Jacknife (1989)

Damn – this would have been perfect for my tribute to Robert De Niro’s movies, and my tribute to films about coming home from Vietnam. 

Synopsis: Robert De Niro plays a troubled-but-grounded Vietnam vet who helps out a buddy who can’t cope…..so, it’s basically The Deer Hunter without the Russian roulette and 3-hour-long Polish wedding. 

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “Three buddies in Vietnam. Two survived. Only one is really alive.” 

What Did I Learn?: If you take one sip of breakfast beer, the cobwebs go, your voice rises two octaves, and “hey man” the sun comes up inside you. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You figure it must be a 90-minute infomercial. 

Really?: 1) Um….did anyone notice that Megs looks a LOT like Joseph Stalin after his big makeover? 2) Megs’ decision to break things off with Martha (Kathy Baker) seems awfully abrupt. Up until that point, we see no indication that he feels ill-at-ease within her middle class strata. I have to wonder if it was done to create a dramatic ending. 

Rating: Jacknife is a warm, and very well-written character-driven drama about a couple of emotionally-scarred Vietnam vets and the woman they both love. The film features a number of memorable performances, as well as some important things to say about forgiveness, letting go, and finding the courage to take a chance on something new. Highly recommended. 9/10 stars.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097607/?ref_=rvi_tt