In Country

Although this movie isn't well known - I happened on it by accident one day.

I must say that I was very pleased with the whole thing. The character Bruce plays is one for my generation. We lost a lot of fine young men and women in the Viet Nam War and Bruce as Emmett was so real.

It's a different kind of movie for Willis but it shows his true talent and emotional commitment to this character that I found solid. This movie is a have-to if you enjoy Bruce Willis.

Anyone can do a loud, shoot them up movie but it takes real talent to bring to life a sensitive and emotional person to life. The raw, bleeding memories that he shows is so real you'd think Bruce really saw action IN COUNTRY.

See this movie!!!!

A 17 year-old girl from western Kentucky (Emily Lloyd) lives with her Vietnam vet uncle (Bruce Willis) while dating a couple of guys (Kevin Anderson & John Terry). She seeks to know more about her father who died in the war when she was in the womb. Joan Allen plays her mother who lives in Lexington while Judith Ivey is on hand as a nurse semi-involved with the uncle.

"In Country" was one of three PTSD Vietnam flicks released in 1989, which also include "Jacknife" and "Born on the 4th of July." "Jacknife" is my favorite while "Born on the 4th of July" is harrowing in its portrayal of the ugly, awful truth. This one takes the understated route and is therefore the most obscure. It's a slice-of-life drama about coming-of-age for the teen and learning of her heritage, but also about vets coming to terms with their time in Vietnam and finding healing.

It's muted yet successfully brings you into the small town world of middle America. You gotta respect a movie that refuses to exaggerate. I watched it right after the death of a precious loved one and it was just what I needed. There are gems to mine.

The film runs 1 hour and 54 minutes and was mostly shot in the Mayfield area of western Kentucky.

GRADE: B-/C+

A lot of the criticism against this movie comes from the fact that it didn't follow the book as accurately as it could have. But since I haven't read the book, that's not an issue for me. I didn't have to sit there and say "Hey! That's not how it happened!"

This movie caught me by surprise. The only reason I saw it was because I happened to be channel-surfing and I noticed Bruce Willis with a weird mustache. The movie was just starting, so I settled in to watch the whole thing. This says a lot about the kind of recognizability Bruce Willis has earned in the years since he made this movie.

In all I was very impressed with his performance as Emmett. And while Emily Lloyd was a bit on the annoying side, the role she played was portrayed beautifully (which I guess was the whole point).

Being a Canadian, the Vietnam War doesn't hold as much meaning to me as it does to Americans. But this movie went a long way towards showing me how someone who was affected by the Vietnam War dealt with the repercussions. While the movie did develop very slowly and seemed to drag on at times, it was wonderfully refreshing and touching.

Emily Lloyd plays a young woman searching for her father, who was killed in Vietnam. Bruce Willis plays her Uncle, also a vet, who is coping with the fact that he made it out alive while his brother did not.

Very well done with superb acting by Willis in his finest role and by Lloyd who plays her part brilliantly. Underrated as a film, is very much worth the time.. Concludes with a very touching and emotional scene at the Vietnam Memorial

8 of 10

This film introduces familiar characters and develops them as examples of how losing someone to Vietnam (even if they came home) changed the lives of much of our country. The characters are not "important" figures and the film's impact is greater for displaying how common were those experiences. Bruce Willis' acting is superb and John Terry's character may be the most haunting.