Gardens of Stone **** (1987, James Caan, Anjelica Huston, James Earl Jones, D B Sweeney, Dean Stockwell, Mary Stewart Masterson) – Classic Movie Review 4733

Director Francis Coppola’s hardly seen 1987 movie Gardens of Stone was another setback to the careers of its star James Caan and director. It was mysteriously taken off during the first week of its London run.

But Caan is riveting as the disillusioned, hardened veteran Platoon Sergeant Clell Hazard, in charge of the young soldiers at Fort Meyer, Virginia, who provide the ceremonial honour guard for the military funerals of fallen soldiers and guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery during the Vietnam War.

And the exceptional performances of D B Sweeney, as the idealistic gung-ho recruit soldier Jackie Willow taken under Caan’s wing, and James Earl Jones, as the foul-mouthed Regimental Sergeant Major ‘Goody’ Nelson, keep the attention away from the hesitancies in the screenplay by Ronald Bass (based on the novel by Nicholas Proffitt) and a surprising lack of conviction.

Anjelica Huston plays Hazard’s girlfriend Samantha Davis, a Washington Post writer against the Vietnam War. Mary Stuart Masterson plays colonel’s daughter Rachel Feld, who marries Willow. Dean Stockwell plays Sgt. Hazard’s Company Commander, Captain Homer Thomas.

Coppola presides over the movie with his accustomed precision and verve. As always, he turns in a smart movie: it is shot by Jordan Cronenweth, scored by Carmine Coppola and designed by Dean Tavoularis.

However, the serious-minded film failed at the box office failure after costing $13 million and grossing $5 million in the US, but then it had only a limited release in 612 cinemas.

Griffin O’Neal was involved in the accidental speed-boating death of Francis Coppola’s eldest son, 22-year-old Gian-Carlo Coppola, in May 1986 and was replaced by Casey Siemaszko as Jack’s friend in the platoon Sergeant Albert Wildman. Gian-Carlo Coppola was to have played the role of company clerk Pete Deveber and was replaced by Elias Koteas, who felt very uncomfortable while filming because he knew that he was replacing Gian-Carlo in a film directed by his father, who just lost his son.

O’Neal was charged with manslaughter, but pleaded guilty to negligent operation of a boat, and was fined $200 and sentenced to 18 months’ probation in 1987.

Francis Coppola dedicated his 1988 film Tucker: The Man and His Dream to his son.

Also in the cast are Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne (both from Apocalypse Now), Dick Anthony Williams, Lonette McKee, Casey Siemaszko, Peter Masterson, Carlin Glynn, Erik Holland, Bill Graham, Terrence Currier, Terry Hinz, Lisa-Marie Felter, William Williamson and Joseph A Ross Jr.

Carlin Glynn (born February 19, 1940).

Carlin Glynn (who plays Mrs Feld) had been married to Peter Masterson (who plays Colonel Feld) since 29 December 1960. They had three children, including Mary Stuart Masterson (who plays Rachel Feld). Peter Masterson had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and died aged 84 on 18 December 2018 after suffering a fall at his home.

Nicholas Proffitt’s novel Gardens of Stone is based on his service as a member of the 3rd US Infantry detachment detailed to serve as the honour guard at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington DC. He became a Newsweek reporter and bureau chief.

The main cast are James Caan as platoon sergeant Sergeant First Class Clell Hazard, Anjelica Huston as Samantha Davis, James Earl Jones as regimental Sergeant Major “Goody” Nelson,  D. B. Sweeney as honor guardsman Jackie Willow, Dean Stockwell as company commander Captain Homer Thomas, Mary Stuart Masterson as Rachel Feld, Dick Anthony Williams as company First Sergeant R. “Slasher” Williams, Lonette McKee as Nelson’s wife Betty Rae, Sam Bottoms as Hazard’s platoon leader First Lieutenant Webber, Elias Koteas as Specialist Pete Deveber, Larry Fishburne [Laurence Fishburne] as Willow’s squad leader Sergeant/Specialist Flanagan, Casey Siemaszko as Sergeant Albert Wildman, Peter Masterson as Colonel Feld, and Carlin Glynn as Mrs Feld.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4733

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