The Great Santini
Directed by Lewis John Carlino7.295%76%6.8
As he approaches manhood, Ben Meechum struggles to win the approval of his demanding alpha male father, an aggressively competitive, but frustrated Marine pilot.
Where to Watch The Great Santini
- Mister ArnApril 23, 2026“The Great Santini” is a coming-of-age story where the father isn’t a villain, but he’s not someone you’d want as a parent either. There’s a moment during a basketball game when he steps in and pushes his son to do something wrong, and the son goes along. It costs him, and it tells you everything about their relationship. It’s not an easy watch. There’s a steady tension that doesn’t let up, and it doesn’t leave you feeling good. But it’s well done. Robert Duvall carries the film, and the rest of the cast matches him, making it a strong, performance-driven movie that’s worth seeing.
The Great Santini Trivia
The Great Santini was released on October 26, 1979.
The Great Santini was directed by Lewis John Carlino.
The Great Santini has a runtime of 1h 55m.
The Great Santini was produced by Charles A. Pratt.
As he approaches manhood, Ben Meechum struggles to win the approval of his demanding alpha male father, an aggressively competitive, but frustrated Marine pilot.
The key characters in The Great Santini are Bull Meechum (Robert Duvall), Lillian Meechum (Blythe Danner), Ben Meechum (Michael O'Keefe).
The Great Santini is rated PG.
The Great Santini is a Drama film.
The Great Santini has an audience rating of 7.6 out of 10.
The Great Santini had a budget of $4M.
The Great Santini has made $4.7M at the box office.