Renaissance Man | | Cast : | Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines | | Director : | Penny Marshall | | Studio : | Buena Vista Home Vid | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | June 03, 1994 | | DVD Released Date : | July 01, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | April 21, 2005 | | Summary | A movie of faith | Content
 | This is one of my faith movies. The faith movies fall into 2 scenarios. One where I watch it on faith that it will be a good movie, and then there's the other scenario where it strikes a chord in my heart, and makes me wake up and listen. The day I saw this movie my heart and faith were in the toilet. I remember feeling sorry for myself, and yet at the same time I remember walking through EPCOT flipping the bird at everyone as I wanted to pick a fight because I was feeling that downhearted. The characters of this movie were all out of faith too:
Bill Rago: Divorced ad artist who lost the biggest account, and his job in one day; is regulated to take a job as a teacher in guess where? The U.S. Army.
Jackson Leroy: Former college football superstar who after a serious injury to his knee had to give up his dream, and make a living for his wife, and soon to be child. Fortunately, he had a good wife to keep him going as his education was limited.
Tommy Lee Haywood: His bubble was burst when the paper mill where he worked was shut down, and with no real college education he was stuck in a trailer.
Miranda Myers : Had a mother who more or less needed a man, and it didn't matter to her whether she needed a daughter, or not.
Melvin Melvin: This is a real name. Tendency to fall asleep as he was the victim of physical abuse growing up.
Brian Davis: Didn't have a father growing up, and that made him feel incomplete as he knew his father was over in Veitnam, but didn't know all the details of how he died.
Donald Benetiz: Wisecracking New Yorker who just didn't seem to have any ambition...especially after the tragic death of his sister.
Jamal Montgomery: Thoroughly undisciplined and arrogant as it seems as though his parents just turned him over to the wolves.
Roosevelt(Nathanial)Hobbs: Quiet unassuming guy, and that's the way he wanted it kept as he was looking for salvation from his past.
Rago is in charge of trying to help all these recruits survive boot camp as they are physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged. This is actually based on a true story where Rago the teacher gets them to succeed academically, and physically, and emotionally by having them read the Shakesphere play "Hamlet". He begins to see some fruit from this that no other person could probably see, and so are the recruits as they've discovered talents they never knew that they had. This movie is not your average comedy, nor your average drama for that matter, but it will grab you somehow even if you don't like it. If it doesn't it's up to you. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 19, 2005 | | Summary | This band of brothers | Content
| Bill Rego (Danny DeVito) had it all from being a successful father (maybe a tad self-centered) and advertising businessman. Now he is divorced and out of a job. He gets a job opportunity to use his skills to teach or bring a hand full of marginal soldiers up to military material. The soldiers of course are from all walks of life and bring with them different backgrounds and emotional luggage. He must learn how to do help each one accomplish the goal. He settles on Shakespeare as the learning tool as he is familiar with the material.
Will he succeed?
Does he learn anything in the process?
What effect does this have on the instructors he works with?
Do we come away with anything of worth?
There are many teaching "the unruly" movies out there and there will be many more. This one has a little more depth in also teaching the teacher. It is not some great unknown insight but a gradual awareness that benefits all involved. If you are planning on a pure comedy this may not be the film you are looking for as it has many comic moments yet has a message that supersedes those moments.
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| Rating | | | Date | April 18, 2004 | | Summary | I Love this Movie!!!!!!!!!!!! | Content
| I love this movie. All of the great actors and actresses that are in this movie are incredible. I can't get enough of this movie. I watch it almost everyday. This movie is a classic. This movie is to me as The Godfather is to guys. That's how much I love this movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 28, 2004 | | Summary | Danny De Vito | Content
| I simply adored this movie with Danny De Vito! I really cracked up with the scene where he goes up the victory tower and has to come down. I also love Lillo Brancato and his impersonations of "Scarface" and the "Raging Bull." I'm not a real Shakespeare fan, but I admit that I definitely got into this movie. Danny is on my top 10 of favorites. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 08, 2004 | | Summary | Above average and more sensible than you think | Content
| Yes, there really are English teachers in the Army. My sister-in-law was a civilian hired to improve the writing and reading of GIs who needed extra help. This is a very funny movie and Danny Devito makes it worth watching. It takes the right teacher to make Shakespeare worth reading. I'd have paid a lot more attention in English class if I had a teacher like him! |
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