Sticks and Bones

A master recording of this 1973 tele-drama is in the archives at CBS's Television City complex (where I saw it, thanks to someone who's got more influence at CBS than I'll ever have), but they are unlikely to re-release it due to various controversies. That situation is regrettable for two reasons: this is an excellent drama, and its controversial aspects have long since been eclipsed by other productions.

It's autumn, 1968, the peak of America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Tom Aldredge and Anne Jackson give impressive performances as suburban couple Ozzie and Harriet, who have two sons named Rick and David. Those names alone were responsible for some of the controversy in 1973, when this tele-drama was originally transmitted. The family's names are clearly meant to evoke the Nelsons: the white-bread married couple (and their two sons) who starred in the 1950s sitcom 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'.

Rick (Cliff De Young) was wounded in Vietnam, and has come home blind. I was annoyed that much of the mise-en-scene in this production implies that, since Rick's eyesight is gone, his life is over: that attitude is an insult to all blind people, all injured servicemen (and -women), and all handicapped people. But Rick's blindness isn't the only problem. Some of his traumas from 'in country' have come back to America with him. His parents and brother are baffled by the arrival of Rick's master sergeant and a South Vietnamese peasant woman, who are apparently hallucinations that have become real ... or are they? Eventually, the rest of the family decide that they would be better off if Rick would just do the decent thing and shoot himself.

I didn't arrive in America until after the Vietnam War, so I never really experienced that conflict from America's viewpoint. (During the war, though, I interviewed several G.I.s who were on R&R in Queensland and who expected to go right back to the front lines.) Although playwright David Rabe's stagecraft is sure here, I got the feeling at several points during this production that Rabe was trying to be controversial merely for the sake of controversy, rather than for any higher purpose.

The cast are uniformly superb, as is the direction by Robert Downey. He cleverly shades the events in this drama so that we can never quite be certain whether we're witnessing real events or whether Rick's hallucinations have spread to the rest of the family. I'll rate this drama 7 out of 10, and I hope it becomes available again ... although it's now very much a period piece.

This one's got the feel of the 70's all over it. Nothing wrong with that but this is no excuse for the drawn out deliveries and shots that make it difficult for this story to gain legs. David Rabe's (playwrite) intentions are realized, I guess. The wall that can develop between a war vet's experience and his/her family's life expectations can be stark...and can lead to tragic disconnection. I like the obvious psychological angle this film takes with "less-than-realistic" performances from supporting characters and the choice for tight shots that keep the claustrophobic feel that helps to force focus. Just a little sloppy on the editing for my taste and to keep me riveted.

I saw this film when it aired on CBS some 50+ years ago. I had read the script of the play, and in the 70's I saw productions of Rabe's two other plays in his Trilogy, namely Pavlo Hummel and Streamers. Now I find this video on YouTube and I watched it for a second time.

I think the script would have benefited from a more realistic presentation, which would have allowed the lines to furnish the distorted reality rather than attempting to gild the lily. Regardless, this video presents the play as a clear product of its time, and the production now is mainly of historic interest, including the controversy which surrounded its airing on television. Anne Jackson appeared in so few films that seeing her in this production was a treat.

Great TV movie about the affects of the Vietnam war. This actually takes place after 1969 as the Rolling Stones "Monkey Man" is played in an early scene. This song was released in 1969. So it can't be in 1968. Just saying. The cast are really good and Anne Jackson stands out as the Mother.

This was indeed (as another reviewer stated) shown on tv at some point in the early 80s. I remember vividly. It's one of my strangest memories because I had no idea what it was and I was only about seven or eight years old. If I remember correctly it was shot using the same type of framing you see in a sitcom (minus the canned laughter of course) which made it feel dour and creepy.

I wondered about it for years until i read the play in college and the memory jumped back at me. I would love to see it again. Rabe is such a brilliant writer it would great to see it unearthed although it looks like at this point it may not happen.

Real shame.