Fort McCoy

Fort McCoy is one of those smaller films that pretty much slipped through the cracks of audience exposure but was deserving of more attention. Stars Eric Stoltz and Kate Connor give very decent performances along with the entire cast. And because the film is based on a true story related to Connor, its significance is amplified. It's probably a safe bet that few people know much about WWII POW camps that operated in the U.S., and that in itself is enlightening. It's also beautifully filmed and well produced for its relatively modest budget. Even the score is well done. Connor proves to be a very competent actress we should hope to see more of. It's also nice to see Cameron Manheim in a modest role.

Kate Connor wrote and directed this affectionate and loving memoir of her family and the time they spent in Wisconsin at a place called Fort McCoy. Actually Camp McCoy, but I'll not quibble.

Clan patriarch Eric Stoltz comes to the camp to be a barber for the GIs, he's got a heart murmur and is a 4-F. The same thing knocked with malaria knocked Errol Flynn out of war service. It grates on him constantly, both in looking at the kids going overseas and those coming back dead and alive. Even the Germans and Japanese who were captured get a bit of envy for their service.

But wives and daughters also serve and the daughters form their own attachments to the soldiers, individually and collectively. Which brings me to the most poignant part of Fort McCoy. Young Gara Lonning entering puberty herself notices for the first time someone of the opposite sex. He happens to be Josh Zabel playing Heinrich who is a POW all of about 13 or so.

There's a famous newsreel film of Hitler giving a pep talk to some Hitler youth now impressed into service for the Fatherland. By 1944 I'm sure many were dead and many prisoners of war. The little innocent attraction of Zabel and Lonning will wet the eyes and the ultimate tragedy reduce you to tears.

Fort McCoy is a tale poignantly told and really should be seen to learn about how loss of innocence is too big a price for war.

The setup: Stoltz moves with his family to become a barber for the American army's POW camp at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1944. Embittered that he cannot fight, he must take a stand when a Nazi officer threatens his wife.

The verdict: It's an important film. It will either surprise or disappoint you, depending on what your expectations are. Stoltz proves he's still got some ham in the old acting can. Acting is all-around good. The first 30 minutes are is a lot of fun and rather cleverly made. My only problem with the film was the supporting cast. 7 out of 10.

I wish Eric Stolz could have played all the parts. Kind of like a One Man Show because he was the only one that could act. I didn't think he'd be involved in a B rated movie. Maybe he was bored and just helping some friends out. The character "Ruby" was, by far, the worst. German officers in full uniform walking around an open area with easy access to Americans? Huh? Why is the set so dark? At least the house and scenery was interesting. Does Florie ever stop chewing gum? Does Lester ever stop with the maniacal grin? Does Heinrich know his voice is being dubbed over? Does the priest even know he's on a movie set? We may never know.

I was born in June, 1944 (when this film is set), about 25 miles from Fort McCoy. As I grew up I knew a number of people who had worked, as civilians, at Fort McCoy. I was very interested in seeing how the film would present the place and time, etc. Unfortunately, the screenplay is amateurish ,at best, the acting is wooden and the sets, such as they are, could be anywhere in a woods with a small river and a couple of buildings. This may well be a true story but it is told in a way that made me simply want to turn it off after about 20 minutes. I stayed with it, though...hoping for The Best. I didn't get it. There were lots of American soldiers at Fort McCoy at this time but you'd swear there were only 5-6 as you watch the film. Plus 5-6 Japanese PWS and maybe 10 German PWs (who, apparently, were allowed to wander around the place at all times of the day and night with no supervision). I'm sure the film was made on a small, small budget but that's no excuse. Seriously, I'm sorry I wasted my time on this little flick.