Memorial Day

What a movie! This movie isn't just a story about two wars but how both those wars affected the lives of two people. James Cromwell (Bud Vogel)is at his very best and his son John Cromwell (younger Lt. Bud Vogel)is what many would say is "a chip off the old block". Jackson Bond plays the young grandson Kyle Vogel while Jonathan Bennett plays Kyle as a grown man. The acting and portrayal of the participants is superb in every detail.

The story deals with flashbacks of war and torment and drives home the need to understand. It may be hard for me to tell you about the movie without spoiling it for you so I won't get into too much detail other than to tell you to sit down in a quiet room and watch this movie with an open mind and heart. Saving Private Ryan brought a tear to these old eyes of mine and I have to admit the same thing happened to me while watching this movie. So a box of tissues may be an added item to have nearby.

"Promise me no matter what I tell you I'll always be your Opa." While Kyle Vogel (Bennett) is at a hospital recovering from a wound he got in war his nurse begins to ask him about his life. He decides to tell her about a talk he had with his grandfather (Cromwell) when he was 13. This is another movie that I thought could have been either really good or really boring. I wasn't sure how a movie about a grandfather telling his grandson about war artifacts could be any good. After twenty minutes I was absolutely hooked. I really connected with this movie on a personal level as my grandpa was also a vet and always wanted to ask him about what he went through. I only heard one story and after hearing it I never asked again. That aside, this is one great movie that deserves to be watched. The acting buy Cromwell is Oscar caliber and he deserves to be nominated for this, but like most low budget movies it gets glossed over because of the budget. Which isn't fair at all. I highly recommend this movie and is in my top 10 of movies released this year. Overall, a must see movie that will leave you choked up at the end. I give it an A.

This is a great family movie, a good movie to watch with the family. It has a lot of great family values. This movie almost made me cry, "Bud" reminded me of my grandpa that passed away a couple year ago. this movie reminded me of the good times me and my grandpa had. The main actors did a great job but the side actors were not very good and it bothered me. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, if you like war movies or not. This is not really a war movie it is more about the memories and how it changes people. It is about family and friendships. James Cromwell did a very good job. There is some life lessons in this movie, you do not want to take life for granted. Stories live on forever... if you tell them to someone.

First and foremost let me preface this review by saying I love independent films and war films. This film has four main actors, and they all did a marvelous job making their characters extremely believable and real. But, what makes this movie unmistakably good is that it makes you feel. There is no way you can not watch this movie and not feel for the grandfathers condition, or the trials and tribulations that that Kyle Vogel, and Bud Vogel. But, maybe most importantly this film forces us to look at what war is. This film shows that regardless of how much war has changed, in many ways it has not changed. There is still death, loss, and moral struggles. That at some point we all must come to terms with. This is a movie that I would recommend with flying colors, but I am skeptical of this movies re-watch value because once the moral issues have been lay-ed out there is not much else to this movie.

Well directed, excellently photographed, superbly acted this well scripted movie is a mover - and that's what I watch films for, to be moved, to be taken to another place in my imagination or experiencing that can release feelings and emotions within me that touch upon the core of my 'humanness'. This film performs this task, and more, beautifully. I watched it 4 nights ago and have since watched 3 more movies, yet I find myself consistently and continually being drawn back into Memorial Day. My memory keeps thrusting this back into my consciousness. There are some wonderfully subtle family moments, ebbs and flows, currents and undercurrents, that are so honestly representative of most families. The family setting is very recognizable for most people. I am 68 and I can recognize many characters I have known in this film.They are clearly identifiable. It is,thankfully,not a 'shock and awe' film, but rather a very believable journey through the experiencing of 3 generations and the determined power of children to seek answers.Memorial Day is truly memorable.