Too Young the Hero

I really thought this was a good war and autobiographical film. I found the story of Calvin Graham to be interesting and tragic. While the movie may've taken a few liberties in the source material I enjoyed it nonetheless. I have to admit there were times where I got angry over the injustice Calvin and is brother had to go through. Their homelife is less than ideal and most of the people they have to deal with are terrible and at the very least apathetic. Calvin Graham (Rick Schroeder) dreams of serving his country and is too anxious to wait until he reaches the enlistment age. Eager to fight he lies about his age and enlist. After dealing with boot camp, bullies, and a rough sea life, he proves himself during an attack and is awarded for his bravery until his true age is discovered where he gets sent to the brig.

Most of the story's told through flashbacks during his time in the brig. From his life prior to enlisting as a sailor. Probably one of the most infuriating scenes is when 2 drunk sailors try to rape him and he ends up lying about his injury to the nurse afterwards in embarressment. I felt like he should've told the truth but I digress. For all of his hardships he does befriend another sailor who looks out for him. The acting and dialouge were great. When a line's spoken it's done with conviction sometimes poigantly. The way the characters act is mostly understandable though most of the actions of the adults will make you angry and even sad at the same time.

I won't give away the ending but it's bittersweet to say the least. "Too Young the Hero" is a great war drama. It's tragic and bitter at times yet still hopeful. In a world that can be very mean-spirited (and understandably so) during a crisis, there's still hope and this movie shows it. If you like war movies and underdog stories than I highly recommend this. What also makes this great is Rick Schroder as Calvin Graham. He really balances the adventurous side of being a teen while also knowing when to be sad or angry at the injustice he has to constantly face. So yeah, check this movie out.