Annapolis - struggle for recognition
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Annapolis - struggle for recognition |
| Original title | Annapolis |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2006 |
| length | 108 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Justin Lin |
| script | David Collard |
| production |
Damien Saccani Mark Vahradian |
| music | Brian Tyler |
| camera | Phil Abraham |
| cut | Fred Raskin |
| occupation | |
| |
Annapolis: Fight For Recognition is a 2006 American military drama . It is about a young man who dreams of becoming a naval officer at the US Naval Academy Annapolis, Maryland, in order to gain approval from friends and family. The budget for the film is estimated at $ 26 million.
action
The film begins with a sequence in which the main character Jake Huard lies on the floor of a boxing ring. He was knocked to the ground in a boxing match with AJ, a close friend and work colleague, but manages to get back on his feet before the count. Spectators who have placed bets on the outcome of the boxing match swap their bets early because they no longer believe that Jake will win. His father advises him to hold back first so as not to be knocked out directly. Jake, on the other hand, takes a hasty attack against AJ and has to take more hits. At the end of the fight Huard still manages the knockout blow against AJ, which he decides the fight for himself. The prematurely exchanged bets will be exchanged back.
Jake has lived alone with his father, Bill Huard, in Annapolis, Maryland, since his mother's death. He has a difficult relationship with him: Bill, who does not believe in his son's abilities and therefore patronizes and criticizes him at every opportunity, is also Jake's employer. Jake works as a welder in the shipyard that builds warships for the US Navy. He doesn't like the work. His only compensation is boxing, which he puts all the more in the middle of his life.
In his childhood he promised his mother that he would join the US Navy, which he still dreams of today. In order to gain his father's approval, he decides to make his dream a reality and applies for the tough and rigorous selection process of the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
The day after the boxing match, US Naval Academy Training Director, Lieutenant Commander Burton, visits Jake Huard at the shipyard. He asked Huard about his letter of recommendation that a member of Congress had given him despite below-average degrees. It turns out that Huard had to approach the congressman 34 times before he was finally accommodated. In spite of all this, Burton, who attended Huard's knockout victory yesterday as a spectator, handed him the admission papers for a replacement place at the academy.
In the evening Jake celebrates his farewell with some friends in the bar "Sir Frankie's". Before Jake decides to leave, AJ claims that the coworkers pooled money to give him a night with a prostitute as a gift. Jake, who initially blocks himself, finally joins the supposed prostitute at the bar and asks her about her trade. When the woman, who introduces herself as Ali, reacts irritated, Jake notices the bad joke and tries to defuse the situation with a flirt, but in vain. When Jake turns away for a moment, Ali has disappeared from the bar in the crowd.
The following day, Bill Huard, who is not very enthusiastic about Jake's plans and doubts his ability to obey, brings his son to the naval academy. Jake's unit has just started work and has to do sports. There he meets Ali again, but this time in her role as Midshipman 2nd Class and superior as well as the Unit Head Midshipman 1st Class and former Marine Matthew Cole. The latter in particular underpins his authority with drill and harassment and makes it clear not to let anyone pass the training who, in his eyes, is not sufficiently qualified to be worthy of the Naval Academy. During the subsequent completion of the obstacle course, which Huard passed with praise, Jake's room mate Nance was noticed negatively for the first time because he was the only one in the unit to fail due to obstacles. Whitaker, also a trainer of the unit, gives him the nickname "Twins", with which he has been addressed ever since. Unlike Jake, Nance has athletic deficits, but can convince with technical knowledge. Huard falls out of favor with Cole in several exercises because he was unable to prepare like the other applicants due to the short-term admission. Only in boxing training does Jake belong to the average of the unit.
When Nance is caught with sweets that are banned in the academy, Jake defies an instructor's order for the first time, making himself the black sheep of the unit with the superiors and is now increasingly harassed. He resists the help of other comrades because he is of the opinion that he will be able to complete the training himself and without tutelage. He delivers more power struggles, especially with Cole, which is why he increasingly loses reputation in his unit.
Over time, Jake witnesses comrades being expelled from the academy for relatively minor misconduct. Despite this, Huard's behavior towards the competitors and the team of instructors does not change.
When one day Cole makes himself available as an opponent in boxing class, Jake decides to get back at him in the boxing ring, but is defeated by Cole without a chance. To relieve his frustration, he goes after Cole when he wanted to leave the ring and is therefore excluded from boxing lessons.
During the semester break, Jake visits his former colleagues at the shipyard. There he learns that these bets have been placed on his length of stay at the academy. Because his father doesn't believe in his plans either and has therefore kept his old job as a welder free, Huard is motivated to continue his training. Disappointed with friends and his father, he spends most of the rest of the time at "Sir Frankie's". There he meets Ali again, with whom he flirts and dances. The next day he started his service slightly late and was summoned to Cole in the memoriam hall. There Cole makes it clear that he doesn't consider Huard good enough. To expose Huard, he sets community punishments for Huard's mistakes, which is why the last comrades in the unit turn away from him, except for Nance, who can empathize with Huard's situation and becomes his only and best friend at the academy. While Huard helps Nance prepare for the obstacle course, Nance gives him tips on how to learn more successfully. With this, Huard hopes to be able to control at least some harassment.
Despite being banned from boxing classes, Jake wants to take part in the brigade championships, which are open to every academician without exception. His goal is to box against Cole in the final fight. So he trains at night and is surprised by Lieutenant Commander Burton. Without further ado, he challenges him to a training fight. During a conversation, it emerges that Burton campaigned for Huard's bid. He recommends that Jake seek help from others. Jake, on the other hand, remains true to his line at first and refuses any support, before he asks Ali for help the next day to prepare for the championship. Since then, Jake has been training with Burton and Ali on his fitness and boxing technique to have a chance against Cole. Thanks to Nance's help, he is gradually making progress both in the field of sports and in matters of mental and technical education. Nance gives Jake candy to put him in the same weight class as Cole and every day Jake gets closer to his goal - a fight with Cole.
In the first rounds of the championship the hard training pays off and Jake reaches the final fight with Cole with two knockout wins against Loo and Whitaker.
When he visits the shipyard with the entire unit to inspect a new warship, he meets his father Bill. In a conversation, both strike conciliatory tones and Jake invites Bill to a championship match against Cole.
Meanwhile, Nance suffers a serious setback: although he runs through the obstacle course completely, he fails with four seconds at the time limit. The consequence is the end of training and the loss of his place at the academy. Although Nance narrowly failed, Cole remains adamant and does not allow him to try again. In addition to the disappointment, Nance is plagued by fears of the reactions of his then proud family and friends. He feels like a failure and therefore rushes out the window of the quarter. Because of this, Jake assaults Cole because he blames him for the suicide attempt. After several days in intensive care and uncertain his chances of recovery and survival, it turns out that Nance will survive.
Because Cole does not want to get rid of his final competitor by being kicked out of the Academy prematurely, he asks the disciplinary committee for a hearing after the final fight. Although Jake initially doesn't want to compete anymore, Nance convinces him in the hospital not to discard his goal, so that Jake finally fights.
All the people who are important to Jake showed up for the final fight: AJ, Nance, Burton, Ali and his father Bill. The fight starts badly for Jake. Cole is far superior to him, so that Jake even goes down twice in the meantime. Only in the last lap does Huard get better into the fight and finish it as a superior. Nonetheless, Cole was able to convince the judges and win the championship. Still, Jake is by no means disappointed. Rather, he feels the recognition given to him for his performance when all the spectators, including his comrades and his father, shout Jake's name.
When the Disciplinary Committee announced its decision about Huard's future in the Navy, it was informed that Cole of all people was campaigning for Huard to stay at the Academy. Although he has to cope with disciplinary requirements, he is allowed to stay at the Naval Academy.
After a year of training, Huard and the other applicants are promoted for the first time. Since Ali is no longer his superior, nothing stands in the way of the relationship that has developed steadily since the first meeting. When Jake sees Midshipman Cole going to a bus picking him up on a Marines overseas assignment, Huard wants to thank the disciplinary committee for his help. Cole replies that his behavior only served the academy and had nothing to do with Jake's person. They salute each other respectfully, before Jake jokingly asks how the fight would have ended if it had lasted one more round. Cole replies that the only way he can get the answer is if he joins him and the Marines.
criticism
The lexicon of international film judged that the film was oozing "with patriotism". The production recycles “the material of the film An Officer and a Gentleman” without, however, nearly “reaching its emotional density”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annapolis - Fight for Recognition on imdb.com, accessed August 27, 2015.
- ↑ Annapolis - Struggle for Recognition. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .