Word of Honor

I read this book by Nelson DeMille in 1986. I just re-read this month. During my second read, I could not put the book down. Over 500 pages and I wished there were more. Unfortunately, the movie did not do the book justice. Don Johnson has great appeal but the other characters in the movie did not develop. A solid movie theater remake with someone like Mathew McConaughey or Ben Afleck would work well. It needs to be more than a 90 minute movie to be a hit

"Word of Honor," (2003). Directed by Robert Markowitz. Starring Don Johnson and Jeanne Triplehorn. Also starring Jesse Johnson, son of Don Johnson, who plays Lt. Benjamin Tyson as the younger version of Benjamin Tyson in a flashback. This film pays attention to details. In this story Tyson witnesses a war crime. He wrestles with his duty, his conscience, and his decision which involves his word. This part calls on Johnson to draw on deep emotions, something I have never seen him have to do in a film. But he pulls it from some deep well inside him. And I think he accomplished what the part required of him and gave a brilliant performance. Word of Honor proved that Don Johnson is not just a pretty boy with a lot of charm. I give this film 5 of 5 stars. It is on YouTube. Enjoy!

A very good TNT original movie made for TV. A former Army Lieutenant(Don Johnson) sees his world falling apart when allegations that his platoon slaughtered innocent civilians thirty years ago in a hospital massacre. Jeanne Tripplehorn plays the Army Major prosecutor. The defending attorney is played flawlessly by Arlin Howard. Also in the cast is Sharon Lawrence as the Lieutenant's lovely wife; John Heard as the platoon member "blowing the whistle" and Johnson's son Jesse plays the young Lieutenant in Vietnam. Good courtroom drama. Well worth watching. It's also nice seeing Johnson letting go of some of the ego. He is aging nicely and still can command a scene.

'Word of Honor' was a fabulous and very touching movie. It's a movie that really makes you think about the world and why things are done the way they are. Don Johnson's outstanding performance as Lieutenant Benjamin Tyson, a Vietnam Vet who has carried the horrible secret of a brutal massacre committed 30 years earlier, was superb! The passion was real...the love was real...the intensity was real...the tears were real. This movie really shows how the media can take one person's life and completely tear it apart and turn it upside down...and how one man's struggle to save his family, his marriage, and his life, goes through the ultimate test of all. Can he protect his family, his men and himself? Was Lt. Tyson made an example of by the Army, for events that happened years before? Now, I'm a huge fan of Don Johnson, but even if you're not a fan of Don Johnson, this is a movie that's definitely worth watching...you won't be disappointed! Word of Honor is one of THE BEST tv movies of 2003!

I don't usually add to this "comments" aspect of IMDb. But let me tell you, Don Johnson was AMAZING and blew me away, and if I didn't sit down and write about it, I was going to explode.

Truthfully, although Sharon Lawrence did an extremely competent job (sometimes really good) as his wife, the rest of the supporting cast was OK at best. Some really bad performances, in fact, that just make you cringe, but that you will often get on TV movies. The guys in the flashback sections did alright, especially Don Johnson's son. But other than that, you are just waiting for Don Johnson to come back on screen. And he does, so it's worth waiting for those moments:) And let me emphasize that I am NOT some teeny-bopper Don Johnson fan. I've never even liked his work that much before. But if you get a chance to see this (I got an Academy viewer; I'm not sure if they come out on DVD or not) you MUST check this out. I'm so impressed with what Mr.Johnson is capable of, and I'm really looking forward to his next movie.

If this had been a feature film, I would say that it was Oscar worthy.