Billy "Badass" Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and Mulhall (Otis Young) are two career sailors who get assigned the duty of escorting Meadows (Randy Quaid), a teen aged kleptomaniac, to the brig. The kid had attempted to steal $40 that was earmarked for their Admirals' wifes' pet charity. And now they make the long journey to Portsmouth. Buddusky and Mulhall have more than enough time to get there, so they decide to show this pathetic kid the last great time of his life before his prison sentence.
Based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan, this is an appealing drama / comedy sparked by a hilarious and highly profane script by Robert Towne. The studio objected to the vulgarities, and spent a long time trying to get Towne to remove them. Eventually, the standards for foul language relaxed considerably, and the production finally went ahead.
But this is an enjoyable odyssey that amounts to so much more than a record-setting (at the time) use of swear words. It's a study of three characters, and how the veterans Buddusky and Mulhall react to their charge, a true sad sack. Buddusky determines to bring this kid out of his shell, and bit by bit Meadows relaxes and warms up to his escorts. The three of them get drunk, stop off at Meadows' mothers' place, and go to a whorehouse as one of the last stops.
With another sterling job of direction by Hal Ashby, "The Last Detail" is funny when it needs to be, and very poignant at other times. It gets a lot of juice from the colourful nature of Nicholsons' performance, the professionalism of co-star Young (who could have easily had a more prolific film career), and the appeal of fresh-faced young Quaid, in one of his earliest film appearances. Several other familiar faces turn up, too: Clifton James, Carol Kane, Michael Moriarty, Luana Anders, and Nancy Allen. Allen and a very briefly seen Gilda Radner made their Hollywood feature film debuts here. This was also a first credit for renowned cinematographer Michael Chapman. He also appears on screen as a taxi driver, and would go on to shoot diverse fare such as "Taxi Driver" (amusingly enough), "Raging Bull", "The Wanderers", and the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" remake.
A very fine film that is essential viewing for fans of Nicholson, Ashby, and 70s cinema.
Based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan, this is an appealing drama / comedy sparked by a hilarious and highly profane script by Robert Towne. The studio objected to the vulgarities, and spent a long time trying to get Towne to remove them. Eventually, the standards for foul language relaxed considerably, and the production finally went ahead.
But this is an enjoyable odyssey that amounts to so much more than a record-setting (at the time) use of swear words. It's a study of three characters, and how the veterans Buddusky and Mulhall react to their charge, a true sad sack. Buddusky determines to bring this kid out of his shell, and bit by bit Meadows relaxes and warms up to his escorts. The three of them get drunk, stop off at Meadows' mothers' place, and go to a whorehouse as one of the last stops.
With another sterling job of direction by Hal Ashby, "The Last Detail" is funny when it needs to be, and very poignant at other times. It gets a lot of juice from the colourful nature of Nicholsons' performance, the professionalism of co-star Young (who could have easily had a more prolific film career), and the appeal of fresh-faced young Quaid, in one of his earliest film appearances. Several other familiar faces turn up, too: Clifton James, Carol Kane, Michael Moriarty, Luana Anders, and Nancy Allen. Allen and a very briefly seen Gilda Radner made their Hollywood feature film debuts here. This was also a first credit for renowned cinematographer Michael Chapman. He also appears on screen as a taxi driver, and would go on to shoot diverse fare such as "Taxi Driver" (amusingly enough), "Raging Bull", "The Wanderers", and the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" remake.
A very fine film that is essential viewing for fans of Nicholson, Ashby, and 70s cinema.