December (1991)

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In December of 1941, five teenage boys at a New England prep school hear the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and realize their lives are going to be changed forever. Released in 1991.

Movie Overview
"December" is a popular drama film released in 1991. Directed by Gabe Torres and composed by Matt Salinger, the movie adopts a story that follows the lives and decisions of 5 prep school trainees as they come to grips with the truths of the international confrontation happening during the notorious Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941.

Plot Summary
The movie takes place completely over a span of 24 hours. This is the day after the stunning attack on Pearl Harbor, a historical event that brought the United States into battling in World War II. The five primary characters, prep school students Tim Mitchell (Wil Wheaton), Kipp Gibbs (Chris Young), Stuart Caniglia (Josh Hammond), John Roberts (Jason London), and "Muffler" Naslund (Brian Krause), all need to challenge the question of whether they ought to get in the military to eliminate in the war.

Their immersion into this dilemma acts as the main facility and crisis of the entire movie. The sensations towards enlistment differ among the kids. Caniglia is gung-ho to get, resonating with a strong sense of patriotism and task. However, Naslund, a Swedish foreign student, becomes a pacifist due to his neutral childhood. The remainder of the good friends discover themselves oscillating someplace in between these two extremes.

Character Arcs and Themes of the Film
"December" checks out the internal and group disputes that the boys experience due to their plain contrasting views. It bears witness to the essence of friendship and raises crucial questions about loyalty, honor, and sacrifice during critical times. The thriller in the story primarily focuses on the question of whether the young boys will preserve their unity or split since of their varying perspectives on the war.

The climax of the narrative unfurls when the kids decide to collaborate and enlist. Their choice is viewed as an extensive declaration of unity, affirming to the strength of their friendship. Nevertheless, this option includes the weighty awareness of the possible costs. The characters face the awareness that they may never see each other once again, plunging the state of mind of the narrative into a deep melancholy.

Reception and Analysis
Despite its compelling story, "December" stopped working to impress both its audiences and critics. While the film attempted to look into the psychological and mental landscapes of teenagers confronted with possibly life-altering choices, it was slammed for its slow speed and lack of action. There is an undeniable undercurrent of profound feeling and remarkable stress, but the film seems to lose strength due to its restrictive setting and absence of concrete action.

Conclusion
All in all, "December" paints an image of the individual costs and troubled emotions challenged by regular individuals during war times. Its powerful yet divided representation of decision-making and relationship versus the backdrop of war may not strike every audience with the exact same intensity, but it unquestionably establishes its stance as a movie that questions the essence of youth, relationship, and intricate concepts of duty and honor.

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