Gardens of Stone (1987) was another flop for Francis Ford Coppola. It's better-remembered for the death of Coppola's son Gio during production than the actual movie. Well-acted and somber, it's respectable but never gripping. Based on Nicholas Proffitt's novel, Gardens of Stone depicts the United States Third Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard assigned to patrol Arlington National Cemetery. Specialist Jack Willow (D.B. Sweeney) arrives in 1968; he comes under the wing of Sergeant Hazard (James Caan), a Korean War veteran who knew Willow's father. Hazard hates his ceremonial duty, while Willow's eager to see combat. The two men bond until the Vietnam War drives them apart.
Gardens of Stone is a throwback to John Ford films like The Long Gray Line, showing the thankless service of the stateside military. Writer Ronald Bass has a good feel for Army camaraderie, emphasizing soldiers' friendships and frustration. Sergeant Nelson (James Earl Jones) calls the Old Guard "toy soldiers" and "jesters in the court of Mars," performing funerals and parades but never seeing action. Coppola's reverence for military ceremony is far removed from Apocalypse Now's anarchic radicalism.
Indeed, Gardens of Stone seems a sanitized answer to that era's proliferating anti-Vietnam films. Coppola's soldiers trade sexual barbs, but the profanity and roughness is toned down compared to the same year's Full Metal Jacket. Similarly, the movie fudges its politics. Hazard thinks the Vietnam War wasteful, yet argues with his liberal girlfriend (Anjelica Huston) and punches out a peacenik. Interestingly, he's dovish compared to Willow, whose naïve jingoism marks him for destruction.
The set-up's more Fort Apache than Platoon, and Garden of Stone spins its dramatic wheels. The soldiers' banter is worthwhile, but Coppola's efforts to add plot don't amount to much. Hazard and Willow both pursue romances, with Willow fighting girlfriend Rachel's (Mary Stuart Masterson) disapproving parents. Like Mister Roberts, Hazard's requests for reassignment are blocked by a C.O. (Dean Stockwell) who considers him too "valuable." A prolonged war games segment and montages of Vietnam footage add little.
James Caan gives an excellent performance. He's subdued, thoughtful and conflicted, giving a convincing portrayal of an aged career soldier. D.B. Sweeney's militant innocence makes a nice counterpart. James Earl Jones dispenses epigrams and innuendos in a thankless supporting role. Coppola veterans Laurence Fishburne, Sam Bottoms and Lonette McKee have minor roles, as does a young Elias Koteas.
Gardens of Stone is very much a middle-aged film: conservative, careful in staging and nostalgic in tone, but lacking spark or energy. It has its merits as a character study and military tribute. Dramatically, it's a dud.
