IMDb RATING
6.7/10
5.8K
YOUR RATING
A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.
- Awards
- 12 wins & 31 nominations total
Eddie Plaza
- Bam Bam
- (as Eddie "Miggy" Plaza)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Curious that this is written and directed by the man who this is about. It's also curious that it starts off by telling us that it is "inspired by actual events" indicating that some of this is fiction coming from the person it is about. One would think it would all be factual given its creator, but perhaps there were legalities involved. Beyond that cautious curiosity, this is a straight forward well made movie. Nothing fancy or too intricate, but a tale well told of a homeless young gay man, rejected by his homophobic mother, who is smart enough to know he has to do something with his life in his world of limited opportunities, so he joins the Marines. Most of the the rest of the entire film takes place in boot camp. Other than how he is exposed as being gay, much of the rest is believable and Jeremy Pope in the lead gives a strong performance. Raul Castillo, in a fascinatingly written role (but is it true?!) is also excellent and Bokeem Woodbine is as unpleasant as he is supposed to be. The ending is a bit abrupt, but its simplicity works. Feels more like something made for the small screen rather the big one, but it is a solid film, fact or fiction.
Kicked out of home at age 16 by his single mother, likely because she found out he was gay, a black man eventually decided to turn his life around by joining the Marines, during the time of the Afghanistan War. This is mostly a docudrama about his time in boot camp. While he answered "no" to the question of "Are you a homosexual", shouted at all recruits early on (plus others like "Have you smoked marijuana, etc.), presumably his physical reaction to being in a shared-shower situation gave away his secret. In his continuing journey, he has both detractors and allies.
Given that this film is heavily biographical, despite the usual disclaimers, I wonder how the director will fare in a narrative that does not come from his own experiences.
Given that this film is heavily biographical, despite the usual disclaimers, I wonder how the director will fare in a narrative that does not come from his own experiences.
"French" (Jeremy Pope) is an itinerant gay man who, estranged from his prison office mother "Inez" (Gabrielle Union), has concluded that the only way to stop himself becoming subsumed into an underworld of drugs, disease and most likely death, is to join the US Marines. Having failed at just about everything else, his mother is somewhat sceptical, but to bootcamp he goes where he encounters the stereotypically brutish gunnery sergeant-major "Laws" (Bokeem Woodbine). It's all based on a true story directed and adapted from his own story by Elegance Bratton, so jeopardy here there isn't. That said, Pope and Woodbine are both on good form as the former runs the gamut of a tough training regime coupled with a prejudice against his sexuality that proves distinctly dangerous. His trainer offers him nothing by way of support or sympathy, intent on instilling the most primitive of "survival of the fittest" mentalities amongst all of his recruits. It is a little procedural, but it's still an interesting tale from a man who resisted the temptations to jack it all in - and sends a clear message of perseverance and determination that does resonate to a certain, predictable, extent. Essentially, though, it's a television movie that doesn't really need a cinema screening and though watchable and important, it isn't a story that will linger in the memory for long afterwards, I'm afraid.
Ellis French is a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic training, he finds unexpected camaraderie, strength, and support in this new community, giving him a hard-earned sense of belonging that will shape his identity and forever change his life of it.
Beautiful, filled with layers, reflecting the best and worst of military patriarchy, in a light way, while disciplining and welcoming, hurting and revolting... And the church, portrayed in the character of the mother, who tries to cure and exclude the son, as well as some religions... A beautiful, delicate and reflective biography... About second chances and choices we make during our life...
Beautiful, filled with layers, reflecting the best and worst of military patriarchy, in a light way, while disciplining and welcoming, hurting and revolting... And the church, portrayed in the character of the mother, who tries to cure and exclude the son, as well as some religions... A beautiful, delicate and reflective biography... About second chances and choices we make during our life...
As a Marine, it's hard for me to watch movies that feature the Marines, as they're usually highly inaccurate. This movie nailed the bootcamp experience and culture of the Marines. I'm glad the writer was also the director, because that definitely contributed to the accuracy of the story. Bokeem delivered in the role as the Senior Drill Instructor. Jeremy Pope gave a passionate performance in the lead role. This had a great story, outstanding actors, and is a very good film that I will definitely recommend to others, especially those who served in my beloved Marine Corps. Semper Fi and Oooh Rah!
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed over a period of 19 days in Jackson, Mississippi, in 117 degrees Summer temperatures.
- GoofsThe Senior Drill Instructor would not in any way be involved in swim training, and certainly wouldn't be able to attempt to drown a recruit and get away with it. Swim personnel typically are Navy instructors and also have a Corpsman on duty. Trying to drown a recruit in the pool would therefore be seen by a lot of people are reported immediately.
- Quotes
Ellis French: Sir, this recruit does not know how *not* to piss you off, sir.
- ConnectionsFeatured in OWV Updates: Multimedia Update (08/10/2023) - OWV is Back! (2023)
- How long is The Inspection?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $390,429
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $65,942
- Nov 20, 2022
- Gross worldwide
- $550,582
- Runtime
- 1h 35m(95 min)
- Color
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