaffe.
- Sean Penn's first role in a feature film.
- Over 2000 actors auditioned for the role of Alex Dwyer, which was played by Sean Penn. The role went to Penn, whom Shirley Rich, the assistant director responsible for casting, had once seen on an off-Broadway stage (a professional theater term referring to performance venues in New York City with a capacity of 100 to 499 spectators, making these theaters smaller than Broadway theaters).
- The film's sound design included recordings of everyday cadet life. Drill training was filmed during the cadets' preparation for a parade.
- Frequent rains caused many problems during filming. Director Harold Becker had to keep up to four different shooting schedules on hand in case rain interrupted outdoor shooting and they had to move indoors. This is noticeable to viewers in some cases, as the characters are wearing rain capes in one shot and not in the next.
- Tom Cruise's first role with lines in his career.
- The actors who played the honor guard had to learn some weapon handling techniques, including tossing rifles to each other.
- Casting actors for the roles of cadets required interviewing over 2,000 candidates. The film featured 650 actual cadets from the Valley Forge Military Academy—mostly in the parade scene.
- The actors were issued genuine uniforms, with only the patches changed ("Valley Forge" was replaced with "Bunker Hill"). However, cadets at Valley Forge Military Academy do not wear military uniforms for field work and chores, as depicted in the film. Filming continued even in the summer, after the academy year had ended.
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