Decoration Day

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.

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.

One of those quiet movies that leave a deep impression. Garner is good, as always, and the supporting cast seem just perfect for their roles. It has a similar atmosphere to FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER with Walter Mathau. A feel good movie, and well worth seeing more than once.

This is one of those quiet movies, where nothing exciting or outlandish happens, and nobody's life is in ruins but it is all the better for it. One of the things I enjoy about James Garner is that he tends not to be in the movies that are all hot air and explosions. The layers of this story are slowly peeled back as the characters grow on the viewer until the viewer finds that they really care! It's well executed, beautifully and with simplicity and it all feels real. I don't care about how scenes are concocted or faked, the end result is a work of beauty and art, and I'm delighted to have had the chance to see it again. Real life is not a blockbuster, and this film captures the genuine friendship that exists between the people and we feel it. wonderful.