Missing in America

I was lucky enough to see the film at the Seattle International Film Festival(SIFF) on May 28, 2005. Danny Glover and the rest of the cast did a superb job portraying these wounded human beings. I think the time is right for a film to discuss the long-term effects on Veterans and their families. Just because a conflict is over doesn't mean that those people affected aren't still experiencing its horrors. The directing, cinematography and script along with the acting, in my opinion, makes this film worthy of a national viewing. Danny Glover, Linda Hamilton, and Ron Perlman's performances were believable and memorable. The young girl in the movie did a great job for her first film. Also, at SIFF the writers of the script stated that the characters in the film are based on real characters in the Northwest. While watching the film, I found some of the behaviors of the characters not realistic, such as dropping food off for people living in the wilderness; however, that information was stated to be true by the lead script writer. I hope that this film will get national distribution. There is definitely an audience for it.

My wife and I just saw this movie at The Seattle Film Festival. It is outstanding. There are some minor flaws but this movie needs to get into nationwide distribution. The only way that will happen is if people that read IMDb ask for it. Danny Glover should be nominated for an Oscar and the little girl is a real possibility for a supporting actress nomination. This movie tells an important story about how this country has ignored the plight of mentally disturbed Vietnam veterans (get ready in twenty years for the same thing with Iraq veterans). It is too bad that intelligently made movies have trouble getting distributed while some much crapola does. Please contact your local film distributor and ask that they show this film.

The veteran Vietnam lieutenant Jake Neeley (Danny Glover) lives alone in a cabin in the woods and his only contact with the civilization is through the owner of a small store, Kate (Linda Hamilton), who periodically supplies his provisions. The solitary Jake helps other lonely veterans that live in the forest giving them part of his supplies and receiving wood in return. When Jake is visited by the former private of his platoon Henry R. Hocknell (David Strathairn), who has lung cancer, Henry asks him to raise his Vietnamese daughter Lenny Hocknell (Zoë Weizenbaum). The widow Henry has no family and he will be subjected to a severe treatment of cancer. The reluctant Jake says no, but Henry leaves his daughter and vanishes. Along his contact with the young girl, Jake improves his behavior until a tragedy happens.

"Missing in America" is a sad story about losses and consequences of a war in the life of the survivors. Danny Glover and the débutant Zoë Weizenbaum have great performances in this tragic film. It is very impressive also the memorial wall in Washington shown in the end of the film, with thousands of names of soldiers that died in Vietnam. Considering that this percentage is very small when comparing with the deaths of Vietnamese (see Obs.), and recalling the deaths of Americans and Iraqi in the recent invasion, I guess what would be necessary to make people live in peace in the world and stop killing each other. Each one of these names has a family that misses the loss of the beloved relative. This movie also shows that the aftermath of a war leaves deep scars even in the survivors, losers or winners. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Cicatrizes da Guerra" ("Scars of the War")

Obs: 1) "The Vietnam War cost the United States 58000 lives." (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/vietnam/index.cfm).

2) "Documents declassified by the Vietnamese government in 1995, revealed that 5.1 million people, died during the Hanoi's conflict with the United States. Four million civilians died in both the North and South. Total military casualties were put at 1.1 million and 600,000 wounded. Hanoi concealed the figures during the war to avoid demoralizing the population." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War).

I was invited to a screening in New York City recently and thoroughly enjoyed this film. Mr. Glover's and Zoe Weizenbaum's performances were superb. The locations in the movie were some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen and the photography and lighting was breathtaking. The story is well-paced and and the supporting characters were interesting and well acted. Mr. Perlman artfully conveys much emotion through his character without speaking a word. This movie really is a powerful, and sometimes gut-wrenching, examination of the lasting effects of the Vietnam conflict on those who experienced the war.

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.