Annapolis

Last fall I spent a memorable weekend exploring Annapolis, Maryland with a good friend who recently moved to the historic home of St. John's College. And, oh yeah, in case you didn't notice, the U.S. Naval Academy is next door. We walked down the town's quaint cobblestone streets, had some excellent seafood, and watched boats come and go from our perch at the dock downtown. We also watched midshipmen parade through town in their fall tradition of marching to the football stadium for Saturday's big game, saw men and women in uniform become the center of attention as they picked their way through a crowded bar, and spotted camouflaged Navy trollers patrolling the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. You have to watch carefully or you'll miss them. They are camouflaged after all.

James Franco plays a freshman 'plebe' at the U.S. Naval Academy

Make no mistake about it; Annapolis is a Navy town (though I should point out that St. John's regularly destroys Navy in their annual croquet match). And since I had such a lovely time there, I had a measure of pleasant anticipation as the lights dimmed for my preview screening of the movie set at the Academy and christened with the town's name. But while I continue to harbor fond memories of Annapolis, it's difficult to find anything to praise about Annapolis.

The narrative coddles its audience by offering stock characters reciting clichéd dialogue ("Man, I have dreams too"), and then has the audacity to ask viewers to do the heavy lifting of filling in the gaps in logic when the characters make head–scratching decisions. (Maybe he decided to go back to his old job because … oh I don't know. I give up.)

Donnie Wahlberg (right) as the officer who decides to take a chance on Jake

The story centers around Jake Huard (James Franco), a guy from the wrong side of the tracks (or water, in this case) who is unexpectedly, and inexplicably, admitted to the Academy. He enters with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mississippi—you'll get that joke if you watch the movie, but hopefully you won't ever get that joke—and proceeds to make enemies with his big, bad (and black, but at this point you're so numbed by all the other clichés that have been hurled at you, you hardly notice) commanding officer, Cole (Tyrese Gibson).

Cole talks about what it really takes to make an officer and tells Huard he doesn't have it. There's a lot of talk about honor and knowing "what you're made of." Cole pushes perhaps just a little too hard, we're supposed to think. Our allegiances are torn: The upright Cole or the scrappy Huard? This premise alone isn't bad. An Officer and a Gentleman made some movie magic out of a similar dynamic. But here there's little real suspense, because you don't really care about either of them.

Tension reigns between Jake and Lt. Cole (Tyrese Gibson)

Of course, there's a girl (Jordana Brewster as Ali) and a fat roommate (Vicellous Reon Shannon as Twins) and a commanding officer who won't give up and just might inspire Huard to believe in himself (Donnie Wahlberg as Lt. Cmdr. Burton). And again, all of this clichéd posturing could be forgiven if the characters were just given a plausible scenario to work with. But no. At the Academy in Annapolis, academics are slight and the boxing ring, of all places, is where most lessons are learned. Huh?

Apparently the United States Navy had a similar reaction when it read the script for Annapolis. After reviewing several drafts and offering extensive suggestions, Academy officials ultimately refused to grant the filmmakers permission to use footage shot on campus in the movie. "The problem wasn't that the script had things we don't tolerate at the academy," Cmdr. Bob Anderson, the Navy's liaison to the film industry, told The Washington Post. "The problem was there was no accountability. The offenders weren't held responsible for their misconduct."

Jake falls for another Annapolis student, Ali (Jordana Brewster)

The Post goes on to report that, in an attempt to distance itself from the movie, the Navy sent a service–wide e–mail from its Office of Information in the Pentagon that cautioned: "Navy personnel should avoid the appearance of support to the film as members of the Department of the Navy. Anyone attending a screening or promotional activity for the film should not attend in uniform."

One thing the movie does get right is the popularity of the Brigade Boxing Championships at the Academy. It's one the biggest annual events on campus, and bouts can become legend. People still talk about the 1968 championship between Oliver North, later of Iran–Contra fame, and James Webb, a future secretary of the Navy and novelist. North won. But, in 2006, no one wins in the ring with Annapolis.

Croquet, anyone?

Talk About It

1. Why do you think Jake wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy? And why do you think his father was so resistant to the idea?
   
   
2. Do you think Loo should have turned in Estrada for his lie about taking a shower? Why or why not? How does the honor code at the Academy prepare students for the challenges of military life?
   
   
3. Lt. Cmdr. Burton tells Huard that no one can make it through the Academy alone. What kinds of lessons about the importance of community can one glean from Annapolis?
   
   

The Family Corner

Annapolis is rated PG–13 for some violence, sexual content and language. Intense boxing scenes will make many viewers cringe. Men are seen in their underwear a couple of times in dorm room situations. There is some "sex talk" here and there, and there is one passionate kiss, but there are no sex scenes.

Photos © Copyright Touchstone

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

What Other Critics Are Saying

Director Justin Lin takes viewers to Annapolis for a story about soldiers–in–training who learn to be fighters in the boxing ring. And the result is a movie that's being described as a United States military recruiting film … which is odd, considering that the film has been condemned as grossly inaccurate by the U.S. Navy, and Christian and mainstream critics alike are panning the film.

"The word preposterous came to mind several times as I watched Annapolis," writes Tom Neven (Plugged In). He mentions that the film "feels more like a recruiting video than a major motion picture," and concludes, "There are positive lessons and feel–good moments in this story. But you have to fight your way through a whole lot of canned nonsense and some dodgy language to rescue them."

Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) says, "Too bad that what is achieved—in a time of war, at a military academy—is boxing glory. After hinting that the story will revolve around ideas of working together to achieve a common good, the filmmakers settle instead for a story of individual fulfillment, awkwardly trying to tie the main characters' success in the ring to broader principles of military unity."

He adds, "Annapolis uses the guise of the military to tell yet another story of a young man who triumphs against the odds. [Main character Jake] Huard isn't transformed into a war–ready Naval officer, but is honed—through boxing—into a potential officer. By the film's conclusion, he's ready for little more than another year at the Academy. Is that a message you're willing to spend nine bucks to hear?"

None of this stops Bob Rossiter (Christian Spotlight) from proclaiming, "Those who enjoy patriotic, hero stories will probably appreciate this movie. I sure did."