The War at Home (1996 film)

The War at Home is a 1996 American drama war film directed by and starring, and co-produced by Emilio Estevez. The film also stars Kathy Bates and Martin Sheen. Writer James Duff adapted his 1984 play Homefront.

The War at Home
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEmilio Estevez
Written byJames Duff
Based onHomefront
by James Duff
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPeter Levy
Edited byCraig Bassett
Music byBasil Poledouris
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • November 20, 1996 (1996-11-20)
Running time
123 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million
Box office$44,722

Plot

Jeremy Collier is a returning Vietnam War hero whose experiences leave him unable to adjust to the quiet realities of small-town life. Bob Collier, Jeremy's father, expects his son to go back to his life as it was, without understanding the problems of PTSD. Jeremy's mother, Maurine, treats him "like he's a 10-year-old," and seems to think he should forget about his war experiences. His sister Karen is more understanding of his readjustment problems, but their father doesn't want her to help her brother.

When the family's Thanksgiving celebration occurs Jeremy refuses to put on his "nice" clothes and instead decides to wear his combat uniform and medal. At the conclusion of the Thanksgiving celebration, Jeremy pulls his handgun on his father and his family, explaining the hate he feels for his father because he would not lend Jeremy money to leave the country to escape the draft.

Cast

Production

The film was made for $3 million, following a deal Estevez cut with Disney (who would later under-promote the film) to appear in D3: The Mighty Ducks, and was distributed by Touchstone Pictures.[1] The soundtrack is faithful to the time period, using music from artists such as Buffalo Springfield, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Singer Jena Kraus is featured singing a folk version of the song "Me and Bobby McGee".[2]

Release

The film was released in theatres on November 20, 1996. It was a box office failure, grossing only $43,000.[3]

Home media

The film was released on DVD in the US in September 2002.[4]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 60% approval rating based on 15 reviews, with an average score of 5.83/10.[5]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B- and said, "The Vietnam-flashback material doesn’t resonate as sharply as it did when screenwriter James Duff first presented this as a stage play in 1984. But with Sheen doing a nice turn as a bewildered Dad and Kathy Bates such a nerve-rattling force as the kill-em-with-cleanliness mother, the agonized family dynamics are effectively awful."[6] Stephen Holden of The New York Times remarked how familiar the premise was, but that the film "still finds moments of wrenching sadness in its microscopic examination of an all-American family torn apart by the Vietnam War," and praised the performances and themes.[7]

References
  1. Savlov, Marc (May 16, 1997). "The War at Home". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  2. "Songs from The War at Home". www.sweetsoundtrack.com. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  3. "The War at Home (1996)". Box Office Mojo. 1996-12-17. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
  4. The War at Home DVD (Estevez), retrieved 2022-07-24
  5. "The War at Home". Rotten Tomatoes.
  6. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (December 13, 1996). "The War at Home". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
  7. Holden, Stephen (November 22, 1996). "The Long Reach of War, Tearing Up a Family". The New York Times. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
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