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In Country
It's very easy to forget why we celebrate Memorial Day. We get so wrapped up in the barbecues, fun at the beach and excitement of having a day off from work that the real meaning of the holiday is lost. That's why it's a good idea to watch In Country starring Bruce Willis and Emily Lloyd.
Made in 1989, the movie addresses the war America wishes it could forget - Vietnam. As someone who grew up in the eighties, I remember this period of soul searching. The 80's brought a series of movies that addressed these forgotten warriors, including Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Full Metal Jacket, Missing in Action and Rambo. Before the Persian Gulf War, America suffered from a "Vietnam Syndrome" where every military action was feared because we didn't want "another Vietnam". We face that today when debating the use of ground troops in the Yugoslavian bombing campaign.
In Country stars Emily Lloyd as Sam, a young Kentucky high school graduate. Like every new graduate, she is questioning where her life is going and faces a number of very important decisions regarding her college education and a marriage proposal she received from boyfriend, Lonnie. Sam also is questioning her past.
Her father died in Vietnam before she was born. Her mother (Joan Allen) has left behind all memories of her life with Sam's father, remarried, had another child and moved away to Lexington. She even leaves Sam behind. However, Sam has always wondered what her father was like, why he died and what he died for.
One day, she finds a series of letters written by her father when he was in Vietnam; what veterans refer to as "in country". She reads these letters in an attempt to learn about the father she never met. She also wants to learn about her Uncle Emmett.
Emmett, played by Bruce Willis, is a Vietnam veteran haunted by his experiences. He still has flashbacks of different battles and suffers from other unspecified physical ailments that he refuses to see a doctor about. Like his group of Vietnam veteran buddies, he resents never being honored for service to his country like veterans in wars before them. He lives a simple life trying to deal with his pain. Sam persistently attempts to force him to explain what happened in Vietnam, but he refuses because it brings up too many memories that she could never understand.
Sam's quest becomes complicated when she is given a series of diaries written by her father. She is suddenly faced with the truth about Vietnam. Like millions of Americans, can she face that truth and still respect her father, Uncle Emmett and his buddies?
See In Country for two reasons. First, you need to be reminded that Bruce Willis can act. While most of us remember him for his TV sensation Moonlighting and the Die Hard movies (and want to forget him for dreadful fare like Hudson Hawk), he is a talented actor. Willis has always done a fantastic job of balancing big blockbusters with smaller fare like In Country and future WaffleMovies.com selection Nobody's Fool. It is refreshing to see the bluster Willis shows as a leading man disappear when he takes smaller challenging roles such as this. Someday, a role like this could lead to more recognition of his immense acting ability.
In this movie, Willis deftly portrays a man slightly on the edge, but sane enough to realize that he is troubled. He shows the frustration his character feels with his mental anguish and the sorrow he feels because he came back when many of his friends did not.
The second reason to rent In Country is the powerful closing scene at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. You must remember that the memorial was in its infancy when this movie was made and many were only starting to learn about it. Willis steals the show as Emmett finds the names of his fallen comrades and finally faces his experiences in Vietnam.
In Country is a short history in America's reaction to Vietnam and the veterans of that war. All of the Vietnam veteran characters portray the attitude that many held when they came back from Vietnam; no one cares what happened to us, how we feel or what we faced. They feel abandoned. On the other hand, Joan Allen's character portrays the attitude held by Americans who didn't go to war; let's forget the past and move on. All of these beliefs are challenged by Sam just like they were challenged by the film-makers of the eighties and many people my age who always heard about Vietnam, but wanted to know what it was all about.
The movie does have some drawbacks. While other reviewers believe Lloyd was fantastic, I find her annoying. Her character is played too naοve even for 1989. Another drawback is the use of "I'm on Fire", a brilliant song by Bruce Springsteen. While I am a huge Springsteen fan, the song is not well utilized in this movie. It is thrown in gratuitously when it should be used to shine new light on a situation or provide a better understanding of the action taking place on screen or in our character's mind.
Overall, In Country is a good movie. Director Norman Jewison puts together a wonderful opening sequence as well as a powerful closing. If you are a fan of Bruce Willis or want a better understanding of the pain felt by Vietnam veterans, rent it tonight.
In Country: B
Director: Norman Jewison
Based on the novel by: Bobbie Ann Mason
Screenplay: Frank Pearson and Cynthia Cidre
Cast
Bruce Willis .. Emmett
Emily Lloyd .. Sam
Joan Allen .Irene
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