''Annapolis'' is a 2006 American
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
Justin Lin
Justin Lin (, born October 11, 1971) is a Taiwanese Americans, Taiwanese-American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. His films have grossed over $3 billion USD worldwide . He is best known for his directorial work on ...
and starring
James Franco
James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has starred in numerous films, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002 film series), ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007), ''Milk (2008 American film), Milk'' (200 ...
,
Tyrese Gibson,
Jordana Brewster,
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, actor and producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has starred in the TV drama series ''Blue Bloods (TV series), Blue Bloo ...
,
Roger Fan, and
Chi McBride
Kenneth "Chi" McBride ( ; born September 23, 1961) is an American actor. He has appeared in films, where he is known primarily as a character actor, and in television, where he has had numerous starring roles.
In film, he has played prominent ro ...
.
The film revolves around Jake Huard, a young man who attends the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
in
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
.
It was released January 27, 2006, in the United States. The film grossed $17 million against its $26 million budget and received negative reviews from critics.
Plot
Jake Huard wakes up after being knocked down during a boxing match. After beating his opponent, he returns to the home he shares with his distant father, who is also his employer at a naval shipyard, building vessels for the
Navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
and doubts Jake's ability to amount to anything.
Huard is visited by
Lieutenant Commander Burton, telling Jake that his application to the
U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
has been recently accepted. At a bar where Huard and his friends are celebrating, his friends introduce him to a young woman named Ali, whom they claim is a
prostitute
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...
hired as a going-away present. Huard's attempts to seduce Ali are unsuccessful, and his farewell with his father leaves him frustrated.
On his first day at the academy, Huard discovers that one of his instructors Ali, a
Midshipman 2nd Class (an
upperclassman), is the same woman that his friends introduced him to. She and her fellow instructor, Whitaker, begin
hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
Huard's class of
plebes. The strain of the program causes Huard to fall to the bottom of the class academically. Their
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
commander, Midshipman Lieutenant Cole, had been an enlisted
Marine prior to joining the academy, and he announces his intent to run out any midshipman he deems unfit to be an officer. Huard's roommates include overweight Nance (nicknamed Twins), Loo, and Estrada, who is being singled out by Whitaker because of his ethnicity.
Estrada is ordered to cleanse himself of a perceived stench. Although unable to do so, he nonetheless reports he completed the task. Loo informs Cole of Estrada's dishonor, and Estrada is processed out of the Naval Academy. Meanwhile, Huard's class becomes increasingly frustrated from suffering due to his failures, as evidenced by Loo moving out of the room. Nance explains his refusal to leave by noting that the instructors are so focused on Huard that they are leaving him alone. While home on winter leave, Huard intends not to return until he discovers that his father made a wager, expecting Huard to fail. Upon his return, the class begins instruction in
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
, and it is announced that a midshipman tournament, the Brigades, will occur at the end of the year. After Huard angers the boxing instructor with some
unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct (also called untrustworthy behaviour, ungentlemanly fraudulent, bad sportsmanship, poor sportsmanship or anti fair-play) is a foul or offense in many sports that violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmans ...
toward Cole in the ring, he is forced to train by himself.
During an after-hours match with Burton, Huard swallows his pride and admits he needs help training, enlisting Ali and Burton for physical training, and Nance to gain enough weight to be in Cole's
weight class
Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. Weight classes are used in a variety of sports including Rowing (sport), rowing, Weightlifting#Weightlifting sports, weight lifting, and especi ...
. In his match with Loo, he endures some taunting and returns with a single-punch
knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
, earning him Loo's respect and support. Huard also begins to excel in his classes, gaining respect with the rest of his class when he proves capable of performing academically. During the tournament, Jake progresses and defeats Whitaker in the semifinals, leaving him and Cole for the final match.
After Nance fails by just four seconds to successfully complete the obstacle course, Cole informs Nance that he will be kicked out from the academy. Nance attempts
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
, prompting Huard to tackle Cole in anger. Expecting to be kicked out as well, Huard begins to pack up and leave, until Cole approaches him and informs him that his discplinary hearing will take place after the final Brigades match. After some encouragement from the recovering Nance, Huard steps into the ring to fight Cole, lasting a full three rounds. Although Cole wins
by decision, Huard's boxing ability earns him the respect of the entire Academy, as well as his father, who has come to see the fight.
At his hearing, the disciplinary board decides to retain Huard, based on Cole's recommendation. The Class of 2008 celebrates the end of their Plebe year, while Huard and Ali finally express their mutual attraction openly. Huard approaches newly-
commissioned Second Lieutenant Cole to ask who would have won if the fight had continued, to which Cole challenges Huard to join the Marines to find out.
Cast
Music
A score album
Brian Tyler was released, January 24, 2006.
; Other music used in the film:
* "Nowhere Ride" -
The Chelsea Smiles
* "
More Human than Human" -
White Zombie
* "When I'm Gone" -
No Address
* "
Just Stop" -
Disturbed
* "
Different Stars" -
Trespassers William
* "
Somersault
A somersault (also ''flip'', ''heli'', and in gymnastics ''salto'') is an acrobatics, acrobatic exercise in which a person's body Rotation#Sports, rotates 360° around a horizontal axis with the feet passing over the Human head, head. A somersau ...
" -
Zero 7
* "
Born Too Slow" -
The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method is an American electronic music act formed in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada, by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in 1993. They were pioneers of the big beat genre and their music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, v ...
* "
Hero of the Day" -
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
* "Start Something" -
Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets or LOSTPROPHETS) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The group was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruit ...
Reception
Box office
''Annapolis'' grossed $17.5 million worldwide.
It made $7.7 million in its opening weekend, finishing fourth, then $3.4 million and $1.4 million in the following weekends.
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
the film has an approval rating of 10% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Stocked with leading men who look the part but lacking an iota of original plot, ''Annapolis'' is merely a watery shadow of superior seafaring military dramas." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
the film has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data.
Background
Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Brian Lowry of ''
Variety'' wrote: "James Franco and Tyrese Gibson scowl and strut and should make the hearts of teenage girls all atwitter, and that's about the only audience that won't see most of the punches telegraphed well in advance."
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' gave the film 1.5 out of 4, and wrote: "It is the anti-Sundance film, an exhausted wheeze of bankrupt cliches and cardboard characters, the kind of film that has no visible reason for existing, except that everybody got paid."
Navy response
Upon reviewing the script, the
Chief of Naval Information
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chief of the boat ...
commented:
This picture was made without the support of the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...
... the story depicted in the script did not accurately portray the Academy, its standards for training, and its methods of shaping midshipmen mentally, morally and physically for service in the U.S. Navy. Based on this, the producers were not allowed further access to the Academy grounds or provided with any other support for the filming.
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.
Due to the lack of access to Annapolis Naval Academy, filming took place in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
at
Girard College and at the decommissioned
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and at the
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equi ...
, UK. A similar film 23 years earlier ''The Lords of Discipline'', was also filmed in the UK as no military academy in the US permitted filming due to considering that film's script also was substantially unlike the actual institutes.
See also
*
List of boxing films
This is a list of films about boxing featuring notable sports films where boxing plays a central role in the development of the plot.
__TOC__
List
See also
* List of sports films
* List of highest-grossing sports films
References
{{Spo ...
References
External links
Official ''Annapolis'' DVD site
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Annapolis (Film)
2006 films
2006 drama films
American drama films
2000s English-language films
Films scored by Brian Tyler
Films directed by Justin Lin
Films set in 2007
Films set in 2008
Films set in Maryland
Films shot in the United Kingdom
Films shot in New Jersey
Films shot in Pennsylvania
Touchstone Pictures films
Films about the United States Marine Corps
Films about the United States Navy
United States Naval Academy
2000s American films
Annapolis, Maryland in fiction