Missing in America

This film is really worth seeing. I saw it yesterday at the opening night of the International Diversity Film Market in D.C. Danny Glover introduced the film, and the producer/director Gabrielle Savage Dockterman plus actors Linda Hamilton and Zoë Weizenbaum held a Q&A session after the screening. (Mr. Glover had to leave to travel for an early morning shoot.) Judging from the many audience comments, the film had the same kind of impact on others as it did on me.

The acting is superb, which is important, because part of the film's impact stems from the realism of the characters. Within minutes your heart is captured by Lenny (Miss Weizenbaum's character), a darling young half Vietmanese girl whose American father is dying of lung cancer. The story deals with the multitude of issues that war veterans have to struggle with, and does so within a heartwarming and sometimes comedic--but always realistic--context. It is a story of healing, but with a plot has some surprising twists.

The original story has great personal meaning for the former green beret who wrote it, as well as for Mr. Glover and many others who were involved in the production. Whether or not you know anyone who has a similarity to any of the story's characters, you are bound to be touched by this movie. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed the film.

It is not a "feel good" film, but is very much a "feel right" film. This production more than does justice to the story and its important messages.