Gardens of Stone

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Isa B This film has a superb cast, but I didn't always buy into the acting. James Caan, James Earl Jones, Anjelica Huston, and Dean Stockwell were certainly stellar, but some of the lesser known actors were not so convincing. I found the plot to lack believability at times, especially when young soldiers would speak to their superiors in a way that can only be described as unacceptable. On the positive side, Carmine Coppola's score was very nice. It certainly classed the picture up quite a bit. And there definitely was a story being told in the film. This could have been a really good film. I could be wrong, but I just didn't feel Mr. Coppola's passion in this one. Maybe he was a hired gun and his heart wasn't in it. This was just a few years before he took on the task of The Godfather Part III, which he later admitted he only did for the money. Perhaps, this was a similar endeavor. I love Francis Ford Coppola as much as any true cinefile should, but I cannot recommend this film. 37/100 Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/01/25 Full Review Blu B Outside of JEJ and Coppelas solid direction, there really isn't much else here. And to be quite frank if those two were removed this would collpse on it's self way worse. The editing isn't good and the pacing is terrible. Once he arrives on base, it feels like stuff just happens. Caan finding a girlfriend, wanting to go to Vietnam, marrying his girl, drama that happens on base, it all feels so unfocused. Were led to believe Sweeney is the main character at first but honestly as it goes on it feels like Caan is more the main thing and than other times I'm not sure because it gets so muddled and unfocused. It just glides along at a slow boring pace the entire way and just tries rushing stuff at the end and collapses. It's soooo boring and just never gets better. Everything else is ok enough I guess. You know the music is so walty and slow and boring. You'd think they'd use the TAPS more than once at the very end. Coppella again has some great framing, camerawork, and the idea is a unique setting. But I'm just not sure what this is trying to say. Is it trying to be a melodrama or trying to blend domestic war with romance like Coming Home? The Best Years of Our Lives? I'm just not sure. No real ideas are explored here besides being important to the cause despite not seeing combat and even that feels like it's forgotten about for long stretches when we focus on the romance which feels kind of pointless for Caan and rushed and undercooked for Sweeney. It's why his death feels so underwhelming and a big nothing burger. Skip This. I think it's a great idea kind of like a Army Wives type of thing but just doesn't work. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/25/25 Full Review Shay W It is almost like a play, and very much a character driven one. A story driven by friendships and relationships. Populated by characters and personalities we don't often see in movies about the US military. The movie tries to show that a lot of the characters in their military roles, are also just normal people. Angelica Houston was particularly good in it. Perhaps the reason it was not so well received or remembered is, well, how do you make a small, wordy movie, after Apocalypse now and The Godfather movies where the characters were so large, and some many scenes were just epic in scale? Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/09/24 Full Review Steve D A lot of talent but little to show for it. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/02/23 Full Review Audience Member The worst 01 hour: and 52 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member It was the only movie I've ever walked out on in my life. It was dull and tedious. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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