Missing in America

I had the privilege of seeing this film at the Seattle International Film Festival on Memorial Day and I couldn't have selected more suitable film for the occasion.

In Missing in America, Jake (Danny Glover) is surprised by a fellow ex-Vietnam war vet (David Strathairn) who unexpectedly leaves his half-Vietnamese little girl with Jake to care for. The film follows the emotionally wounded vet as he grows attached to the little girl, played superbly by Zoe Weizenbaun, who will be in the upcoming Memoirs of a Geisha.

Danny Glover's Jake is familiar territory for the actor as Jake is an independent survivor who lives alone in a shack in the woods and is more than a little disagreeable. He drives into to town periodically to buy supplies from Kate (Linda Hamilton) with money made from selling chopped wood. Jake doesn't immediately take to the little girl, Lenny, that is left in his care, but as Jake's character warms up to his new housemate, this film could have become a sweet film about a wounded man who is changed forever by the child in his life, but Missing in America doesn't travel down that path. Instead, it used the arrival of a half-Vietnamese child as a catalyst that allows for the exploration into the lives of the mysterious war veterans that live solitary lives in the woods, not able to forget the horrors they experienced in Vietnam. In Lenny's explorations into the woods, she meets their neighbors, some, like Red (Ron Perlman), are still living as if they are in a war zone and see Lenny as a painful reminder of a war that while being 40 years in the past, still impacts their lives on a daily basis.

Missing in America is a very amazing first feature for director Gabrielle Savage Dockterman. This was a very courageous and sometimes gut wrenching film that feels like a very authentic snapshot of life 40 years after the Vietnam war for some veterans.

I watched Missing In America at the screening in Bozeman, Montana. What a terrific movie! Hats off to everyone - especially Gabrielle Savage Dockterman! What an explosive piece for a first time try! And little Zoe Weizenbaum, for her first time acting in front of a camera. Obviously, these two are destined for great things.

I especially appreciate the sensitivity used by everyone involved in producing this film. It is a subject matter that has been discussed and portrayed readily, but never with so much passion, understanding, realism and class. The lack of heavy profanity and sex was so refreshing. Perhaps other producers will take note that exceptional films can be absent of smut. This is a must see for everyone, especially families! The subject matter is very timely with our involvement in Iraq. America deserves to have this film in the theaters to help us all understand the effects of ill-fought, misunderstood wars and to give us faith that even the hard-core victims of war can be reformed if they are given the right chance.

Attention to detail in this film was very impressive. All in all, I can't say enough good about it. Let's get it to the movie theaters!!!

The veteran Vietnam lieutenant Jake Neeley (Danny Glover) lives alone in a cabin in the woods and his only contact with the civilization is through the owner of a small store, Kate (Linda Hamilton), who periodically supplies his provisions. The solitary Jake helps other lonely veterans that live in the forest giving them part of his supplies and receiving wood in return. When Jake is visited by the former private of his platoon Henry R. Hocknell (David Strathairn), who has lung cancer, Henry asks him to raise his Vietnamese daughter Lenny Hocknell (Zoë Weizenbaum). The widow Henry has no family and he will be subjected to a severe treatment of cancer. The reluctant Jake says no, but Henry leaves his daughter and vanishes. Along his contact with the young girl, Jake improves his behavior until a tragedy happens.

"Missing in America" is a sad story about losses and consequences of a war in the life of the survivors. Danny Glover and the débutant Zoë Weizenbaum have great performances in this tragic film. It is very impressive also the memorial wall in Washington shown in the end of the film, with thousands of names of soldiers that died in Vietnam. Considering that this percentage is very small when comparing with the deaths of Vietnamese (see Obs.), and recalling the deaths of Americans and Iraqi in the recent invasion, I guess what would be necessary to make people live in peace in the world and stop killing each other. Each one of these names has a family that misses the loss of the beloved relative. This movie also shows that the aftermath of a war leaves deep scars even in the survivors, losers or winners. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Cicatrizes da Guerra" ("Scars of the War")

Obs: 1) "The Vietnam War cost the United States 58000 lives." (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/vietnam/index.cfm).

2) "Documents declassified by the Vietnamese government in 1995, revealed that 5.1 million people, died during the Hanoi's conflict with the United States. Four million civilians died in both the North and South. Total military casualties were put at 1.1 million and 600,000 wounded. Hanoi concealed the figures during the war to avoid demoralizing the population." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War).

My wife and I just saw this movie at The Seattle Film Festival. It is outstanding. There are some minor flaws but this movie needs to get into nationwide distribution. The only way that will happen is if people that read IMDb ask for it. Danny Glover should be nominated for an Oscar and the little girl is a real possibility for a supporting actress nomination. This movie tells an important story about how this country has ignored the plight of mentally disturbed Vietnam veterans (get ready in twenty years for the same thing with Iraq veterans). It is too bad that intelligently made movies have trouble getting distributed while some much crapola does. Please contact your local film distributor and ask that they show this film.

This is a powerful, beautifully crafted and superbly acted film. I wept as did the friends sitting at my sides. Yet there was humor along with the tragedy expressed with so much depth of relationships, so genuine you felt you knew these people.

Appropriate in it's timing, with the subject matter of what happens to those who have fought for our country and are left to survive their ordeal. This is a film of our time and of the ages. One which should be seen by mothers and sons, fathers and daughters and especially those who irresponsibly choose to send our children off into wars for power or righteousness. Those who choose to spend more money on the latest, greatest new weapons and ignore the effects of the old ones.

The directorial debut by Gabrielle Savage Docketerman was masterful. Danny Glover and Linda Hamilton show true life chemistry and Oscar quality performances, all to be out shined by the young and very talented Zoe Weizenbaum.