Distant Thunder

It was the 1980s and America (and countries like Australia who sent troops to Vietnam) were obsessed with the lives of Vietnam Veterans.

John Lithgow plays Jack, a vet who eeks out an existence in a bush camp. When his friend decides to kiss a train he thinks it is time for him to try life in the real world again.

Char yes is a lovely woman who helps him and encourages him to get in contact with his lost son, but unfortunately her boyfriend does like Jack and he heads back into the bush.

I don't really blame him when his son turns out to be Ralph Macchio (of Karate Kid fame). Still this movie has a heart, but the characters lack depth, which is not made up for by cheesy dialog.

I watched this movie because I read good reviews about it in this website.

I would say watch this with hamburger hill to get a good, but superficial look at the lives of Vietnam Vets, both in country and back home (also some of the language and phrases used in Distant thunder, such as "it don't mean nothing" make more sense after seeing Hamburger Hill).

But please don't expect too much of a humble little drama like this and you will enjoy it.

Most of the Vietnam Vets I know are not crazy; however, that would not be good marketing for Hollywood films if they were normally portrayed as being.......normal. This film is entertaining (which is what movies are supposed to do), but it is not very enlightening for those who want to understand Vietnam Vets better. Vietnam Vets are just like any other people. They are like WW 2 vets, Korean War vets, Iraq War vets and Afghanistan War vets. We are all the same. We have wives and girlfriends, sons and daughters, functional families and dysfunctional families, have bills, educations, jobs, and go on with our lives, just like all the other Vets did. Lithgow does a very nice job, and Macchio makes a very nice Valedictorian, but the vast majority of Vietnam vets and their families are not like that. They have the same problems everyone else has; money, jobs, family relations and diet. Those things are just not exciting enough for Hollywood, so they make these kind of films to exploit the Vietnam Vet stereotype. Too bad. It might be interesting some time to see the life of a normal Vietnam vet portrayed on a Hollywood screen sometime..

This movie was really good, and yet nobody has ever heard of it. John Lithgow gave a great performance as a disturbed bush-vet, and Ralph Macchio also gave an exceptional performance as his son. At first I thought that this was going to be stupid because Lithgow wouldn't be able to pull off a dramatic roll, since he is so funny in 3rd Rock, but I was proven wrong! He did a great job. The only problem I had was the stories of why the other two bush-vets were there, it barley explained Harvey and it didn't explain Mark's other "Amigo" (if you haven't seen it, that's what they call each-other); other than that, it was great!

It's ashame that Lithgow's next movies were him playing a snooty British accent (thank God he found 3rd Rock!). 8/10

Now this is a brilliant saga of a father-son rivalry in an emotional and atmospheric drama set within the backdrops of the post-Vietnam war. I remember watching this film during the year when it was just out and for some reason it couldn't let go off my mind. John Lithgow and Ralph Macchio plays two opposite characters of a disturbed father and a lost son relationship which blends to an utmost perfect chemistry and with the slick and tight direction of Rick Rosenthal,(I wonder why is he doing only materials for TV nowdays) the film delivers some outstanding cinematography and manages to grip you until the powerful climax. Even though you are not fond of humanity dramas, this movie would still please you as you watch John Lithgow's Oscar-caliber performance and the message of Peace implicitly.I enjoyed it on the whole and I am glad its out on DVD!

Distant Thunder is an overlooked but impressive film. John Lithgow gives an oscar worthy performance and the cinematographty gives the film a haunting atmosphere. This film, along with John Frakenhimer's Black Sunday, is an excellent look at Vietnam vets that has, unfourtaneatley, been overlooked.