A Bright Shining Lie (1998) (TV)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Terry George

Writers (WGA):

Neil Sheehan (book)
Terry George (teleplay)

Release Date:

30 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

In war as in life the difference between truth and deception is what a man allows himself to believe.

Plot:

True story of Army man John Paul Vann, whose military success provided him the fulfillment he never found in his personal life.

Plot Keywords:

Military | Vietnam | Civilian | Failed Military Strategy | General

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Col. John Paul Vann
Amy Madigan	...	Mary Jane Vann
Vivian Wu	...	Lee
Donal Logue	...	Steven Burnett
Eric Bogosian	...	Doug Elders
Kurtwood Smith	...	General Westmoreland
Robert John Burke	...	Captain Drummond
James Rebhorn	...	Ambassador
Ed Lauter	...	General Weyand
Harve Presnell	...	General Harkins
Pichariva Narakbunchai	...	Annie
Les J.N. Mau	...	Colonel Dinh
Van Cao	...	Col. Huynh
Kay Tong Lim	...	Colonel Cao Huynh Van
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rory J. Aylward	...	Bomber Command
Susan Noel Benfatto	...	Picnic Lady (as Suzy Noel)
James Bigwood	...	Office Manager
Andrew Borba	...	Reporter #1 (Nick)
Chang Ching Peng Chaplin	...	Annie's Father (as Ching Peng Chaplin Chang)
Xujen Dangers	...	School Teacher
Richard DeRusha	...	Protocol Officer
Bo Eason	...	Officer Tally
Erich Fleshman	...	American GI
John Higgins	...	CIA Man
Tom Hong	...	ARVN Captain
Robert L. Hull	...	Bureaucrat Soldier
Abhijati 'Meuk' Jusakul	...	Sergeant Muek (as Abhijati Jusakul)
Seng Kawee	...	VC Leader (as Kawee 'Seng' Sirikhanerut)
Kajie Khan	...	Madame Nhu (as Kajie Kahn)
John Lafayette	...	Major
Richard Libertini	...	Marriage Counsellor
Karina Logue	...	Barmaid
William L. Mansey	...	Officer Conroy
John Patrick Markovitch	...	Jesse Vann age 9
Kathleen Markovitch	...	Patty Vann age 7
Michael Markovitch	...	Peter Vann age 12
Jon Marsh	...	British Reporter
Robert Miranda	...	Vann's Cousin
Richard Montgomery	...	General's Aide
Wannipa 'Aoi' Navapan	...	Child's Mother
Thanh Nguyen	...	ARVN Translator (as Than Nguyen)
Vu Dinh Nguyen	...	Lieutenant Tran Ngoc Ba
'Josh' Somsak Orajan	...	Vann's ARVN Driver
Jim Pearson	...	Army Sergeant
Somboon Phutaroth	...	Housekeeper (as Samboon Putaroth)
Robert Pross	...	Reporter #2 (Bobby)
Phillip Roope	...	Red Cross Man (as Philip Roope)
Todd Sible	...	Jesse Vann age 19
Colin D. Smith	...	American Commander
Major Robert J. Szempruch	...	Vann's Helicopter Pilot (as Major Rob Szempruch)
Van Thoa Trinh	...	VC Commander
Phong Atwood Vo	...	Peasant (voice)
Graham 'Grace' Walker	...	Pastor (as Grace Walker)
David Warshofsky	...	Terry Pike
Chris Webster	...	Vann's Aide (as Christopher J. Webster)
Bill Whelan	...	Ron Dray

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence and some language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (video rating) (1999) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lompburi, Thailand

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The opening sequence shows a napalm run over the jungles of Vietnam. However, the film first starts out in 1962, and napalm bombing did not begin until 1965.

Quotes:

John: It is not true that we are here to solve problems, sir. WE are the problem.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Twist

Could have been better

This movie recounts the life and times of John Paul Vann, one of the movers and shakers of the US's non-military programs in the then South Vietnam. Although made in 1998, the movie has a very early to mid-1980s feel to it where production values are concerned and seems to be ignorant of and learned nothing from any movies and series made on the subject since (Tour Of Duty, Off Limits, 48 Charlie Mopic, even Hamburger Hill). The only really good effect was the artillery explosions when Vann apparently called in artillery on his own bunker.

A much more interesting and exciting movie could have been made of another book on the non-purely military aspect of the Vietnam conflict (which was essentially economic and political in nature and solution) is Orrin DeForest's "Slow Burn", a book about the much neglected area of military and political intelligence. It has intrigue, suspense, intelligence, (real) romance and comradery that in this movie is only touched on.

Anyway, because this movie is based on a book, it has a rather shallow feeling, because again (as usual) the director tries to put in too much, and doesn't connect the material and scenes in a way that is anything other than chronological. He should have picked the ones that could have blended together into a more interesting story.