Men of Honor
A determined Black sailor battles racist Navy regulations and an antagonistic trainer to earn his place as an elite diver.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- serious
- determined
- turbulent
- inspirational movie night
- historical drama evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the conventional inspirational biopic watchable because of the intense performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert De Niro.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story follows real Navy diver Carl Brashear's pursuit of professional distinction despite racism and repeated setbacks.
Leslie Sunday is introduced as an embittered trainer determined to make Brashear fail, while their relationship becomes central to the story.
Brashear seeks to become the first African American Navy Diver during a period when racism is explicitly described as rife.
The film presents turbulence, failure, and triumph through a classic inspirational biographical formula.
Films like Men of Honor, and why
The Great Debaters
shared biographical drama structure, institutional racism, perseverance, and inspirational overcoming of entrenched barriers
42
shared old-fashioned inspirational biopic tone, racial discrimination themes, and determined protagonist challenging an exclusionary institution
An Officer and a Gentleman
shared military drama setting, demanding mentorship, personal discipline, and serious themes of honor and resilience
Hidden Figures
shared biographical drama treatment of Black achievement, systemic racism, and triumphant perseverance
Movie Details
- Director
- George Tillman Jr.
- Release Date
- 2000-09-13
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (2593)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Charlize Theron
- Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
- Hal Holbrook
- Michael Rapaport
- Powers Boothe
- David Keith
- Dulé Hill
- Holt McCallany
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Men of Honor about?
- A determined Black sailor battles racist Navy regulations and an antagonistic trainer to earn his place as an elite diver.
- What is Men of Honor like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Men of Honor as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Men of Honor violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Men of Honor as moderate.
- What did critics think of Men of Honor?
- Critics broadly found the conventional inspirational biopic watchable because of the intense performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert De Niro.
- Which films are like Men of Honor?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Debaters, 42, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Hidden Figures.
- How long is Men of Honor?
- Men of Honor runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch Men of Honor?
- In United States, Men of Honor streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
