In Country (1989)

How to begin. First, the good. I agree with others that Bruce Willis & Emily Lloyd were excellent. Most early Bruce is that awful smirk or nothing. I think Miss Lloyd was actually better as the girl. The movie is a sincere attempt to cover the ground of the Vietnam thing but all it really ends up doing is wallowing in a more varied assortment of stereotypes than usual. This is nice vicarious fun for those who were not involved. As far as I can tell I'm the only Vietnam ERA veteran to comment (not a combat veteran thank god). I like to flatter myself by thinking that I can comment in some measure for them. We are veterans of an ERA not a war. Most of them (the combat veterans) probably can't stand to watch let alone comment. This last bit is what really makes me hate this movie in spite of the good part above so listen up. At the most emotional part of the movie where Willis is getting teary eyed at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial with the music track building to a soft, emotional crescendo what does Mr Willis place beside the Bronze Star Medal at the wall? That's right he places (reverently) a pack of Camel cigarettes. This is what's known as a 'placement'. For those who don't know this means that the cigarettes are a paid commercial message like a spot on TV. I have to admit this is the most professional, artful, perfectly done placement I have ever seen. So good in fact that it becomes almost invisible even though it's right in front of you. A classic placement, really one for the textbooks. Also totally ruthless. It takes a third rate filmmaker like me to spot it properly & reveal it for what it is. This is beyond disrespect. Mr Willis character should have urinated on the wall instead.

We almost didn't watch this movie, based on the IMDb ratings, but something told us to have a look anyway. What an excellent movie, and the best acting I ever saw Bruce Willis do before. If you have watched this move and haven't rated it yet, please do to help others know how good this is. This is a touching movie from the perspective of the daughter of a Vietnam soldier killed in the line of duty. The use of flashbacks was done well in this movie, as some movies make flashbacks too often and in unrelated order. The relationships among the characters were believable. This is a movie worth watching. Although it's a bit old, it didn't matter. This movie is timeless and could easily be related to the soldiers and their loved ones of any war.

It's easy to see why so few people seem to have connected with this underrated movie. There's no nudity, no violence, no killing, no superstars chewing up the scenery. It is, instead, a quiet, maybe too slow-moving, film about a teenage girl at the cusp of womanhood trying to learn about what Vietnam had been like for her father, who was killed there. She also begins to see her ex-G.I. uncle clearly, for the first time, as a survivor of something terrible. In Country is about the Vietnam War only as in the sense that it's also about a family's history whose impact bridges the generations. It's less about events than it is about becoming a grown-up in an America that has a sixty-second attention span and a fifteen-minute memory. Emily Lloyd, who you'd never guess is English, does a beautifully sensitive job in the starring role, and Bruce Willis, as her uncle, turns in a very fine, very dignified performance.

When I was in Best Buy, looking at the bargain DVD rack I came along this movie. I had never heard of it, but I was a fan of Bruce Willis and Ii thought that Norman Jewison was a good director. Plus it was only $9.99 so what did I have to lose. At first, my expectations were low..I mean how dramatic can Bruce Willis be? Thankfully, I was pleasently suprised. My money did not go to waste. Sure, Emily Lloyd's character had an annoying voice, but at least she wasn't that bad to look at. I was very impressed at Bruce's acting ability in this movie. He can actually do dramatic roles! And do a good job at them! Now, I will admit that in some spots the movie is slow, but it always holds your interest, and yes the ending is kinda sad. So, if you have 2 free hours go and check this out...You won't be dissapointed! 9/10