Movies - Renaissance Man

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	Movies - Renaissance Man

This article is about the 1994 film. For other uses of the term Renaissance man, see the polymath article.

Renaissance Man aka Army Intelligence is the title of a 1994 movie starring Danny DeVito. The film was written by Jim Burnstein and directed by Penny Marshall.

Plot

Danny DeVito plays Bill Rago, a divorced advertising executive down on his luck. When he loses his job in Detroit, the unemployment agency finds him a temporary job; teaching in the U.S. Army training base, Fort McClane.

Initially unenthusiastic about this assignment, Rago finds that he has only six weeks to teach a group of "squeakers", who are especially low achievers, the basics of comprehension and use of English language. Most of the soldiers are only semi-literate and equally unenthusiastic.

Unable to connect with his pupils and desperate to spark their interest, Rago quotes from his favorite play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, which they have never heard of. A small initial spark of interest is generated.

Rago further introduces them to Henry V, which generates further interest. Despite the disapproval of their hard-as-nails Drill Sergeant Cass, and the loss of one of the trainees, revealed as a drug dealer hiding under an assumed identity, he sets them an end-of-term examination, which Cass doesn't expect them to pass - but they do.

The climax comes as one of the soldiers proudly gives Cass the "Saint Crispin's Day" speech by King Henry V while in full combat gear in the middle of the rain at a night exercise. Rago realises that he has finally achieved success.

Rago also does some investigation, as a result of which one of the soldiers is awarded the medal his father was to have been given posthumously after he was killed on duty in Vietnam.

As the proud soldiers march at their passing-our parade, Rago signs on for a further period of teaching soldiers-in-training.

The title "Renaissance Man" refers to Leone Battista Alberti (14 February 1404 – 25th April 1472), an Italian painter, poet, linguist, philosopher and cryptographer, who Rago greatly admires.

The scenes at the fictional "Fort McClane" were actually filmed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Primary Cast of Characters

Danny DeVito
.... Bill Rago
Gregory Hines
.... Sergeant Cass
James Remar
.... Captain Tom Murdoch
Ed Begley Jr. .... Jack Markin
Lillo Brancato Jr.
.... Pvt. Donnie Benitez
Stacey Dash
.... Pvt. Miranda Myers
Kadeem Hardison
.... Pvt. Jamaal Montgomery
Richard T. Jones
.... Pvt. Jackson Leroy
Khalil Kain
.... Pvt. Roosevelt (Nathaniel) Hobbs
Peter Simmons .... Pvt. Brian Davis, Jr.
Gregory Sporleder .... Pvt. Melvin Melvin
Mark Wahlberg
.... Pvt. Tommy Lee Haywood
Cliff Robertson
.... Colonel James
Ben Wright .... Private Oswald
Ann Cusack
.... Bill's Secretary

Quote

Drill Sergeant Cass: If it ain't raining, we ain't training!

External Link

Category:1994 films Category:Films directed by Penny Marshall Category:Shakespeare on film

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Renaissance Man ]

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