Spring Break
Retro Cinema
Good Morning Vietnam
Amy Stevens
Issue date: 5/6/05 Section: The Edge
(1987)
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Color
There were many Vietnam War films released in the 1980s that received high critical acclaim, such as "Full Metal Jacket," "Hamburger Hill" and "Platoon," but they all seem to be cut from the same cloth. There was a lot of blood, guts and subhuman, high-ranking military officers who ran their grunts into the ground.
These films were striking and dramatically captured the death toll war creates, but not the emotional loss suffered by the 18- to 20-something young boys who were in the thick of it.
Barry Levinson's "Good Morning Vietnam," starring Robin Williams, fills the void where the other semi-biopics fall short.
Military disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (Williams) is sent to Saigon in 1965 to take over the morning radio spot. His strict military superiors who do everything by the book are shocked by his flamboyant style and raunchy humor.
While his army bosses' regulation tightie whities are in a twist over the show, the young soldiers all over Vietnam who religiously listen to his show find deep comfort in his humor and the contemporary tunes he plays that was reminicant of the music they listened to at home.
What makes "Good Morning Vietnam" the best Vietnam War film to date is its perfect balance of human loss with humor and grace.
A virtual discography of the Vietnam era, the film is laced with late '60s standards by Martha and the Vandelas, The Beach Boys, Louis Armstrong and more. Instead of focusing on the actual violence of war, "Good Morning Vietnam" shows the fact that Vietnam soldiers were boys with families and emotions instead of simple killing machines.
Another refreshing aspect of the film includes a diverse portrayal of Vietnamese people. Cronauer falls for a pretty Vietnamese girl and befriends her protective brother in an attempt to understand the people in the foreign land in which he is living.
Willams' performance is probably the most genius of his long-running career as he brings laughter, vulnerability and strength to his role and is supported by a phenomenal cast of actors, such as Forest Whitaker, Noble Willingham and Bruno Kirby, who bring life and dimension to their characters.
When looking for a telling yet comical and emotional Vietnam War flick, "Good Morning Vietnam" stands out among the rest.
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Color
There were many Vietnam War films released in the 1980s that received high critical acclaim, such as "Full Metal Jacket," "Hamburger Hill" and "Platoon," but they all seem to be cut from the same cloth. There was a lot of blood, guts and subhuman, high-ranking military officers who ran their grunts into the ground.
These films were striking and dramatically captured the death toll war creates, but not the emotional loss suffered by the 18- to 20-something young boys who were in the thick of it.
Barry Levinson's "Good Morning Vietnam," starring Robin Williams, fills the void where the other semi-biopics fall short.
Military disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (Williams) is sent to Saigon in 1965 to take over the morning radio spot. His strict military superiors who do everything by the book are shocked by his flamboyant style and raunchy humor.
While his army bosses' regulation tightie whities are in a twist over the show, the young soldiers all over Vietnam who religiously listen to his show find deep comfort in his humor and the contemporary tunes he plays that was reminicant of the music they listened to at home.
What makes "Good Morning Vietnam" the best Vietnam War film to date is its perfect balance of human loss with humor and grace.
A virtual discography of the Vietnam era, the film is laced with late '60s standards by Martha and the Vandelas, The Beach Boys, Louis Armstrong and more. Instead of focusing on the actual violence of war, "Good Morning Vietnam" shows the fact that Vietnam soldiers were boys with families and emotions instead of simple killing machines.
Another refreshing aspect of the film includes a diverse portrayal of Vietnamese people. Cronauer falls for a pretty Vietnamese girl and befriends her protective brother in an attempt to understand the people in the foreign land in which he is living.
Willams' performance is probably the most genius of his long-running career as he brings laughter, vulnerability and strength to his role and is supported by a phenomenal cast of actors, such as Forest Whitaker, Noble Willingham and Bruno Kirby, who bring life and dimension to their characters.
When looking for a telling yet comical and emotional Vietnam War flick, "Good Morning Vietnam" stands out among the rest.
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