The Great Santini...Parental Role Model Or Jack*** Father...?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - The Great Santini...Parental Role Model Or Jack*** Father...?

Posted: 12/19/2005 11:19:04 AM EDT

I remember seeing this film when I was a kid.

The Great Santini (1979)

And I remember think GOD what an asshole.

Now that I am older I can see "some" of the wisdom in his depicted parental method, despite being a jackass (which I still think he was) he did raise some decent kids. And that is arguably preferrable to being a reasonable parent with out of control jackasses for kids.

So what is your take?

Posted: 12/19/2005 11:22:22 AM EDT

[#1]

"1, 2, 3 ... cry! 1, 2, 3 ... cry! C'mon, squirt a few. You're Daddy's favorite girl."

Feh. I lived through worse.

Posted: 12/19/2005 11:23:13 AM EDT

[#2]

He did the best he could with what he had. He wasn't "equipped" to be a father so he simply shoehorned everything he knew (military experience and all, good and bad) into being a dad.

It's been a long time since I saw that movie- like the 1980s. But my impression at the time was "Another attempt to make the military look bad" - that whole "If you're a hammer, everything you see looks like a nail" liberal claptrap.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:03:35 PM EDT

[#3]

My Dad was The Great Santini.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:08:12 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
My Dad wasThe Great Santini.

explain, please.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:15:12 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I remember seeing this film when I was a kid.

The Great Santini (1979)

And I remember think GOD what an asshole.

Now that I am older I can see "some" of the wisdom in his depicted parental method, despite being a jackass (which I still think he was) he did raise some decent kids. And that is arguably preferrable to being a reasonable parent with out of control jackasses for kids.

So what is your take?

I agree with your assessment, but I think children can still grow up to be decent, responsible, and well balanced adults without parenting that specializes in humiliation, bullying, verbal abuse, and fear. Discipline? Great. Devotion to family and country? Outstanding. Great work ethic? Attaboy. But the road to achieving those goals as proscribed by TGS leaves much to be desired, IMO.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:19:44 PM EDT

[#6]

The guy in the movie is a bully.

No matter how well the kid does, he will have abuse heaped on him.

The bully HAS to be abusive, because he feels small inside and he needs to build up his ego by torturing others.

Trust me, if you treat a child like that you are a piece of trash.

Go to a bar, find a guy your own size, THEN start bellowing abuse.

You can build character in your children without treating them like dirt.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:30:03 PM EDT

[#7]

"How do you know you got them?"
"Easy," The Great Santini said. "They were running - it's a good sign when you see the enemy running. There was another good sign."
"What was that, Dad?"
"They were on fire."

Go read the eulogy Pat Conroy gave to his father... the real Great Santini.

Eulogy

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:39:38 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Quoted:
My Dad wasThe Great Santini.

explain, please.

Drunk abusive Marine Corps Officer.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:40:08 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Go read the eulogy Pat Conroy gave to his father... the real Great Santini.

Eulogy

I think this guy was my long lost Uncle. I was raised by the same asshole in the film, and damn glad I was.

Some kids need touchy feely, some kids need their ass whipped. I thank the good Lord, and my parents, they were the ass kicking kind, heaven only knows what kind of severe fuck up I would have been less those ass whippins and the verbal barrages.

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:55:43 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
"How do you know you got them?"
"Easy," The Great Santini said. "They were running - it's a good sign when you see the enemy running. There was another good sign."
"What was that, Dad?"
"They were on fire."

Go read the eulogy Pat Conroy gave to his father... the real Great Santini.

Eulogy

damn what an eulogy

Posted: 12/19/2005 6:04:41 PM EDT

[#11]

The film is BULLSHIT. Read the book- muuuuch better. He was not perfect, but he was genuine and cared deeply for his kids and they realized he was right, in the end.

The film is liberal BS dumping on the military any which way it can.

Posted: 12/19/2005 6:59:29 PM EDT

[#12]

Saw the movie in the theater's, what a disappointment .

The movie sucked, the Duvall character was an asshole and there is no flying in the movie (except the short sequence when he died)
However, the way the dog attack scene was shot is still spooky to me.

Posted: 12/19/2005 7:04:27 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
The film is BULLSHIT. Read the book- muuuuch better. He was not perfect, but he was genuine and cared deeply for his kids and they realized he was right, in the end.

The film is liberal BS dumping on the military any which way it can.

Big +1

SA put down the remote and pick up the book.

It's the only way you will get into Bull Meecham's head and understand the Great Santini.

Posted: 12/19/2005 7:26:07 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
The film is BULLSHIT. Read the book- muuuuch better. He was not perfect, but he was genuine and cared deeply for his kids and they realized he was right, in the end.

The film is liberal BS dumping on the military any which way it can.

I read the book and I've raised children .

There is a difference between discipline and abuse .
He lacked the velvet glove for the iron fist .

I don't claim that I was the perfect father , but I do know
that children need to be allowed to play with blissful abandon under
your watchful but non interfering eye . I never got the sense
that his kids ever enjoyed a non judgmental day in their lives

Posted: 12/19/2005 7:28:42 PM EDT

[#15]

A good father. A great Marine.

Posted: 12/19/2005 9:27:15 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
The film is BULLSHIT. Read the book- muuuuch better. He was not perfect, but he was genuine and cared deeply for his kids and they realized he was right, in the end.

The film is liberal BS dumping on the military any which way it can.

Then the liberals failed.

In addition to Col. Conroy loving the film, I rather enjoyed it. Also while I didn't appreciate him as a kid, I don't think he was that bad a guy having seen the film recently.

It would be difficult having him for a parent, but there are worse things.

Posted: 12/19/2005 9:39:26 PM EDT

[#17]

I was stationed in Beaufort when they filmed parts of it there. Interesting to see the lib actors in the dive cafes. There was one that was a total shithole but had the best damn food. There were always a bunch in for lunch.
Not sure I'll ever understand why but they have filmed several movies in that town.
The dating game used to send couples there all the time too. LOL. I wonder what they thought when they got there. Much nicer now by the way. We go there periodically as my wife is from there.

He may have been brusque but I got a sense he wanted the best for his kids and only knew one way to get the message across. Believe me when I tell you there were far worse fathers in the Marine Corps than him. I knew a few that I despised just for the way the treated their families.

But in the end, his family apparently loved him dearly. And many here berating him aren't fit to spit shine his boots. Nothing new there though.

Posted: 12/20/2005 4:17:04 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I was stationed in Beaufort when they filmed parts of it there. Interesting to see the lib actors in the dive cafes. There was one that was a total shithole but had the best damn food. There were always a bunch in for lunch.
Not sure I'll ever understand why but they have filmed several movies in that town.
The dating game used to send couples there all the time too. LOL. I wonder what they thought when they got there. Much nicer now by the way. We go there periodically as my wife is from there.

He may have been brusque but I got a sense he wanted the best for his kids and only knew one way to get the message across. Believe me when I tell you there were far worse fathers in the Marine Corps than him. I knew a few that I despised just for the way the treated their families.

But in the end, his family apparently loved him dearly. And many here berating him aren't fit to spit shine his boots. Nothing new there though.

People make their mind, then come up with some noble bullshit to make it sound reasonable.

Your last two sentences show how your mind works.