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The Great Santini tells the story of hard-nosed Marine fighter pilot Lt. Col. Wilbur "Bull" Meecham, who calls himself "The Great Santini," and the family he runs with a strict hand. It follows the Meecham family as they move to and struggle to fit into the Marine town of Ravenel, South Carolina.

The novel explores main character Ben Meecham's growth into manhood, his experiences playing basketball for his high school, as well as his friendships with a Jewish classmate and an African-American farmer. The novel exposes the love-haterelationship between Ben and his father, and the lengths Ben goes to in an effort to win his father's acceptance and love.

The novel is based on Conroy's own childhood experiences growing up in a military family. Conroy's own father, Donald Conroy, was the inspiration for "Bull" Meecham.

JenOct 27, 2007Jen rated it: 5 of 5 stars (review of isbn 0553381555)

bookshelves: general-fiction, male-authorRead in January, 2008The story of Bull Meecham, a Marine pilot, and his complex relationships with fa

mily and The Corps.

Pat Conroy is an amazing writer. The Houston Chronicle is quoted on the back ofmy book as saying "Reading Pat Conroy is like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel," and I don't think I could articulate the experience any better. I laughed until tears ran down my face and in the same chapter I cried for the sheer pain the characters experienced.

The Grea...more The story of Bull Meecham, a Marine pilot, and his complex relationships with family and The Corps.

Pat Conroy is an amazing writer. The Houston Chronicle is quoted on the back ofmy book as saying "Reading Pat Conroy is like watching Michelangelo paint the Si

stine Chapel," and I don't think I could articulate the experience any better. I laughed until tears ran down my face and in the same chapter I cried for the sheer pain the characters experienced.

The Great Santini is Bull Meecham. And throughout the novel I felt the same overwhelming conflict that his children did - an intense hatred coupled with admiration and love. This wouldn't have been possible for me without the amazing character craftmanship that Conroy displays. All of the characters have so many layers, so many dimensions - exactly like real human beings.

And his depiction of the South - amazing. He illustrates the town with the use of a small cafe and the men who frequent it every morning, with a school and thevarious types of students and teachers inside, with a Marine base and the consta

nt competition present there.

His theme comes through in events, converstations, metaphors. And the reader experiences the theme - the theme of confusion. We're trained and conditioned to think, act, believe a certain way, but so often life and nature complicate that "way."

I LOVED this book. (less)Like this review? yes Loading (4 people liked it) add a comment



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Ellyn StangaroneAug 30, 2009Ellyn Stangarone rated it: 4 of 5 stars (review of isbn 0553381555)

Read in June, 2009Ellyn StangaroneMs. WheelerHonors English 230 August 2009Book ReviewThe Great Santini

After reading this book one feels like they actually grew up in a Marine Family. The book The Great Santini, by Pat Conroy, is one of the best books I have ever read. Pat Conroy is the #1 New York Times best selling author. This book showsus the life of children growing up as military brats. The main characters are Bull the marine father, Lillian the mother, Ben the oldest c...more Ellyn StangaroneMs. WheelerHonors English 230 August 2009Book Review

The Great Santini

After reading this book one feels like they actually grew up in a Marine Family. The book The Great Santini, by Pat Conroy, is one of the best books I have ever read. Pat Conroy is the #1 New York Times best selling author. This book showsus the life of children growing up as military brats. The main characters are Bull the marine father, Lillian the mother, Ben the oldest child, Mary Anne the second child, Karen the third child, and Matthew is the youngest. As the story progresses one might feel extremely angry with Bull, who is an officer in the Marine Corps. The Great Santini is intended for young men but can be enjoyed by anyone. Anyone with an attraction for the south, for the military, or for humorous, sarcastic characters would enjoy this book. Pat Conroy did an amazing job writing this novel.

The sense of isolation from society is shown within this novel. As the Meecham family develops the reader starts to understand how difficult it is to be a marine brat. To Bull the Marine Corps is a way of life: but to his family it feels more like a punishment. Karen, the youngest girl, shows us her misery while waiting for their father: Ill never see Belinda or Kate or Tina or even Louise again (Coy 211-14.) In this quote we come to feel for the Meecham children and their excessive moving. Even though they lived with their mother for a year in one city they still felt like outcasts. The constant moving of the family made finding a place to call home nearly impossible. The children learned never to fall in lovewith anything because it would always come to an end.

The struggle to compete for Bulls acceptance is tough for Ben: so he challenges Bu

ll to many competitions.

Ben tells Matt, Today you are going to witness a beautiful sight, Matt. You are going to get a chance to watch me whip Dad one on one in basketball. And seeing Dad lose in a sport is a sight beautiful to behold. Hes the worst loser in the world. of course, hes the worst winner in the world too (Conroy 1732-35).

In this quote Ben is telling us about his father and his competitive nature. Inthe novel Ben goes on telling us I have been playing basketball everyday for the last three years (Conroy 1733-36). As the novel continues we see the determinati



on in Ben to finally beat his father at something.

Pat Conroy created this book as Southern fiction. It expresses how difficult life as a child growing up in a military family. But it shows the reader how much Bull Meecham really does care about his family and the town. Conroy shows us that everyone has a purpose, and life comes with tough decisions as we learn from the ending of this book.

Pat Conroy is such a brilliant writer and he shows us this by the detailed books he writes. After reading Lords of Discipline I could not wait to read another one of his books. So far The Great Santini is my favorite but I expect great things from his other books. Conroy accomplishes his purpose with no problem in this book. This book is recommended for young men, but can be enjoyed by anyone. Conroy has written many books such as Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides, The Water is Wide, and many more great stories, which all have a different message. Conroy is #1 New York Times best selling author and has just released a new book called South of Broad released August 11, 2009. Pat Conroy is definitely one of the best writers ever.

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TashaMay 04, 2007Tasha rated it: 3 of 5 stars

bookshelves: southern-fictionRead in July, 2007Pat Conroy is one of those writers who can write only one story (John Irving and Amy Tan come to mind, as well). Conroy seems obsessed with the idea of a Southern family trying to navigate the high school experiences of a sensitive son anda smartass daughter. Again there is the angry, abusive father and the rather ineffective mother who is mostly concerned about what the neighbors think. Again there are themes of forgiveness and redemption and racial tension. Again someone gets raped. Again the...more Pat Conroy is one of those writers who can write onl

y one story (John Irving and Amy Tan come to mind, as well). Conroy seems obsessed with the idea of a Southern family trying to navigate the high school experiences of a sensitive son and a smartass daughter. Again there is the angry, abusive father and the rather ineffective mother who is mostly concerned about what the neighbors think. Again there are themes of forgiveness and redemption and racial tension. Again someone gets raped. Again there are pages of descriptions ofhigh school sports.

What's different about this novel is that there are a lot of plot points that are dropped and never picked up again. What happens after the girl is raped? Why should the reader care about the high school basketball tryouts? A thorough editing and pruning would make for a much shorter book, but one that is cleaner and much more fluid. The action is too bogged down by these tangential subplots.

That said, Conroy's descriptions are amazing, as in other books he's written. However, I'd start with The Prince of Tides and not this one.(less)Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) add a comment200

AmyAug 02, 2007Amy rated it: 4 of 5 stars



bookshelves: southernlitRead in January, 2000This is on my second tier of favorite Pat Conroy books. I didn't love it as much as The Water is Wide or Lords of Discipline... but it is nevertheless riveting. I found it especially fascinating that he wrote this about his troubled relationship with his father... while his father was still alive. I've read some otherinterviews where he talks about how this really helped his relationship with his dad, and as strange as that sounds, he does an impressive job of balancing hisfrustrations and ...more This is on my second tier of favorite Pat Conroy books. I didn't love it as much as The Water is Wide or Lords of Discipline... but itis nevertheless riveting. I found it especially fascinating that he wrote this about his troubled relationship with his father... while his father was still alive. I've read some other interviews where he talks about how this really helpedhis relationship with his dad, and as strange as that sounds, he does an impressive job of balancing his frustrations and fury toward his father with an obvious underlying love and respect for The Great Santini.(less)Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) add a comment158

AnnieJul 14, 2007Annie rated it: 2 of 5 stars

Of all the Conroys I've read so far, this is my least favorite. The book jacketdescribes Bull Meacham as someone you should hate but will wind up loving, anyway - but that was not my experience. I found very little loveable about"The Great Santini". The thing that amazed me was how brave his family was on those occasions when they stood up to him. While I don't doubt he loved his family, and maybe was even proud of them in a way, he was domineering and controllingand someti...more Of all the Conroys I've read so far, this is my least favorite. The book jacket describes Bull Meacham as someone you should hate but will wind up loving, anyway - but that was not my experience. I found very little loveable about"The Great Santini". The thing that amazed me was how brave his family was on those occasions when they stood up to him. While I don't doubt he loved his family

, and maybe was even proud of them in a way, he was domineering and controllingand sometimes downright cruel in his dealings with them.(less)Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) add a comment153

MargueriteApr 24, 2008Marguerite rated it: 5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: read-over-and-overRead in January, 1980

recommends it for: BratsI saw the movie before I read the book, and it was the first time I saw my experiences as a military brat played out in a work of fiction. I recognized the shifting family dynamics and the insistence on appearances to the exclusion of all else. I experienced the warrior culture, the comradeship of a family in opposition to the world every time we transfered, too, and moves from one alien environment to another. My dad was no Bull Meecham, but he was a piece of work. Conroy helps me remember.Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) 1 comment



150

MauriJun 07, 2007Mauri rated it: 5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: favorites, own, teenbooksI love this book and think it is one of the more hysterical novels I have read,yet everytime I try to explain what is funny about it to people I get weird looks.

I have the feeling, that to enjoy this book to the degree I have, one must haveexperienced a 'scary' parent. Not necessarily an abusive one, or some sort of criminal, but one that allows their children to grow up in an environment where morbid humor rules all.Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) add a comment142

CarolDec 29, 2009Carol rated it: 3 of 5 stars

Read in December, 2009

I'm a big fan of Conroy - I think he writes beautifully and tells a compelling story that I don't want to put down once I've begun. I wish there were 1/2 starshere, because I'm somewhere between liked and really liked on this one. My maincomplaint is that Conroy tried to tell too many character's stories, leaving the book feeling disjointed and episodic. The promises made with the introduction of some characters and some story lines are dropped and either not heard from again or followed up un...more I'm a big fan of Conroy - I think he writes beautifully and tells a compelling story that I don't want to put down once I've begun.I wish there were 1/2 stars here, because I'm somewhere between liked and really liked on this one. My main complaint is that Conroy tried to tell too many character's stories, leaving the book feeling disjointed and episodic. The promisesmade with the introduction of some characters and some story lines are dropped and either not heard from again or followed up unsatisfactorily. So much was goin

g on that didn't matter to the book as a whole (though I won't lie - I still enjoyed reading these sub plots). This could have been a leaner, tighter book had some of the extraneous material been cut, allowing the focus to be on the main plot line. The Great Santini is a larger than life character full of depth; Conroy did a fabulous job there. Definitely worth reading.(less)Like this review? yes Loadingadd a comment

139

AndrewDec 29, 2008Andrew rated it: 2 of 5 stars

Read in January, 2009I found this book awfully predictable, although the middle parts were funny. Itwas the first Conroy book I've read and it will probably be the last. The most maddening part of this book is how many frayed loose plot ends there are. What ever happens to the girl who is raped? What happens to Sammy Wertzberger after hemoves to New York? What happens to race relations in the town? I can go on and on. Conroy repeatedly builds to climaxes throughout the novel, then drops them when a new chap...more I found this book awfully predictable, although the middleparts were funny. It was the first Conroy book I've read and it will probably be the last. The most maddening part of this book is how many frayed loose plot en



ds there are. What ever happens to the girl who is raped? What happens to SammyWertzberger after he moves to New York? What happens to race relations in the town? I can go on and on. Conroy repeatedly builds to climaxes throughout the novel, then drops them when a new chapter begins and never mentions them again. It's insane, and I've never read a book like this. It has the feeling of 20 different plot lines going on at once, and you think one of them will emerge as the keyplot of the story, and in the end, none of the mini-plots (Toomer, Red Pettus, the girl who is raped, etc) matter at all to the point of the novel (how to define parental love in a man who is unlovable and appears unable to feel love).

However many of the sub-plots were laugh-out-loud funny and I don't often laughwhen I'm reading, so that's a plus.(less)Like this review? yes Loading1 comment

135

ClaudiaApr 26, 2008Claudia rated it: 5 of 5 stars

bookshelves: contemporary-fictionRead in January, 2007recommended to Claudia by: Dannyrecommends it for: all readers

Conroy said his mother told the judge at her divorce hearing that he wouldn't need to call any of the children to testify for her. She gave him a copy of this book and said, 'this is all you need to know.' Santini is bigger than life, fascinating, abusive, mercurial. Santini WAS Conroy's father. Conroy got the last word.Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) add a comment132

NancyApr 11, 2009Nancy rated it: 4 of 5 stars

bookshelves: book-club, fictionRead in October, 2006This is Novembers book club pick. I do like the way Pat Conroy writes; uses words. The Great Santini, Bull Meecham, is a Marine fighter pilot, though this book is really about his son, Ben and the conflict/rivalry between father and son that seems to intensify as Ben nears adulthood. Like so many other books we have read, Meecham is a flawed parent. He rules his home like a squadron, with alcoholism, physical abuse and intense bullying in the mix. I wonder if the Marines (andother like ...more This is Novembers book club pick. I do like the way Pat Conroy writes; uses words. The Great Santini, Bull Meecham, is a Marine fighter pilot, though this book is really about his son, Ben and the conflict/rivalry betweenfather and son that seems to intensify as Ben nears adulthood. Like so many other books we have read, Meecham is a flawed parent. He rules his home like a squad

ron, with alcoholism, physical abuse and intense bullying in the mix. I wonder if the Marines (and other like institutions) make men this way or just attract men with this predisposition. I read that after publication of the novel Conroys paternal grandparents shunned him and that Conroys mother used the novel as evidence in her divorce against Conroys father.(less)Like this review? yes Loadingadd a comment

125

TexasMargarita





s felt like the easy way out, where learning to define himself separate from his father, and maintain a relationship with him, is what most people have to manage. Still, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the movie. Duvall seems a great casting choice and Conroy's sharp dialogue will translate well to film.(less)Like this review? yes Loading2 comments

115

MandySep 21, 2007Mandy rated it: 4 of 5 stars

The great dysfunctional dad novel. If you like your childhood fucked up and your dad's meaner than spit, read this book. I've always loved it.Like this review? yes Loading (1 person liked it) add a comment114

LemonLindaDec 16, 2009LemonLinda rated it: 5 of 5 stars

Read in February, 2010Pat Conroy does not disappoint. You can always except a heart wrenching story in

his books. This one deals with all of the baggage that often comes with a military family - the time apart, the endless moving and cycles of making and losingfriends, the constant threat of abuse (not true for all, but definitely a part of this one), and the ultimate threat of loss of life.

This book was set in the early 60s but the overall general story is just as relevant today with all of our current ...more Pat Conroy does not disappoint. You can always except a heart wrenching story in his books. This one deals with all of the baggage that often comes with a military family - the time apart, the endless moving and cycles of making and losing friends, the constant threat of abuse (not true for all, but definitely a part of this one), and the ultimate threatof loss of life.

This book was set in the early 60s but the overall general story is just as relevant today with all of our current deployments. This Marine, Bull Meecham, cameacross as a cocky, mean and an uncaring father, but in actuality he is far different from that description and his children come to understand what his wife has known for many years.

It is also the story of Ben, the oldest child of Bull and Lillian Meecham, and how he deals with the conflicts both in his family and in the greater community during his senior year in high school at a school where he is the new guy. Conroy is at his best when he is telling a compelling story of a dysfunctional familyin the South and this one does that very well.

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101

CaroleSep 20, 2007Carole rated it: 5 of 5 stars (review of isbn 0553381555)

bookshelves: cantputitdown, comingofageRead in November, 2009



I first read this years ago and wondered if I would enjoy it as much now as I did then. Oh, yeah! In fact, I think I enjoyed it more because I have a whole lotmore life experience to bring to the story.

As usual, Conroy is able to transport the reader smack dab into the locale of the story. I've never been to the Low Country of the Southeast, but I feel like I've lived there all my life reading one of Conroy's books.

And his use of the language -- lush and romantic and dea...more I first read this years ago and wondered if I would enjoy it as much now as I did then. Oh, yeah! In fact, I think I enjoyed it more because I have a whole lot more life experience to bring to the story.

As usual, Conroy is able to transport the reader smack dab into the locale of the story. I've never been to the Low Country of the Southeast, but I feel like I've lived there all my life reading one of Conroy's books.

And his use of the language -- lush and romantic and dead on -- always amazes me. At those times when I think, "Oh, I could write a book...," I remember his gift of language and realize that I don't have a prayer. I'm doomed to be a readernot a writer. But, thank God, for writers like Conroy! As long as they keep writing, I'll keep reading.

There is such a love-hate relationship between the reader and Santini. Every tim

e I thought, "I can't stand this man!" he would do or say something that was soredeeming and so 'right' that I had to stop hating him and continue on.

His son, the teller of this tale, is a remarkable depiction of character. This is an honest, gut-wrenching, and very believable story of a son's relationship with his often impossible-to-love father.

This novel is so incredibly amazing in so many ways -- just read it. You'll be glad you did.

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100

ElizabethJan 04, 2010Elizabeth rated it: 3 of 5 stars

The problem is that I read all of Pat Conroy's books within months of each other. They are all good in their own right - interesting characters, decent story, good descriptions. The problem is that when you read them that close together, they all seem the same. There is a saintly mother figure who is up on a pedestal,an ex-Marine (or otherwise militarized father) who may or may not be abusive, but who causes a tumultuous relationship with his son, etc. It makes the books start to blend toge...more The problem is that I read all of Pat Conroy's books wit

hin months of each other. They are all good in their own right - interesting characters, decent story, good descriptions. The problem is that when you read them that close together, they all seem the same. There is a saintly mother figure who is up on a pedestal, an ex-Marine (or otherwise militarized father) who may or may not be abusive, but who causes a tumultuous relationship with his son, etc. It makes the books start to blend together.(less)Like this review? yes Loadingadd a comment

99



LynMar 30, 2009Lyn rated it: 5 of 5 stars

I saw the movie first (when I was in high school)- before I learned to read- when I finally learned to read and saw that this was a book first I read it. And I'm glad I did because Prince of Tides is now one of my favorite books. It has been a while: But I think it was in this book (The Great Santini) that the little girl is catching tears in a spoon and flicking them at the back of her dad's head while he is driving. Though that might've been in 'The Catcher in the Rye'.Like this review? yes Loadingadd a comment

96

Steffen DavenportDec 24, 2008Steffen Davenport rated it: 4 of 5 stars

This one was recommended to me by a friend that thought I could glean somethingoff of the troubled father/son relationship portrayed in the novel. They were right! An insightful look at a young boys upbringing with a controlling, alcoholic, military rage-fueled father. Most of Conroy's novels I've read came from his troubled upbringing in the South, but that should not deter the reader. Conroy'spersonable style and delivery is appealing to all.

The eulogy of Colonel Don Conroy by his son Pat Conroy

The children of fighter pilots tell different stories than other kids do. None of our fathers can write a will or sell a life insurance policy or fill out a prescription or administer a flue shot or explain what a poet meant. We tell of fathers who land on aircraft carriers at pitch-black night with the wind howling out of the China Sea. Our fathers wiped out aircraft batteries in the Philippinesand set Japanese soldiers on fire when they made the mistake of trying to overwhelm our troops on the ground.

Your Dads ran the barber shops and worked at the post office and delivered the packages on time and sold the cars, while our Dads were blowing up fuel depots near Seoul, were providing extraordinarily courageous close air support to the beleaguered Marines at the Chosin Reservoir, and who once turned the Naktong Riverred with blood of a retreating North Korean battalion. We tell of men who made widows of the wives of our nations' enemies and who made orphans out of all their children.

You don't like war or violence? Or napalm? Or rockets? Or cannons or death rained down from the sky? Then let's talk about your fathers, not ours. When we talkabout the aviators who raised us and the Marines who loved us, we can look you in the eye and say "you would not like to have been American's enemies when our fathers passed overhead". We were raised by the men who made the United States of

America the safest country on earth in the bloodiest century in all recorded history. Our fathers made sacred those strange, singing names of battlefields across the Pacific: Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh and a thousand more. We grew up attending the funerals of Marines slain in thesebattles. Your fathers made communities like Beaufort decent and prosperous and functional; our fathers made the world safe for democracy.

We have gathered here today to celebrate the amazing and storied life of Col. Donald Conroy who modestly called himself by his nomdeguerre, The Great Santini. There should be no sorrow at this funeral because The Great Santini lived life at



full throttle, moved always in the fast lanes, gunned every engine, teetered on every edge, seized every moment and shook it like a terrier shaking a rat. He did not know what moderation was or where you'd go to look for it.

Donald Conroy is the only person I have ever known whose self-esteem was absolutely unassailable. There was not one thing about himself that my father did not like, nor was there one thing about himself that he would change. He simply adored the man he was and walked with perfect confidence through every encounter in his life. Dad wished everyone could be just like him. His stubbornness was an art form. The Great Santini did what he did, when he wanted to do it, and woe to the man who got in his way.

Once I introduced my father before he gave a speech to an Atlanta audience. I said at the end of the introduction, "My father decided to go into the Marine Corps on the day he discovered his IQ was the temperature of this room". My father rose to the podium, stared down at the audience, and said without skipping a beat, "My God, it's hot in here! It must be at least 180 degrees".

Here is how my father appeared to me as a boy. He came from a race of giants and demi-gods from a mythical land known as Chicago. He married the most beautifulgirl ever to come crawling out of the poor and lowborn south, and there were times when I thought we were being raised by Zeus and Athena. After Happy Hour my father would drive his car home at a hundred miles an hour to see his wife and seven children. He would get out of his car, a strapping flight jacketed matinee i

dol, and walk toward his house, his knuckles dragging along the ground, his shoes stepping on and killing small animals in his slouching amble toward the home place.

My sister, Carol, stationed at the door, would call out, "Godzilla's home!" andwe seven children would scamper toward the door to watch his entry. The door would be flung open and the strongest Marine aviator on earth would shout, "Stand by for a fighter pilot!" He would then line his seven kids up against the wall and say,

"Who's the greatest of them all?" "You are, O Great Santini, you are." "Who knows all, sees all, and hears all?" "You do, O Great Santini, you do."

We were not in the middle of a normal childhood, yet none of us were sure sinceit was the only childhood we would ever have. For all we knew other men were coming home and shouting to their families, "Stand by for a pharmacist," or "Standby for a chiropractor".

In the old, bewildered world of children we knew we were in the presence of a fabulous, overwhelming personality; but had no idea we were being raised by a genius of his own myth-making. My mother always told me that my father had remindedher of Rhett Butler on the day they met and everyone who ever knew our mother conjured up the lovely, coquettish image of Scarlet O'Hara.

Let me give you my father the warrior in full battle array. The Great Santini is catapulted off the deck of the aircraft carrier, Sicily. His Black Sheep squadr

on is the first to reach the Korean Theater and American ground troops had beengetting torn up by North Korean regulars. Let me do it in his voice: "We didn'teven have a map of Korea. Not zip. We just headed toward the sound of artilleryfiring along the Naktong River. They told us to keep the North Koreans on theirside of the Naktong. Air power hadn't been a factor until we got there that day. I radioed to Bill Lundin. I was his wingman. 'There they are. Let's go get'em.' So we did."

I was interviewing Dad so I asked, "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."

This is the world in which my father lived deeply. I had no knowledge of it as a child. When I was writing the book The Great Santini, they told me at Headquarters Marines that Don Conroy was at one time one of the most decorated aviators in the Marine Corps. I did not know he had won a single medal. When his childrengathered together to write his obituary, not one of us knew of any medal he hadwon, but he had won a slew of them.

When he flew back toward the carrier that day, he received a call from an Army Colonel on the ground who had witnessed the route of the North Koreans across the river. "Could you go pass over the troops fifty miles south of here? They've been catching hell for a week or more. It'd do them good to know you flyboys are around." He flew those fifty miles and came over a mountain and saw a thousand troops lumbered down in foxholes. He and Bill Lundin went in low so these troops could read the insignias and know the American aviators had entered the fray. Myfather said, "Thousands of guys came screaming out of their foxholes, son. It sounded like a world series game. I got goose pimples in the cockpit. Get goose pimples telling it forty-eight years later. I dipped my wings, waved to the guys.The roar they let out. I hear it now. I hear it now."

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, my mother took me out to the air station where

we watched Dad's squadron scramble on the runway on their bases at Roosevelt Road and Guantanamo. In the car as we watched the A-4's take off, my mother began to say the rosary. "You praying for Dad and his men, Mom?" I asked her. "No, son. I'm praying for the repose of the souls of the Cuban pilots they're going to kill."

Later I would ask my father what his squadron's mission was during the Missile Crisis. "To clear the air of MIGS over Cuba," he said. "You think you could've done it?" The Great Santini answered, "There wouldn't have been a bluebird flyingover that island, son."

Now let us turn to the literary of The Great Santini. Some of you may have heard that I had some serious reservations about my father's child-rearing practices.

When The Great Santini came out, the book roared through my family like a nuclear device. My father hated it; my grandparents hated it; my aunts and uncles hated it; my cousins who adore my father thought I was a psychopath for writing it; and rumor has it that my mother gave it to the judge in her divorce case and said, "It's all there. Everything you need to know."

What changed my father's mind was when Hollywood entered the picture and wantedto make a movie of it. This is when my father said, "What a shame John Wayne isdead. Now there was a man. Only he could've gotten my incredible virility across to the American people." Orion Pictures did me a favor and sent my father a telegram; "Dear Col. Conroy: We have selected the actor to play you in the coming film. He wants to come to Atlanta to interview you. His name is Truman Capote."

But my father took well to Hollywood and its Byzantine, unspeakable ways. When his movie came out, he began reading Variety on a daily basis. He called the movie a classic the first month of its existence. He claimed that he had a place inthe history of film. In February of the following year, he burst into my apartment in Atlanta, as excited as I have ever seen him, and screamed, "Son, you and I were nominated for Academy Awards last night. Your mother didn't get squat".

Ladies and gentlemen, you are attending the funeral of the most famous Marine that ever lived. Dad's life had grandeur, majesty and sweep. We were all caught in the middle of living lives much paler and less daring than The Great Santini's.



His was a high stepping, damn the torpedoes kind of life, and the stick was always set at high throttle. There is not another Marine alive who has not heard of The Great Santini. There's not a fighter pilot alive who does not lift his glass whenever Don Conroy's name is mentioned and give the fighter pilot toast: "Hurrah for the next man to die".

One day last summer, my father asked me to drive him over to Beaufort National Cemetery. He wanted t make sure there were no administrative foul-ups about his plot. I could think of more pleasurable ways to spend the afternoon, but Dad brought new eloquence to the word stubborn. We went into the office and a pretty black woman said that everything was squared away.

My father said, "It'll be the second time I've been buried in this cemetery." The woman and I both looked strangely at Dad. Then he explained, "You ever catch the flick "The Great Santini? That was me they planted at the end of the movie."

All of you will be part of a very special event today. You will be witnessing the actual burial that has already been filmed in fictional setting. This has never happened in world history. You will be present in a scene that was acted out in film in 1979. You will be in the same town and the same cemetery. Only The Great Santini himself will be different.

In his last weeks my father told me, "I was always your best subject, son. Yourcareer took a nose dive after The Great Santini came out". He had become so medi

a savvy that during his last illness he told me not to schedule his funeral on the same day as the Seinfeld Farewell. The Colonel thought it would hold down the crowd. The Colonel's death was front-page news across the country. CNN announced his passing on the evening news all around the world.

Don Conroy was a simple man and an American hero. His wit was remarkable; his intelligence frightening; and his sophistication next to none. He was a man's manand I would bet he hadn't spend a thousand dollars in his whole life on his wardrobe. He lived out his whole retirement in a two room efficiency in the Darlington Apartment in Atlanta. He claimed he never spent over a dollar on any piece of furniture he owned. You would believe him if you saw the furniture. Dad boughta season ticket for himself to Six Flags Over Georgia and would often go there alone to enjoy the rides and hear the children squeal with pleasure. He was a bee

r drinker who thought wine was for Frenchmen or effete social climbers like hischildren.

Ah! His children. Here is how God gets a Marine Corps fighter pilot. He sends him seven squirrelly, mealy-mouth children who march in peace demonstrations, wear Birkenstocks, flirt with vegetarianism, invite cross-dressers to dinner and vote for candidates that Dad would line up and shoot. If my father knew how many tears his children had shed since his death, he would be mortally ashamed of us all and begin yelling that he should've been tougher on us all, knocked us into better shape - that he certainly didn't mean to raise a passel of kids so weak and tacky they would cry at his death. Don Conroy was the best uncle I ever saw, the best brother, the best grandfather, the best friend, and my God, what a father.

After my mother divorced him and The Great Santini was published, Don Conroy had the best second act I ever saw. He never was simply a father. This was The Great Santini. It is time to leave you, Dad. From Carol and Mike and Kathy and Jim and Tim and especially from Tom. Your kids wanted to especially thank Katy and Bobby and Willie Harvey who cared for you heroically.

Let us leave you and say good-bye, Dad, with the passwords that bind all Marines and their wives and their children forever. The Corps was always the most important thing.



Semper Fi, DadSemper Fi, O Great Santini.

Pat Conroy: 1998

Plot Synopsis by Nick Sambides, Jr.

Bull Meechum (Robert Duvall) loves fighting almost as much as he loves the Marine Corps. Profane, cocky, and arrogant, he's a great fighter pilot -- and he knows it. His boss hates his guts, but knows that if he's going to straighten out his lagging squadron, Meechum is the man to do it. The story and irony of The Great Santini is in Meechum's total intolerance of family life and fatherhood. Meechum has a lovely, supportive wife, Lillian (Blythe Danner), an earnest, likeableson, Ben (Michael O'Keefe), three smaller children, and a good home, but Meechum finds the pastoral nature of peacetime totally incompatible with his gung-ho nature. So he begins to drink. He drills his family unmercifully, like recruits. He hammers his son relentlessly until, in a basketball game, his son fights back, and the family cheers Ben's efforts. Tension builds in the household until, during one drunken night, Meechum breaks down. Based on a best-selling novel by Pat Conroy, The Great Santini earned critical raves but fared poorly at the box office. Duvall's performance as Meechum is generally regarded as one of his greatest.

Plot SynopsisBarbra Streisand directed and stars in this love story about two people of dissimilar backgrounds who form a connection based on their unhappy experiences. Adapted from the novel by Pat Conroy, the story concerns Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte), a rudderless, unemployed football coach. Stuck in a loveless marriage with a wife (Blythe Danner) who feels nothing for him, and unable to move forward with his life, he is suddenly jarred out of his lethargy when he travels to New York because his twin sister (Melinda Dillon) has just tried to kill herself. In New York,he meets her psychiatrist, Susan Lowenstein (Barbra Streisand), who is married to a snobbish husband (Jeroen Krabbe). Susan and Tom become attracted to each other out of their loneliness. As his relationship with Susan blossoms, Tom learnsto deal with his mother Lila (Kate Nelligan), who is the sole emotional center of his life. In the past, Lila was married to an abusive alcoholic. When she left

her first husband, she married a rich man whose abuse was mental rather than physical. Tom hates Lila, but he can't free himself of his attachment to her.

HomeworkLinksGuestbookEmailDownloadSearchHome The Great Santini is an intense character study of a gung ho Marine pilot ("The Great Santini" played by Robert Duvall) and his relationship with his family. The film centers on the love and conflict that he has with them, especial

ly his eldest son (Michael O'Keefe). Both Duvall and O'Keefe received AcademyAward nominations for this film (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor). The expectation by Duvall is that his son will one day follow in his footsteps -- but theboy is plainly torn about whether he wants to or not. There are great differences in their personalities and it's a hard road in a father/son relationship.

The conflicts are so intense that it's easy to miss the conflict Duvallhas with himself in the picture. His superior officer tells him he's well on is way to becoming an alcoholic and one scene has Duvall taking O'Keefe out for his 18th birthday to celebrate at the Officer's Club. O'Keefe overdoes it in a drinking binge which is one comic point in the film. In fact, the opening scene i



n Spain contains one of the most delightful military pranks you will ever see.

The film contains some sub plots which make it more diverse and worthwhile. Ithas some very funny moments (military style) and is a film industry buried treasure. 'The Great Santini' strives to leave the audience with a bigger heart as it comes to a conclusion.

The Great Santini is one of several films used in this class that do not have adirect historical connection. Rather, these films can highlight an era or display interesting character development. They are part of the larger History in Film web site that supports teaching history using popular films. It includes films from Rome up to the war in Vietnam.Plot Summary

PlotOutlineCastHomeworkLinksGuestbookEmailDownloadSearchHome

The Great Santini is a story about a sons growth into manhood and his determination to be himself. It is violent, shocking, funny, moving, and overwhelmingly real. It takes place in the little town of Beaufort, SC in 1962.

The movie opens with 'Bull' Meechum, The Great Santini, flying fighter planes for the Marines in Spain. It then cuts to a going away party for Bull at the sedate Navy Officers Club. The party gets a little out of hand. Before being kickedout, the Marines stage a floor show for the prim Navy guests that sends them running for the door.

Back in the States the Meechum family -- Lillian, Bulls wife, Ben, the eldest son, Mary Anne, Karen, and Mathew -- are all awaiting the return of their Father an

d saying a few last Hail Marys to ensure him a safe trip. Despite Lillian's admonitions, when he lands they all rush out to greet him.

Bull and Lillian start to catch up that night when Bull jumps out of bed at three AM and wakes up the children. Everyone moans and groans about Bulls wake-up time, but in his military style he loads everyone in the car to move to their new house.

As they travel to Beaufort, Bull talks to Ben about being a fighter pilot. Ben says that he might not become one. They move into a beautiful large plantation home. Bull gives his kids a speech about them being the best and how they can doanything better than any other kids. He asks a lot from his children, and is very demanding. Since Ben is the oldest son, Bill expects the most from him.

Bull visits his base to find his new responsibilities. Trying to pull a prank on an old friend he mistakenly attacks a young enlisted Marine in the head. He covers the mistake, but not well enough. His friend, Virgil, hears about the incident and teases him for it. Then Bull is told that he is there to get a squadron inshape for the Cuban Crisis.

Bull meets his match, Arrabella Smalls, who becomes the Meechums maid. She tellsthem of her son, Toomer, who sells things off his cart and mule.



Ben and Bull are playing one-on-one basketball. The whole family is watching and everyone cheers for Ben. When he wins, Bull won't accept the defeat and teasesBen into crying. Later that night, Ben and Lillian watch Bull practicing his shots in the pouring rain. He is admitting his defeat and apologizing.

Ben meets Toomer. They go fishing together and Toomer is hassled by local redneck boys. Ben sees Toomers house and his family of dogs.

Bull wakes Ben up at four in the morning on his eighteenth birthday to give himhis present. He gives him his first flight jacket. Bull shares a rare sentimental moment with Ben about the day he was born. He tells Ben to meet him at the Club that night. Bens mother writes him a note for his birthday. She tells him how much she loves him and how proud she is of him.

At the Club, Ben drinks too much with his father and Virgil. He tells them he made the varsity basketball team. They ruin Bens surprise party at home when Bull carries Ben in drunk.

Ben has a big basketball game and Bull gets over competitive. When Ben gets shoved by an opponent Bull threatens him if he does not fight back. Ben does and breaks the boys arm. He is kicked off the team.

While Toomer is selling some honey one day, the local redneck boys start to tease and taunt him. Red Petus was the meanest boy. Toomer subdues him and then lets

him go. Red threatens to pay Toomer back.

Later that night, Arrabella asks Ben to go and check on Toomer. When he asks his father, Bull orders him not to go. Ben disobeys. Meanwhile, Red is at Toomer's. He shoots Toomer and Toomer sets the dogs on him. Ben arrives and finds Red dead and Toomer in bad shape. While racing to get Toomer to the doctor, Toomer dies. Bull meets Ben and slaps him for disobeying him. Bull apologizes after he discovers Toomer is dead. That night Bull gets drunk with Virgil and gets into an argument with Lillian. Ben and the other children attack him to protect Mom and Bull runs out into the night.

Lillian makes Ben go after Bull. He finds him leaning against a tree and mumbling to himself. Ben tells him that he loves him and takes him home.

Ben takes Mary Anne to the Prom. Bull has a routine flight that night. As Ben and Mary Anne are having a great time, Bull has engine trouble in his plane. The engine quits as he is over the town. Rather than bail out, he pilots the plane safely away from crashing into the houses but is too low and dies in the impact.Lillian tell the children that they may not cry at their fathers funeral. Ben tells Lillian how he used to pray for Bull to die. He is very upset.

As they pack and leave (to Bull's old 3 AM schedule) Ben assumes Bull's role. Ben has become the man of the house.

Homework

PlotOutlineCastHomeworkLinksGuestbookEmailDownloadSearchHome Instructions:



Vocabulary: Define the listed terms and describe how or why they are significant to the film. You may have to use outside sources.1. "Sports Fans" 4. Dixie2. "squids" 5. "Look on me like I was God."3. Draft 6. "Mayday"

Discussion: Write a paragraph or a short paper to explain the requested information. Why is this important to the film?

1. Basketball games involving Ben and "Bull" play a major part in this film. Briefly describe them and explain how they reflect the personalities involved.

* One-on-one * At the high school gym

2. Describe the behavior and singing that the family does in the car at the beginning of the movie. Compare that to the scene in the car at the end of the movie.

3. How does Ben's going after Toomer and the following scene when he goes looking for his dad signify his growing maturity?

The Great Santini

Directed by John CarlinoWarner Home Video 10/79 DVD/VHS Feature FilmPG

The time is the early 1960s. Bull Meechum is a daredevil Marine fighter pilot who is very skilled in the air and a practical joker on the ground. He returns home from Spain to take over a squadron command. His wife (Blythe Danner) and fourchildren prepare to move on to Beauford, South Carolina.

The Great Santini is adapted from a book by Pat Conroy, who said the Bull Meechum character represents his own father. This is a vivid and highly affecting study of a "between wars" military man and the coming-of-age of his oldest son (Michael O'Keefe).

At first, Meechum is outrageous strident, hard drinking, and domineering. He treats all those around him like new recruits. Ben, the oldest child, has been tutored by his mother in gentleness and his father is determined to pound all thosetraces out of him. It's "fury" Bull wants to give his son and nothing else willdo. One of the film's most impressive scenes pits father against son in a basketball game as the rest of the family watches. When, despite his brawling tactics, Bull loses, he refuses to accept defeat.

Robert Duvall gives one of the most intense and fully realized performances of his career as Meechum, a.k.a. "The Great Santini." He manages to touch the emotional bases, of anger, love, pride, hate, and regret. Michael O'Keefe turns in a sterling performance as his son, a boy trying desperately to resolve the masculin

e and feminine sides of his personality. In an act of defiance against his father's authoritarianism, he endangers his own life to try and save a black friend (Stan Shaw). Also impressive is Blythe Danner's delineation of Mrs. Meechum, a religious woman who understands her moody husband and cherishes her sons' reciprocal love.

The Great Santini is occasionally marred by some unnecessary melodrama but, on the whole, this is a wealthy movie shining with rich character portraits.

Description



THE GREAT SANTINI takes us into the family life of a fighter pilot. Bull Meecham is the epitome of the Marine officer as tough a disciplinarian at home as at the base. Rebellion, or even difference of opinion, is not tolerated. Objections are met with the statement "The Great Santini has spoken." As the oldest child, Ben takes the brunt of his father's criticism. His attempts to stand up for himself or his mother and sister are contemptuously dismissed. His feelings for his father are a mixture of hate and fear, reluctant pride in his prowess, and unacknowledged love.

The Marine Corps and flying are the most important things in Bull's life. Next come his image as a tough guy, the Catholic Church, his old buddies, and his wife and children. His sons are destined to become Marine pilots, his daughters to provide their husbands (Marines, naturally) with a good home and more fodder forthe Corps.

Ben is eighteen and a born athlete. So his father's fierce drive for a successful son is concentrated on him, and nothing less than perfection is considered acceptable a perfection of which Bull is the sole judge. Ben must learn that, in agame, sportsmanship should go by the board when necessary; what matters is winning, regardless of the means.

This is the story of a boy's determination to be himself, whatever that may be.It is violent, shocking, funny, moving, and overwhelmingly real. From the early

pages, with Bull's wife and children waiting at the airport to welcome the Great Santini back into their midst, to the bittersweet ending, the reader's interest and emotions are fixed upon the fluctuating fortunes of the Meecham family.Praise

"Stinging authenticity...a book that won't quit!"

Atlanta Journal

"Robust and vivid...full of feeling."

Newsday

"An impressive novel."

San Francisco Examiner

"God preserve Pat Conroy."

The Boston Globe

"Few novelists write as well, and none as beautifully."

The Lexington Herald-Leader

"Conroy is an outstanding storyteller."

Birmingham News

"Compelling storytelling...Conroy takes aim at our darkest emotions, lets the arrow fly and hits a bull's-eye almost every time."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"A fine, funny, brawling book... Domineering, authoritarian, selfish, arbitrary, even cruel, relegating all that is gentle or sensitive to the domain of women,



he is a Marine pilot who runs his household with all the kindness and understanding of a drill instructor shaping up a bunch of raw recruits."

The National Observer

"A tender, raucous and often hilarious story."

Booklist

"Conroy has captured a different slice of America in this funny, dramatic novel."

Richmond News-LeaderBull Meechum (Robert Duvall) loves fighting almost as much as he loves the Marine Corps. Profane, cocky, and arrogant, he's a great fighter pilot -- and he knows it. His boss hates his guts, but knows that if he's going to straighten out his lagging squadron, Meechum is the man to do it. The story and irony of The Great Santini is in Meechum's total intolerance of family life and fatherhood. Meechum has a lovely, supportive wife, Lillian (Blythe Danner), an earnest, likeableson, Ben (Michael O'Keefe), three smaller children, and a good home, but Meechum finds the pastoral nature of peacetime totally incompatible with his gung-ho nature. So he begins to drink. He drills his family unmercifully, like recruits. He hammers his son relentlessly until, in a basketball game, his son fights back, and the family cheers Ben's efforts. Tension builds in the household until, dur

ing one drunken night, Meechum breaks down. Based on a best-selling novel by Pat Conroy, The Great Santini earned critical raves but fared poorly at the box office. Duvall's performance as Meechum is generally regarded as one of his greatest. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., All Movie Guide

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