iluvhuey

Fans of the late John Ritter, as well as fans of good television in general, would be well advised to check this film out, particularly as it is now fairly easy to find on DVD. The movie focuses on the story of a VA caseworker (Alfre Woodard, in a terrific performance) who champions the cause of a Vietnam vet (Ritter) stricken with cancer caused by Agent Orange. Ritter's performance is totally believable and has not been overpraised. (Hard to believe that four years after this movie aired, Ritter was doing movies like PROBLEM CHILD.) Where he and Woodard are concerned, actors have won Oscars for far lesser work. And catch Woodard in a great role before she began getting typecast as sanctimonious authority figures. Highly recommended - and what with the current world events, this film is just as relevant as ever.

This truly is one of the most beautiful movies ever made, and is one of my top 10 favorite of all time. It's also very clever, but never flaunts its cleverness. Roger Ebert called it "the best and bravest movie of 1957" and that's a great description. Julianne Moore, Dennis Haysbert and especially Dennis Quaid are excellent. (Dennis Quaid was robbed of a much deserved Oscar, in my opinion.) And the actress who played Eleanor, Cathy's friend, also should have been honored for Best Supporting Actress. The score by Elmer Bernstein is perfect; no one else could have scored this movie in my opinion. Sorry to sound like the back of a DVD box, but I thought this movie was sorely overlooked at Oscar time.