Gardens of Stone

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Gardens of Stone

R

1987

1h 52m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

55%

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1,000+ Ratings

Grizzled war veteran Sgt. Clell Hazard (James Caan) is disheartened when he is stationed as a guard in Arlington National Cemetery instead of an instructor of new recruits during the Vietnam War. When eager Pvt. Jackie Willow (D.B. Sweeney) is stationed under Hazard, the vet aims to educate the youth about war. Along with his old friend, Sgt. Maj. Goody Nelson (James Earl Jones), Hazard does his best to school Willow before he is deployed to Vietnam -- but both know that it may not be enough.

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Henry Sheehan

Chicago Reader

Bereft of that core, Gardens of Stone drifts off into decoration that’s intricate and highly accomplished, but strictly ornamental...

Rated: 2/4

May 10, 2022

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Variety Staff

Variety

Seems to take its name not so much from the Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where much of the action takes place, but from the stiffness of the characters it portrays.

Dec 11, 2007

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Time Out

There's a pervasive and worrying sense of the central issues being gently but undeniably fudged.

Jun 24, 2006

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Megan Fisher

Loud and Clear Reviews

Gardens of Stone lacks the narrative focus that it needs for its emotional punches to land, and so it ends up feeling stiff and heavy-handed.

Jan 11, 2025

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Cathy Burke

United Press International

For want of a timeless message on the horrors of war, Coppola does indeed tell a compelling story of one man's battle on the homefront. Caan gives a stunning performance after a five-year absence from the movie screen.

Nov 8, 2016

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Subdued war drama on life on the home front during the Vietnam war.

Rated: B

May 20, 2012

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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 out of 5 stars

11/09/24

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Steve D

A lot of talent but little to show for it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/02/23

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Audience Member

The worst 01 hour: and 52 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

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Audience Member

It was the only movie I've ever walked out on in my life. It was dull and tedious.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

As a former service member, I am intrigued by the uniforms and how exact they were portrayed in this movie. Coppola is a real stickler for dress in his movies. I thought the movie was well done.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

This is a GREAT film! Not top 100 all time, but worthy of seeing, if only for it is possibly the ONLY film to deal with the Vietnam War specifically, as opposed to a film set during the Vietnam War. Both Angelica Houston is and James Caan play wonderfully real characters who sharply portray the deep emotional, ethical, and personal struggles over Vietnam as felt by the people alive and in those situations at the time. Both LOVE, their country, their institutions, and the people used and destroyed by the conflict. I must see for all who wish to understand the conflict. Best Scene - Promotion! Coppola gets the "old Army" regardless of his Vietnam experience. JE Jones is the SNCO we all wish we had met.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

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Francis Ford Coppola

Director

James Caan

Sgt. Clell Hazard

Anjelica Huston

Samantha Davis

James Earl Jones

Sgt. Maj."Goody"Nelson

D.B. Sweeney

Jackie Willow

Dean Stockwell

Capt. Homer Thomas

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Synopsis

Grizzled war veteran Sgt. Clell Hazard (James Caan) is disheartened when he is stationed as a guard in Arlington National Cemetery instead of an instructor of new recruits during the Vietnam War. When eager Pvt. Jackie Willow (D.B. Sweeney) is stationed under Hazard, the vet aims to educate the youth about war. Along with his old friend, Sgt. Maj. Goody Nelson (James Earl Jones), Hazard does his best to school Willow before he is deployed to Vietnam -- but both know that it may not be enough.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Producer: Francis Ford Coppola, Michael I. Levy
Screenwriter: Ronald Bass
Production Co: ML Delphi Premier Productions, Zoetrope Studios, TriStar Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.4M
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround

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