Good Morning, Vietnam is one of those movies I vividly remember being taken by my parents to go see as a kid, but my only memory of it is laughing and Robin Williams’ trademark scream, “Gooooooood Morning, Vietnam!”
I love war films and this is one I’ve been meaning to revisit it for a long time. With the release of the Blu-ray, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to come back to it and decide its worth.
There are a lot of films set during the Vietnam war and the 80s was their heyday. There are classics like Platoon and more forgettable fare. Somewhere in between, in my mind, was this comedy/drama mix. Directed by Barry Levinson, this film, though based on a true story, seems to be a massive audition reel for Robin Williams, highlighting his stand up routines, his dramatic abilities, and his over the top ad-libbing.
For the most part, it was an entertaining film, though the war aspects of it were completely by the numbers. I think the real star of the film is Bruno Kirby who you’ll remember from The Godfather Part II and City Slickers. He played the uptight officer who doesn’t think Williams’ brand of humour is funny at all and his performance in the film is easily the best.
As I watched, I grew more and more shocked that my parents took me to see it at seven years old. There’s quite a bit of swearing and plenty of inferred sexual talk and situations. It doesn’t bother me, I was just shocked that my parents seemed to think it was appropriate for a kid of seven.
The message of the film is certainly one that’s still applicable, about questioning the point of the Vietnam war and questioning the purposes behind censorship. It certainly put a human face on the Viet Cong, both for the American GI’s in the film and the audience.
For those who like war movies and/or Robin Williams, I’d recommend picking up this Blu-ray for your collection. It’s a solid, though by the numbers, war film.