I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack. Be afraid. Be very afraid....
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack. Be afraid. Be very afraid....
Member since:22.02.2001
Reviews:166
Members who trust:29
I've watched films about America's involvement in the Vietnam war before, but this isn't told in Vietnam, it's told in America. There's no blood and guts. The horrors are there for all to see, but they aren't shoved up in your face in terms of plastic blood and special effects.
****** Jane Fonda plays the wife (Sally Hinde) of a newly promoted major in the American Marines, played by Bruce Dern (Bob Hinde). Sally's the model partner, who loves, and is proud of, her husband and his job. Bob's champing at the bit to get out there and do his stuff, alongside his good friend 'Dink'. Now. Dink's girlfriend is Vi and she meets up with Sally when they're both waving their loved ones off to war, and the two strike up what seems to be an unlikely friendship at first.
Getting bored with sitting around all day, Sally takes a voluntary job at the local Vietnam Veteran's hospital. There she meets someone she went to school with, except this time, Jon Voight (Luke Martin), is a paralysed, bitter, mostly drunken man who rails at his life.
Her friendship with Vi gradually grows and Sally is introduced to Vi's brother, also a victim of the war, who is now mentally unbalanced by what he's been involved with.
(At this point in the plot, I have to leave you. Not because I want to be cruel, but you have to see this film for yourself, and I can't bear people who give endings away). ******
The acting from each and every person in this film is sublime, and the fact that the film respects the anti-war subject by, apart from the main actors, using real sufferers from the war, not people pretending they've been shot up, crippled, blinded, paralysed or whatever, these are the real people, with their real problems, sometimes taking over the film with clearly unscripted discussions and remarks. It's so good you almost feel like the fly upon the wall. You cannot help but be absorbed by the kind of treatment that this film gets, this is their story and it's handled with total sensitivity and respect for that very fact.
I would like to say further that this has probably one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard. Obviously being set in the 60's we have tracks like Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit", Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild", Rolling Stone's "Out Of Time", The Beatles "Strawberry Fields Forever", Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth", Jimi Hendrix "Manic Depression", Aretha Franklin "Save Me" playing throughout the film. The matching of tracks to scenes is done with skill and never stands out as anything other than sympathetic.
This film is thought-provoking, sad, respectful, moving, romantic, blunt, eye-opening, honest, brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, and just about the damned finest Anti-Vietnam film to ever come out of Hollywood.
There's nothing schmaltzy, sensationalistic nor over-sentimental about this film, and Jon Voight's acting skills were honoured with the Oscar for Best Actor. Which is excellent, but they should have handed Oscars to EVERYONE in the film.
It's beyond any adjective I can lamely tag on to get the idea across that this is really and truly a great, g r e a t film.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Haven't seen this in many years I had forgot what a good film it was
Salgirl 27.02.2001 23:53
This is definitely a must see film. I've not seen it for sale on video recently, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed because my original copy is wearing out!!
alflavor 27.02.2001 23:33
Good review, sounds like a cracking film. Its now on my list of "must sees"
Both Jane Fonda and Jon Voight won Oscars for their performances inComing Home, a ... more
profoundly moving 1978 flick dealing with the aftereffects of the Vietnam War. Fonda, feeling isolated while her hawkish husband (Bruce Dern) is away in Vietnam, follows ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
When Maine Captain Bob Hyde leaves for Vietnam, his wife Sally volunteers at a local ... more
hospital. there she meets Luke Martin, a former sergeant whose war injury has left him a paraplegic. Embittered with rage and filled with frustration, Luke finds new h...
Both Jane Fonda and Jon Voight won Oscars for their performances inComing Home, a ... more
profoundly moving 1978 flick dealing with the aftereffects of the Vietnam War. Fonda, feeling isolated while her hawkish husband (Bruce Dern) is away in Vietnam, follows ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
When Sally Hyde's (Jane Fonda) husband marine captain Bob Hyde (Bruce Dern) is sent to ... more
Vietnam she leaves the isolated world of the officer's quarters and begins volunteer social work at the veterans hospital. There her unthinking support of the wa...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: classic animation, well written story, gentle humour Disadvantages: dialogue and themes aimed at the over 8's but nothing unsuitable for younger viewers
![Coming Home [DVD] [1978]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78500390.jpg "Coming Home [DVD] [1978]")
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