Gettysburg (1993 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gettysburg |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Ronald F. Maxwell |
| Produced by | Moctesuma Esparza Robert A. Katz |
| Screenplay by | Ronald F. Maxwell |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Randy Edelman |
| Cinematography | Kees Van Oostrum |
| Editing by | Corky Ehlers |
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| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
| Release date(s) | October 8, 1993 |
| Running time | 254 minutes 271 minutes (director's cut) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Money made | $12.7 million |
Gettysburg is a 1993 American epic war film. It tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The movie was written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. It is based on the 1974 book The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.
The film features many famous actors. These include Tom Berenger as James Longstreet, Jeff Daniels as Joshua Chamberlain, and Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee. Gettysburg was first made as a TV show for TNT. Later, it was shown in movie theaters by New Line Cinema.
At over four hours long, it is one of the longest films ever released by a major studio in the U.S. Even though it didn't make a lot of money in theaters, it was very popular on TV and when sold on video. Many people consider it one of the best and most accurate films about the American Civil War. A prequel movie, Gods and Generals, came out in 2003.
Contents
The Story of the Battle
The movie begins in June 1863. The Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee, is invading the North. They march through Maryland and into Pennsylvania. On June 30, a Confederate spy tells General James Longstreet that the Union Army is nearby. He also says that George Meade is now the Union commander.
General Lee is worried because this information comes from a spy, not his own cavalry. Still, he orders his army to gather near the town of Gettysburg. Meanwhile, Union Colonel Joshua Chamberlain is ordered to take in 120 new soldiers. He convinces almost all of them to join his 20th Maine regiment.
First Day of Fighting
In Gettysburg, Union General John Buford and his cavalry see Confederate troops coming. Buford knows that if the Confederates get to Gettysburg first, they will take strong positions. This would force the Union to attack them and suffer many losses. To stop this, he decides to fight right where he is. He sends for more Union soldiers.
The next morning, July 1, the fighting begins. Confederate troops attack Buford's cavalry. Union General John F. Reynolds arrives with his soldiers, but he is killed. The Union army is pushed back to Cemetery Ridge. General Lee tells his officer, Richard S. Ewell, to take the Union position if he can. But Ewell hesitates and does not attack. Both armies then get ready for the next day's battle.
Second Day of Fighting
On July 2, Union Colonel Strong Vincent sends the 20th Maine to Little Round Top. He tells Colonel Chamberlain that his regiment is at the very end of the Union line. If they retreat, the Confederates could go around them and defeat the Union army.
General Lee orders General Longstreet to attack Little Round Top. General John Bell Hood, one of Longstreet's commanders, argues that attacking the high ground will cause too many losses. But Longstreet, following Lee's orders, tells Hood to attack. Hood is later wounded in the fighting.
At Little Round Top, Chamberlain and the 20th Maine fight off many Confederate attacks. They start to run out of bullets. Colonel Vincent is badly wounded. Chamberlain then orders his men to put bayonets on their rifles and charge downhill. This surprise attack pushes the Confederates back, and the Union line holds. Later that evening, General J. E. B. Stuart finally arrives, and Lee scolds him for being out of touch.
Third Day of Fighting
For the third day, July 3, Lee decides to attack the center of the Union line at Cemetery Ridge. Longstreet believes this attack will fail. He points out that the soldiers will have to cross a mile of open ground. The Union soldiers are also behind a strong stone wall.
Lee still orders the attack. The plan is for Confederate cannons to clear the Union guns first. But the Confederate cannons do not make much impact. When General George Pickett asks to move forward, Longstreet simply nods.
The Confederate soldiers march across the open field. Union General Winfield Scott Hancock is wounded while leading his troops. One Confederate brigade, led by General Lewis Armistead, makes it over the stone wall. But Armistead is wounded and captured. The Confederates suffer huge losses and retreat. General Pickett tells Lee, "General Lee, I have no division," meaning his soldiers are almost all gone. This attack, known as Pickett's Charge, fails. That evening, Lee decides they must leave. The movie ends by showing what happened to the main people in the battle.
Who's Who in the Movie
The film features many actors playing real people from the Civil War.
Confederate Leaders
- Tom Berenger as Lieutenant General James Longstreet
- Martin Sheen as General Robert E. Lee
- Stephen Lang as Major General George Pickett
- Richard Jordan as Brigadier General Lewis Armistead
- Cooper Huckabee as Henry Thomas Harrison, the spy
- Patrick Gorman as Major General John Bell Hood
- Joseph Fuqua as Major General J. E. B. Stuart
Ted Turner, who owned the film company, also appears briefly as Colonel Waller T. Patton.
Union Leaders
- Jeff Daniels as Colonel Joshua Chamberlain
- Sam Elliott as Brigadier General John Buford
- C. Thomas Howell as Lieutenant Thomas Chamberlain (Joshua's brother)
- Kevin Conway as Sergeant Buster Kilrain
- Brian Mallon as Major General Winfield Scott Hancock
- Maxwell Caulfield as Colonel Strong Vincent
- John Rothman as Major General John F. Reynolds
- Richard Anderson as Major General George Meade
Ken Burns, who made a famous documentary about the Civil War, also has a small role.
How the Film Was Made
Making Gettysburg was a long journey. The idea for a movie based on The Killer Angels started in 1978. In 1981, Ronald F. Maxwell got the rights to the book. He hired Michael Shaara, the author, to write the script. Even after Shaara passed away in 1988, Maxwell finished the script.
At first, other studios were interested but then backed out. This was because some other historical movies had not done well. Even Kevin Costner was interested, but he chose to direct Dances with Wolves instead.
Maxwell then tried to make it as a TV miniseries. After some setbacks, Ted Turner finally agreed to fund the project in 1991. It was planned for Turner Network Television.
For the first time ever, the National Park Service allowed filming of battle scenes directly on the Gettysburg Battlefield. This included famous spots like Devil's Den and Little Round Top. Thousands of Civil War reenactors volunteered to be in the movie. They helped make the battle scenes look very real.
The music for the film was created by Randy Edelman.
Film Music
The music for Gettysburg was composed by Randy Edelman. The main soundtrack album features many of his pieces.
Two other soundtrack albums were also released. One included popular songs from the Civil War era. It also featured Jeff Daniels reading the famous Gettysburg Address. The other was a special "Deluxe Commemorative Edition" with more music from the film.
Release and Impact
Gettysburg was originally meant to be a TV miniseries for TNT. But when Ted Turner saw parts of the film, he realized it was big enough for movie theaters. So, it was released in cinemas by New Line Cinema.
Because it was so long (over 4 hours!), it was shown in fewer theaters and had fewer showtimes each day. It made about $12.7 million in theaters. However, it became a huge success when it was released on VHS and DVD. It also set a record for cable TV when it first aired on TNT in 1994, with over 34 million viewers.
The film is now often used in history classes to teach about the Civil War. A "Director's Cut" version, which is even longer (about 4 hours and 31 minutes), was released in 2011. This was to mark 150 years since the start of the Civil War.
The Prequel: Gods and Generals
A prequel movie called Gods and Generals was released in 2003. It is based on a 1996 book by Jeff Shaara, who is Michael Shaara's son. Ronald F. Maxwell also wrote and directed this film.
Many actors from Gettysburg returned for the prequel. These included Jeff Daniels as Joshua Chamberlain and Kevin Conway as Buster Kilrain. Stephen Lang, who played George Pickett in Gettysburg, played Stonewall Jackson in the prequel. Robert Duvall took over the role of Robert E. Lee.
The prequel did not do as well as Gettysburg. It received mixed reviews and did not make much money compared to its cost.
