Cliff Truckee refuses a privileged start in life at a top college while other young men are enlisting. On the bus out of Chicago he meets a girl on her way to join the Marines, falls in love and decides to do the same. Paris Island is physically tough, but it is troubles that are brought from home that endanger some recruits success, in an extreme case even a life. Team bonding is changing Cliff, but so can a broken heart.
Acting
Michael Peña's early hungry energy.
Production
Actual Parris Island location shoots.
Director
Michael W. Watkins
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Michael Peña filmed this right before his breakout in Crash—this was his 'gritty military guy' audition era.
Released pre-9/11, this captures a specific late-90s military recruitment optimism that aged strangely.
US
