World Famous Comics: Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam
Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam
Starring: Tom Berenger, Ellen Burstyn, J. Kenneth Campbell, Richard Chaves, Josh Cruze Directed By: Bill Couturié Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: Hbo Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: November 01, 2005 Running Time: 86 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1988-09
Description: This classic HBO documentary features reenactments of actual letters written by soldiers during the Vietnam war. In each case, a famous celebrity voice (Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Robin Williams, and others) reads the letters to us.
Amazon.com: All the confusion, pain, despair, and even hope of the men and women who served in Vietnam is captured in Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. Read by dozens of actors such as Harvey Keitel, Matt Dillon, and Kathleen Turner, these letters show a more human story of the war than we see in most media outlets and reveal real people in real situations trying to explain or understand. The footage, some newsreel, some shot by the servicemen and servicewomen, reveals a tension between the soldiers' actual experiences and the presentation their loved ones received from television. The soundtrack weaves the songs of the 1960s with the readings to create a compelling aural snapshot of the time, which complements the video exceptionally well. While it's not a "feel-good" movie, the viewer does get a sense of the indestructibility of human dreams. --Rob Lightner
VIETNAM DVD I JUST FINISHED WATCHING DEAR AMERICA: LETTERS HOME FROM VIETNAM AND THIS IS THE BEST FILM ABOUT VIETNAM....EVER!!!!PLEASE BUY THIS DVD TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPEN "IN COUNTRY" OVER THRITY-FIVE YEARS AGO.....OUTSTANDING FILM AND PLEASE CREDIT HBO FOR SHOWING THIS HISTORY ON THEIR TELEVISION PROGRAMMING BACK IN '87....GREAT JOB!!!!
Great DVD I was pleasantly surprised when this movie finally came out on DVD. I am a Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and this movie really hits home. The letters, which were sent home by various Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen from Vietnam, are read by actors that were popular in the late 80's and video is added to the narraration, along with still photos of some of the letter writers. It is an outstanding movie, highly recommended.
Great Film, Super Educational Tool, but.... I've been teaching US history since the late 80s and have used this film since 96 or so. My only gripe is that we can't get the original full-length version. What we are able to buy has been cut by over 30 minutes and leaves some big gaps in the story. Still, I give this a hearty "two thumbs up" as the best in its class. The students are always riveted to it. Not a peep.
Used in the classroom I am a literature teacher for sophomores and we are reading "The Things They Carried" written by O'Brien. This is a story of a soldier in Vietnam. The school librarian suggested this video as an introduction to the novel unit. All I can say it is an awsome video. My students were glued to the screen the whole time. When the last letter was read many had tears in their eyes. (I am from this era and lost many friends to the war, so I can also tell you that last letter choked me up so that I had to take a few minutes to compose myself to continue the lesson).
Powerful -- Truthfull -- Thought Provoking. A must video for both Literature and Social Studies classrooms.
Engteacher
Great video for information and education I am a high school English teacher and I have used this video to introduce the Vietnam War to my students. We read Fallen Angels and this video definitely provides plenty of information to put the book into context. This movie is also entertaining enough to hold a junior level class's attention. (anyone who teaches knows how difficult this can be)
As a side note, I am the daughter of a Vietnam Vet and this really seems true to life.
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Trevor
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