Jacknife (1989)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

David Hugh Jones

Writers (WGA):

Stephen Metcalfe (play)
Stephen Metcalfe (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Three buddies in Vietnam. Two survived. Only one is really alive.

Plot:

A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes...

Plot Keywords:

Veteran | Vietnam | Fishing | Prom | Playing Footsie

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Joseph 'Jacknife' Megessey
Kathy Baker	...	Martha Flannigan
Ed Harris	...	David 'High School' Flannigan
Sloane Shelton	...	Shirley
Ivar Brogger	...	Depot Mechanic
Michael Arkin	...	Dispatcher
Tom Isbell	...	Bobby 'Red Sox' Buckman
Kirk Taylor	...	Helicopter Gunner
Jordan Lund	...	Tiny
Charles S. Dutton	...	Jake, Veteran Encounter Group Leader (as Charles Dutton)
Bruce Ramsay	...	Corridor Student
Jessalyn Gilsig	...	His Girlfriend
George Gerdes	...	Tony
Josh Pais	...	Rick
Lois Dellar	...	Cocktail Waitress

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | France:U | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Cineplex-Odeon Films

Trivia:

Originally set to be a star vehicle for Jeff Bridges.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

excellent drama dealing with the traumatic after effects of the Vietnam War

after just having watched The Deer Hunter,which is a masterpiece,the movie Jacknife had big shoes to fill.it has same themes as The Deer Hunter,the devastating effects on a person after the Vietnam War.Robert De Niro is in this film,as in The Deer Hunter and is very good here,as is Kathy Baker.but this movie belongs to Ed Harris,who gives a powerful,emotional and impactful performance.the movie is based on a stage play,and there are one or two scenes where that felt obvious to me.by that i just mean that for those one or two scenes it felt like i was watching a stage play.that was not that big a deal,and doesn't really diminish the film.i actually really liked this movie.it's not an epic like The Deer Hunter.they are about similar era and have similar themes,but they are two very different films.i thought The Deer Hunter was great,and i also think this movie was great.it's the acting in this one that makes it so great.for me,Jacknife is a 10/10