Flag of My Father

A moving family saga about faith, love, hate, fear, war, tragedy and honor. A story of a blended family who suffer and endure alienation, division and separation eventually to arrive at confession, reconciliation and ultimately redemption and a reaffirmation of faith.

Gi Gi Erneta,in the lead role of Captain Judith Rainier, is inspirational in her role as Jake Ranier's (Bill Devane's, a Vietnam era veteran) daughter.

Devane, John Schneider and all the supporting cast turned in exceptional performances, particularly relative newcomer Kent Jude Barnard as PFC Melvin Davis. I can promise you that by the end of this film, there will not be a dry eye in the house.

I parallel this story all too well as a 100% Service-Connected Disabled Desert Storm Veteran. My Father before me was a four-tour Vietnam Veteran who was ashamed of his heroism and hid his details from our family. He only began to share his stories in limited capacity with me in 2007 when I began inpatient treatment for PTSD when I started having flashbacks from my three Deployments. He shared his worst moments with me only because he knew I would "get it" and it would help in my healing. It amazingly did help me to begin the process. Both he and I would always get into it with my brother the family coward who dropped out of boot camp and has a disdain for the military. He has no sense of respect or honor for what we have done for him. I've learned you cannot change people, but you can keep people who are unchangeable away from you. I only allow positive people in my life who are loving. I count my blessings and my motto is: "Serve until it hurts...then serve some more". I recommend this movie to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. For Veterans to heal and for the public to understand our sacrifices.

How do adults and their children learn to honor the military? By watching films like "Flag of My Father", we get a glimpse of the enormous sacrifices that create both trauma and, if they are fortunate, depth of fullness and meaning in a soldier's life. Where would we, as a country, be without the millions of Americans, past and present, who have made such great personal sacrifices to keep us free? One of the things most Americans don't know about is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the deep damage and difficulty it can cause in these heroes. "Flag of My Father" gives you and enlightening yet gripping look, then goes farther to prove the hope for healing, healing not only from the ravages of war, but also from the emotional difficulty that can become family life. This is a great story that needed to be told. Everyone in America should see this movie.

This is a very well crafted story. In the interviews with the actors included on the DVD, Gigi correctly says that without a good story, the best actors and director will fail to make a good movie. She is of course correct and, happily, the actors and direction are excellent as well. The unfolding of the background stories kept me engaged, and I suspect most viewers aren't likely to predict what is going happen next.

The themes of family, patriotism, sibling conflict, bravery, and the place of faith in the lives of real people are, in my estimation, very well done.

It is rare that a movie with a Christian theme comes out so engaging and believable. This movie makes you think about yourself and your own relationships. I challenge any who might think such a movie isn't up their alley to give it a try!

This is one of those movies that will sneak up on your emotions. If you don't shed a tear, you will at least have a lump in your throat before this movie is over. Jake (William Devane) passes away with 5 grown children. Judith (GiGi Erneta), the younger sister and Iraq veteran wishes to have the flag from her fathers funeral, but doesn't want to challenge her brothers as they discuss who is to get what part of the estate. Faith in the Lord during and after her military tour gets Judith through this hard time in her life. Her brothers, having not served in the military, did not have a grasp of her military experiences and could not understand her feelings until it was a little too late. Be ready for an unexpected twist at the end of the movie. I identified with Judith and Jake and their reluctance to share some of their war time experiences, there are some memories you share, some you take to your grave. As a Christian and a war veteran, I appreciated this movie on two levels, from the power that the Lord has over our lives and from the impact that the experience of a wartime environment has on our souls. One positive thing about this movie that I did notice was the lack of profane language and the absence of any nudity or sexual implications. This is a movie that I would recommend to anyone who would like to see good family entertainment with a meaningful message