This is a TV movie about the aftermath of Vietnam that begins on a shocking manner. A handsome young man (Eric Roberts) is on an airplane and a pretty young woman strikes up a conversation with him. When she finds out that he's returning from Vietnam, she arranges to move to another seat. It's obvious that Robert is going to have a hard time adjusting, especially when he runs into someone who came on to his platoon as he was leaving and finds out one of his buddies was one of the last casualties while they were getting off of a helicopter.
This obviously sets Roberts back on his determination to be psychologically cured, and when he joins a support group of veterans, he finds himself ridiculed for wanting a memorial, rather than the focus on continued benefits. That only gets Roberts going even more, finding support by a civil rights lawyer and his girlfriend, Glynnis O'Connor. The issues of getting the memorial off the ground impacts his work and home life, but sympathetic boss Brock Peters comes around too for support.
It's historically ironic to discover that one of the politicians involved in the memorial would be future presidential candidate Ross Perot, challenging the memorial in a very pedestrian way. Lots of idiotic red tape stands in the way so it's a miracle that anything is accomplished, especially since politicians against the memorial only have a one dimensional view of the purpose. A great ensemble of very familiar character actors rounds out the cast, but it's Roberts, the script and the way this deals with all the issues that makes this surprisingly good. Ultimately, this isn't about memorializing Vietnam, but the Americans who went over against their will and never came back, making it a continued reminder of the ongoing fight for freedom.
This obviously sets Roberts back on his determination to be psychologically cured, and when he joins a support group of veterans, he finds himself ridiculed for wanting a memorial, rather than the focus on continued benefits. That only gets Roberts going even more, finding support by a civil rights lawyer and his girlfriend, Glynnis O'Connor. The issues of getting the memorial off the ground impacts his work and home life, but sympathetic boss Brock Peters comes around too for support.
It's historically ironic to discover that one of the politicians involved in the memorial would be future presidential candidate Ross Perot, challenging the memorial in a very pedestrian way. Lots of idiotic red tape stands in the way so it's a miracle that anything is accomplished, especially since politicians against the memorial only have a one dimensional view of the purpose. A great ensemble of very familiar character actors rounds out the cast, but it's Roberts, the script and the way this deals with all the issues that makes this surprisingly good. Ultimately, this isn't about memorializing Vietnam, but the Americans who went over against their will and never came back, making it a continued reminder of the ongoing fight for freedom.