X
  • 1987
  • R
  • TriStar Pictures
  • 1 h 51 m
  • 1987
  • R
  • TriStar Pictures
  • 1 h 51 m
Gardens of Stone

Summary A Sergeant must deal with his desires to save the lives of young soldiers being sent to Viet Nam. Continuously denied the chance to teach the soldiers about his experiences, he settles for trying to help the son of an old Army buddy.

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Written By: Nicholas Proffitt, Ron Bass

  • 1987
  • R
  • TriStar Pictures
  • 1 h 51 m
  • 1987
  • R
  • TriStar Pictures
  • 1 h 51 m

Gardens of Stone

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
54
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary A Sergeant must deal with his desires to save the lives of young soldiers being sent to Viet Nam. Continuously denied the chance to teach the soldiers about his experiences, he settles for trying to help the son of an old Army buddy.

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Written By: Nicholas Proffitt, Ron Bass

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
54
43% Positive
6 Reviews
50% Mixed
7 Reviews
7% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
54
43% Positive
6 Reviews
50% Mixed
7 Reviews
7% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
80
Unjustly underrated upon its release, GARDENS OF STONE is a quiet, respectful film filled with emotional power, exceptional acting (especially by Caan), and technical virtuosity.
FULL REVIEW
70
The film is far from being a seamless work of art, but it probably comes closer to the confused attitudes that Americans had toward the Vietnam war than any other film has come, and so its messiness seems honorable.
By Pauline Kael FULL REVIEW
70
It's certainly not Francis Ford Coppola's most well-known war movie, but Gardens of Stone is a pretty decent one, and does feel somewhat underrated.
FULL REVIEW
60
Although downbeat, this celebration of the US military is done so expertly you forget that at the time it is set Coppola's idea of a great film was You're A Big Boy Now.
By Kim Newman FULL REVIEW
50
James Earl Jones, James Caan and D.B. Sweeney turn in superior performances in "Gardens of Stone," but it's all for naught. Francis Coppola sabotages their efforts with a handsome but fragmentary film that can't decide which story to tell.
By Desson Thomson FULL REVIEW
50
Though Coppola sticks to the principal narrative line and resists tangential, anecdotal episodes, he might as well have gone off in those directions for all the coherence he ultimately achieves.
FULL REVIEW
30
Gardens of Stone, Francis Coppola's muddled meditation on the Vietnam War, 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.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company TriStar Pictures, ML Delphi Premier Productions, The Malpaso Company, Zoetrope Studios
Release Date May 8, 1987
Duration 1 h 51 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline It was a dangerous time to be young. An impossible time to be a hero.
Website http://www.sonymoviechannel.com/movies/gardens-of-stone
View All Details

Awards

Moscow International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Political Film Society, USA
• 1 Nomination

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

The Wild Bunch

98
Universal Acclaim

Au hasard Balthazar

98
Universal Acclaim

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

With the arrival of Zack Snyder's latest Rebel Moon chapter on Netflix, we rank every one of the director's films—from bad to, well, less bad—by Metascore.

  • movie
Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie