I can't believe that IMDb considers this film to be one of actor John Lithgow's "misfires" (how they can lump it into the same category as SANTA CLAUS: THE MOVIE is just plain baffling). Sure, this isn't a great movie, but it is a good one with many heartfelt moments between the father/son characters played by Lithgow and Ralph Macchio (who proved that he could have been more than just the Karate Kid if the Hollywood System had just given him the chance). This is not a Hollywood movie; rather, it is an independent film that was made in Canada in 1988. Rather than be as overlooked as it was, it should have netted a Best Actor Oscar nomination for John Lithgow, who plays completely against type here. He plays a grizzled Vietnam vet, and speaks with a masculine growl throughout the film; he doesn't sound anything like himself here. It's worth seeing for John Lithgow's performance alone!
Review of Distant Thunder
