Decoration Day

James Garner made a bit of a cottage industry out of appearing in Hallmark Hall of Fame TV-movies. Hallmark productions were always noted for their high quality and portrayal of solid community values.

In "Decoration Day" Garner plays a retired Southern judge who is somewhat of a recluse. He is pulled back into the community when a young man gets into trouble, Garner finds a new chance to connect with an interesting woman, and he has to persuade a childhood friend to reconsider his refusal to accept a belated Medal of Honor.

Bill Cobbs plays Gee, Garner's childhood friend and a tenant farmer who has had to deal with racial injustice all of his life while his educated white friend Garner has had a much easier and successful path. Both men served in WWII, Gee in a segregated Negro unit. When the Army determines that Gee should receive the Medal of Honor the community is disrupted and people have to re-examine racial attitudes when Gee refuses to accept this most prestigious honor.

As you'd expect in a Hallmark production, the topics are dealt with in a quiet, responsible, non-histrionic way. Garner and the cast all deliver.

This movie tells two very moving stories with care and sensitivity. Everyone in the cast plays their roles the way they were meant to be played. No one steals the show; instead they work together to create a movie to be remembered.

I was surprised that I'd never heard of this movie of yours before. While this movie appealed to me more and more as I watched it was a bit slow by conventional Hollywood standards. But that's fine with me. I'm older now and Hollywood is not what it used to be. All that green screen and whiz bang don't make up the lack of writing and acting abilities. Shakespeare didn't rush good plots and Mark Twain let a Tom Sawyer drift down the Mississippi on a raft.

I could talk about how many long lost pals have been consumed by age and death. I'm still working on living to be three hundred years old. When I get there I'll celebrate and toast to many turned dust. I will start with you, Mr. James Garner. Good bye friend.

Late in his life when Robert Mitchum was finally receiving accolades for his career work, a reporter asked him why it took so long for such recognition. Mitchum replied, "Because there's nobody else left."

The same might be said for James Garner, as people increasingly acknowledge his skill. Like Henry Fonda, Garner makes it look so easy and effortless that one tends to take his work for granted.

In "Decoration Day" his character is similar to his laid-back hero in "Murphy's Romance." Garner can play wide emotional ranges as the script may call for, yet smoothly blend nuances to achieve a finely tuned product.

Here the entire cast works in fine ensemble fashion, with Bill Cobbs being particularly strong as Gee.

Perhaps real-life Purple Heart-winner Garner felt a special connection to this touching story about the aftermath of war.

This was another worthy Hallmark production made especially for television.

This is a movie you remember. It is a poignant tale of race, honor, patriotism, and love. The film's very title evokes memories of an earlier time in America, a time when there was less shouting and more respect for others. The former Judge excellently portrayed by James Garner has a great deal of love for his old boyhood friend from days gone by. The work that the Garner character goes through to redeem this old relationship is very reaffirming. Bill Cobb does a great job as the embittered former friend of Garner. This is truly a great film with a little romance thrown in. A must see for a more mature audience.