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Summary: A paraplegic vet, a military wife and the war in Vietnam
Review: This is the moving story of a military wife, played by Jane Fonda, who volunteers in a veterans' hospital when her captain husband gets sent to Vietnam. Here she meets Luke Martin, a paraplegic, played by Jon Voight. When she first meets him, he's on a gurney, and when she accidentally bumps into him, his catheter bag is knocked over, embarrassing him so much that he goes into an angry rage and has to be restrained. Eventually, though, she comes to know him and, as his condition improves enough so that he can get a wheelchair, she gradually develops a relationship with him. Through the art of this film, I found myself drawn right into the emotional intensity of the situation and I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the life of a paraplegic.All the actors are great, including the supporting roles of Bruce Dern as the husband and Penelope Milford as Fonda's friend whose psychotic brother commits suicide. No wonder the film was nominated for eight academy awards in 1979 with those coveted statues going to Fonda and Voight as well as a trio of writers for the screenplay. I applaud the entire production though because it never slipped into maudlin sentimentality. Instead it was a real story the way the Vietnam War affected us all; it was easy to relate to it. The scenes in the veterans' hospital are particularly upsetting as we watch these young men gradually learn to live with their broken bodies. The audience is not spared the actualities of their care and of their suffering. However, as the film moves on, we get to know the Jon Voight character and the romantic scene between him and Fonda plays as bittersweet reality. Years have now past since the Vietnam War, but this film brings it all back. And it does this without one scene being placed in Vietnam itself. A fine film. Recommended.
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Summary: An important film.
Review: This film, the "other" 1978 movie about the Vietnam War, "Coming Home" takes a different approach than Michael Cimino's stark, shocking, "The Deer Hunter", which won a Best Picture Oscar. Cimino used a power approach to deliver his message, drumming the filmgoer with sounds and images. Hal Ashby's "Coming Home" uses a more subdued, character approach to explore the real price of the Vietnam War. I'm not so sure I'd agree that either Jon Voight (Academy Award-Best Actor) or Jane Fonda (Academy Award-Best Actress) is exemplary (they both won Academy Awards) but I think they are both very good. The bottom line is that this was an important movie, at a critical time, and the subject matter and its presentation really hit home. This is a film that is impossible to ignore, in 1978, or today, no matter what your political or social sensibilities may be. The language, the attitudes of all the characters is open, honest, frank. At the time this film was made, that was indeed breakthrough, for this subject matter, paramount. An absolute must see.
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Summary: One of the most important films on Vietnam!
Review: This movie really blew me away. I rented it the other day not expecting much, but after the movie ended I realized how wrong I was! Jon Voight does an incredible job as the wheelchair-bound Vietnam War vet who falls for Jane Fonda. Bruce Dern is almost as good in his portrayel of Fonda's husband, who goes to fight in the jungles of 'Nam while Fonda & Voight fall in love. I've never been a big Jane Fonda fan because of her actions duing the war, but she did a very good job. However, I don't think it was academy award winning acting. Jon Voight's award was well deserved, though. One of my favorite moments is when he talks to the high school students at the end. The film is great & I loved it, but it's far from perfect. For example, the movie ends rather abruptly without totally resolving the plot. And how come one of the last things we see is Bruce Dern's rear!!! It adds absolutely nothing to the plot & takes away some of the power of Jon Voight's speech. One last thing I've got to mention is the awesome music. I've never heard so many great '60s songs in one film, and they add so much to the movie's dramatic mood. I especially liked the song "Once I Was" by Tim Buckley played during Jon Voight's speech at the end. I highly recommend this film for everyone (except kids!).
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Summary: One of the best movies about the effects of the Vietnam War
Review: I've seen quite a few movies dealing with the subject of the war in Vietnam but this is the best by far. I love the realism in this film and how effective the plot of the movie plays into the lives of the two main characters. This is one of the best films ever made period, the acting,writing and directing is superb on all counts. John Voight is brilliant in this movie as the bitter paraplegic. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1978, which I was glad that he did because he truly deserved it. Bruce Dern (in his Oscar nominated role) is also wonderful and very convincing even Jane Fonda who I have never been fond of was very good. This movie was directed by the late Hal Ashby and Waldo Salt wrote the terrific screenplay. This film is excellent in every way and it would make a great addition to anyone who collects great movies such as this one.
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Summary: THE MOST MOVING OF THE VIETNAM WAR FILMS
Review: More emotional than THE DEER HUNTER, and that's going some, Hal Ashby has a masterpiece that moves even the most macho of hearts, especially when Tim Buckley's "Once I Was" plays its first five notes. Oscar worthy, as well as winning, COMING HOME is a gripping work of artistic integrity. Forgotten among the two big Oscar winning roles are Bruce Dern and Penelope Milford (both Best Supporting nominees) and Robert Ginty, all 3 of whom do more than fill screen space. The Rolling Stones "Out Of Time" cannot be more perfectly placed.
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Summary: THE MOST MOVING OF THE VIETNAM WAR FILMS
Review: More emotional than THE DEER HUNTER, and that's going some, Hal Ashby has a masterpiece that moves even the most macho of hearts, especially when Tim Buckley's "Once I Was" plays its first five notes. Oscar worthy, as well as winning, COMING HOME is a gripping work of artistic integrity. Forgotten among the two big Oscar winning roles are Bruce Dern and Penelope Milford (both Best Supporting nominees) and Robert Ginty, all 3 of whom do more than fill screen space. The Rolling Stones "Out Of Time" cannot be more perfectly placed.
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Summary: A Serious And Sensitive Portrayal Of Vietnam Vets!
Review: Who would have thunk?? How is that someone as adamantly against the Vietnam war made such a transition that she starred in this terrific melodrama focusing on what happens to those who gave their all for their country, and have to live with the consequences. Certainly none of us veterans would have supposed Hanoi Jane to be capable of such a mind-boggling transformation. Yet her personal feelings about the damage done to our young men and women "in country' were truly galvanized by what she learned in preparing for her role as the wife of a Marine officer at loose ends with her time and spirits, and volunteers her time at the local Veteran's hospital. Both she and co-star Jon Voight won Academy Awards for their thoughtful, moving, and emotional portrayals of people caught in the biggest and most overwhelming geo-political issue f the sixties. The entire ensemble cast is wonderful, with Bruce Dern superbly playing the marine officer feeling confused and cuckolded, on an emotional knife's edge as he learns of her romantic and emotional betrayal with the wheel-chair ridden Voight, and neither of them can save him from the roaring emotions Dern feels roaring through his head. This is a sensitive screenplay that introduces a lot of fairly sophisticated and sometimes shocking aspects of real life onto the screen, but it is so well done that it all seems quite natural and open and healthy. For example, this was the first time paraplegics are seen making love on-screen, and the action is both realistic and fairly explicit. So forget about Jane's confused and somewhat tortured past, take a chance and give this movie a roll. I know you will love it. Enjoy!
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Summary: AFI's Greatest Love Stories: #78 Coming Home
Review: "Coming Home" came out the same year as "The Deer Hunter," and it is somewhat ironic that of the two films the one that is most about Vietnam takes place in the United States. But then "The Deer Hunter" was not really about the Vietnam War but rather was about the warrior mentality and the "one shot" ideal. Director Hal Ashby's film brought the war about the war to the screen in the form of a love triangle that metaphorically represented the divided nation as Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) chooses paraplegic Vietnam vet Luke Martin (Jon Voight) over her war hero husband, Bob (Bruce Dern). Bob has just been left for a tour of duty in Vietnam and Sally decides to occupy her time by helping out at the VA Hospital. There she literally runs into Luke, or more accurately, the bag at the end of his catheter. The foul-mouthed and angry Luke is everything Sally's husband is not, so much so that his being in a wheelchair seems the least of their problems. This is one of those films where it is not that the opposites attract but that they run into each other so often they start to rub off on each other. Of course the political potency of the film is hampered somewhat by the casting of Jane Fonda, simply because how can anybody really be surprised by the choice made by "Hanoi Jane"? The mere fact it is Fonda playing the character married to Dern makes the strength of the marriage suspect. Voight was also a vocal opponent against the war, but in terms of Hollywood Fonda was in a class by herself. However, the film cannot be dismissed as an anti-war diatribe and the key moment is arguable when Bruce Dern's character questions what is happening over there. Ironically, seen today "Coming Home" stands up better as a romance film than it does as an anti-war film. The love scene between Voight and Fonda's body double is one of the most tender I can recall. Certainly the idea that a paraplegic could have a sex life was a revelation to thousands of movie goers and this is one of the more adult and realistic portrayals of such a relationship you are likely to find. Note: The DVD version of "Coming Home" features an above average commentary track with actors Voight and Dern, along with the great cinematography Haskell Wexler. Most Romantic Line: Nothing real springs to mind, but I do remember the awful tagline for this film: "A man who believed in war! A man who believed in nothing! And a woman who believed in both of them!" Sheesh. If you like "Coming Home," then check out these other films on the AFI's list: #7 "Doctor Zhivago" and #20 "From Here to Eternity." Why? Because they are also about war time romances. Of course, even though it is not on the list the obvious film that comes to mind for comparison is "The Best Years of Our Lives," the "Coming Home" of World War II films.
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Summary: Comming Home
Review: Great movie. The music make the whole movie. Great 60's music and story. I enjoyed Bruce Dern as the Captain who goes to Vietnam gung ho and comes back with a different attitude. Jane Fonda and Jon Voight are great.
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Summary: A must-see film
Review: I remember seeng this astounding and outstanding movie in 1978...I just viewed the DVD release(anamorphic 1.85---Dolbly digital mono) and was moved to tears once again.. Oscar-winning performances by Jane Fonda and Jon Voight, with a tremendous Bruce Dern and a soundtrack vintage 1968. If you're looking for a "special" movie, this is it..
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