 | |
List Price: $9.99 | | Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 49648
Released: September 3, 2002 |
| Our Price: $3.81 |
| Used Price: $0.94 |
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
This highly acclaimed motion picture stars Emilio Estevez (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, ANOTHER STAKEOUT), Kathy Bates (Academy Award(R)-winning Best Actress, MISERY), and Martin Sheen (THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT). Estevez (who also directed) plays a returning Vietnam War hero whose haunting experiences leave him unable to adjust to the quiet realities of small town life. At odds with his domineering father (Sheen), his desperately cheerful mother (Bates), and free-spirited younger sister (Kimberly Williams -- FATHER OF THE BRIDE 1&2) -- tensions at home soon escalate, finally reaching the breaking point one fateful Thanksgiving Day. A timeles story of one family's struggle to overcome the past ... THE WAR AT HOME is unforgettable movie entertainment!
The War at Home Reviews:
A Heart Wrenching War Veteran Story! 
2009-06-03 - This is a movie that all families should watch. It gives a window into the mind of each family member as they try to come to terms with the devastating effects that war has on their returning war veteran. A powerful film.
YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN THERE TO UNDERSTAND 
2009-04-02 - This DVD covers many emotions (Albeit sometimes a little dramatic) that the returning Vet feels. It was about Viet-Nam but the current conflicts may well apply as well in that the characters are still very much present. Here is what I am talking about:
1. An extremely jingoistic father who ridicules instead of supports.
2. A doting mother who thinks if you ignore what happened or kiss the situation to make it better it will all go away and be like it never happened.
3. A family member who is close to the same age who sits on the other side of the fence politically (Liberal who hasn't got a clue)
4. Those who are in daily contact who also for the most part have their heads up their backsides as far as knowing what is going on.
5. The girlfriend who went elsewhere because the guy wasn't there for her good times and who doesn't like how he changed after he returned.
6. The Vet who has bottled up his feelings and doesn't know where to turn... He turned to what was his life and found out he definately didn't belong any longer.
I think if the Vet was willing to watch with others letting them know how he really felt, and if they were open minded and understanding enough to listen, it would help overall in many respects. The one thing I hated and that finally became a sore spot for me was those well intentioned people who would say something like "I know how you feel" when unless they had experienced it really had no idea. Unless you experienced war up close and personal (and this goes back as far as you want to take it for WWI, WWII. Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, Afganistan, or any POLICE ACTION), you haven't a clue into what is going on inside the person's head.
A Balanced And Well Thoughtout Film
2008-07-14 - A very well acted, heart wrenching movie. Kathy Bates delivers yet another brilliant performance in this film proving why she is one of Hollywood BEST actors. I thought her role as the mother was one of her best roles EVER! The story line was well thoughtout and believeable which is what I look for in a film. I won't go into the details of this movie (others have) but IF you want to watch a film where the acting is top rate and the story line so good that it seems real, check this movie out. It's a keeper.
Sue McShan
2007-01-16 - A beautiful dvd. My brother-in-law requested this dvd to watch again since I seem to keep him abreast of the dvds regarding wars in Viet Nam. He had served there and I knew that interested him. He had seen this dvd at my house several years ago. I bought him a copy this year since this Christmas he asked me the name of this dvd, etc. and said he would enjoy watching/buying it IF he knew the name of it. Thanks so much for having the dvd for him.
Underwhelming as it gets. 
2006-11-27 - I am amazed at the great reviews this film has received. I thought it was quite underwhelming. As I see it, there were two problems. The first is that the family portrayed in the film would drive anyone crazy. Estevez didn't have to be a Vietnam veteran to have problems with the parents. Even "The Graduate" (Dustin Hoffman's first lead role) would have been driven out. I would have joined the army just to get away from them, war or no war. This dilutes the impact of the plot. It would have a more poignant film had the parents been understanding people without the idiosyncrasies of the parent characters. It would have focused more on the actual problems of a returning veteran. The film "The Best Years of our Lives" was far more powerful, even if it was about returning WWII vets. "Born on the 4th of July" was a far better film too, even though it was an anti-Vietnam film with political motives.
The second problem is the main protagonist. The character is a cliché Vietnam veteran, not a real one, even though many real ones had problems. He is more of a political device than a real veteran. Jeremy resents his father for not giving him the money to go to Canada. While in Vietnam, his commander orders him to shoot a prisoner, which is the source of his psychological problems. There is little portrayal of the horrors of war. The event that caused the psychological problem is the only scene that explains it. The plot is thin. This is exacerbated by what I consider a poor performance by Estevez who, in my opinion, has problems playing serious dramatic roles. His behavior isn't convincing. Tom Cruise played his part in "Born on the 4th of July" far more poignantly. Jeremy was a flat character with little substance.
Perhaps this is why used copies of the film are so cheap. I think that I will pass on "Bobby".
