Gardens of Stone is the second film Francis Ford Coppola has made about the Vietnam War, after 1979's Apocalypse Now. This movie is unfairly compared to Apocalypse Now, but the films are totally different. This film focuses more on the home front and the feelings Americans felt about the war. In that regard, the film hits a powerful chord. The film is also a romance film and I liked the main romance between the sergeant and the reporter, but the romance played between the two kids seem a tad underdeveloped.Coppola's film is about a battle-hardened sergeant who is an opponent of the Vietnam War and is desired to save the lives of soldiers sent abroad, but is continuously denied doing so. He decides to help the son of an old war friend while beginning a romance with a reporter who is in clear opposition from the war.The acting is admittedly great. James Caan is a solid actor who established a nice career and he was excellent here and gave some emotional speeches. He shared nice chemistry with Anjelica Huston, who played the reporter. James Earl Jones is as always excellent as Caan's best friend. D.B Sweeney was solid in his role, but I felt Mary Stuart Masteron's character could have been a little more developed.Overall, Gardens of Stone is a solid movie about the Vietnam War and the conflict it brought to the home front. Was the romance necessary for the film? Probably not, but it was a good addition to the story. In short, there was lots of opposition to the war as many soldiers paid with their lives for no apparent reason. This movie should not be compared with Apocalypse Now because they are two completely different movies. This is a good film with some powerful scenes, but it does not quite reach it's full potential. I rate this film 8/10.

Not anywhere near Coppola's best, but not bad. Mostly a movie on how war affects those at home, especially during times of tragedy, and the relationships involved. Quite moving, especially towards the end.However, not flawless, not by any measure. Francis Ford Coppola, who gave us three of the greatest movies in history - Apocalypse Now, The Godfather and The Godfather II - plus the excellent The Conversation, is not in his best form here. (In fact, the only time he was in form was in the 70s...). The plot drifts, whole scenes are there for no reason other than padding, there are continuity issues, and the point seems a bit murky at times. Also, the first scene spoils the movie, to an extent, in that it gives away the ending. Remove the first scene and the movie would have been more impactful.Mixed performances. DB Sweeney is a bit weak and unconvincing in the lead role. Best performances come from the old hands - James Caan and James Earl Jones - who give the movie gravitas and feeling.Anjelica Huston is unconvincing and touch irritating in her role.Interesting to see that real-life father and daughter Peter Masterson and Mary Stuart Masterson play father and daughter in the movie.Worth watching for Francis Ford Coppola fans but not a must-see otherwise.

In the late 60s, during the Vietnam War, the idealistic soldier Jackie Willow (D.B. Sweeney) arrives at Fort Meyer expecting to go to the Academy and then to the Vietnam War. Jackie is the son of a veteran sergeant and soon he becomes the protégé of the former friends of his father, Sergeant Clell Hazard (James Caan) and Sergeant Major 'Goody' Nelson (James Earl Jones).Jackie is promoted and gets married with his childhood friend Rachel Feld (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Hazard and Goody convince their superior, Captain Homer Thomas (Dean Stockwell), to recommend Jackie to the Academy. He is promoted to lieutenant and asks to go to the Vietnam, returning to the Arlington National Cemetery."Gardens of Stone" is another movie by Francis Coppola (without Ford) about the military life and the prize of the Vietnam War, after one of his masterpieces, "Apocalypse Now". The cinematography is magnificent and the cast is top-notch, and it is so good to see the actors, like James Caan, James Earl Jones and Dean Stockwell still young and actresses, like Anjelica Huston and Mary Stuart Masterson, charming and beautiful. The dramatic story has a theme certainly important for Americans and for fans of movies about military life. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Jardins de Pedra" ("Gardens of Stone")

This is a very underrated movie and belongs up there with some of Francis Ford Coppola's best movies. The movie has a great cast that includes James Caan, Anjelica Huston, James Earl Jones, Dean Stockwell and several more people. Caan plays a solider who fought in Korea and Vietnam but is now in charge of Arlington national Cemetery and wants to train young soldiers going into Vietnam but is turned down. Huston is Caan's girlfriend and Jones is his friend who fought with him in Vietnam and now serves with him. Stockwell is the man in charge and D.B. Sweeney is a young soldier who can't wait to get to Vietnam. It's a really great movie that is one of Coppola's best films.