Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder (1982)

An Army medic working in a mortuary in Saigon becomes emotionally involved with a group of Vietnamese orphans. A sensitive tale of love and dedication during wartime.

Director:

Peter Werner

Writer:

Paul G. Hensler

Stars:

Dennis Christopher, Susan Saint James, Roger Aaron Brown

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Christopher	...	Brian Anderson
Susan Saint James	...	Katherine Cross
Roger Aaron Brown	...	Moses Drapper
Robert Englund	...	Tripper
James Whitmore Jr.	...	Major Flaherty
Lisa Lu	...	Sister Marie
Shere Thu Thuy	...	Sister Hoa (as Tu Thuy)
Travis Swords	...	Allen Atkins
Mai Thi Lien	...	Anh
Truong Minh Hai	...	Duc
Ken Metcalfe	...	Captain Morris
Marie Ashton	...	Peggy Dean
Robert Howland	...	Bugsy Bodell
Paul G. Hensler	...	Dr. Goldman
Wynne Wicker	...	Immigration Woman (as Wynne Dieppe)

Storyline

An Army medic working in a mortuary in Saigon becomes emotionally involved with a group of Vietnamese orphans. A sensitive tale of love and dedication during wartime.

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Plot Keywords:

orphan | nun | catholic orphanage | vietnam | independent film

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Taglines:

In a time without heroes and a place without hope a man found a reason to survive.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brian, soldado de primera clase

Filming Locations:

Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sanrio Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

About 38 minutes in, in the scene where Katherine Cross is clearing the plates off the table to examine the baby, you can see the boom mic in the top left hand corner. In the same scene where the nun is talking to Brian, you can also see the boom mic at the top of the shot.

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Soundtracks

"Questions And Answers"
Music by Maurice Jarre
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel

User Reviews

Touching... VERY touching!

This movie is perhaps the most touching movie that I have ever seen. The first time I saw it was while serving in the military. Everyone was literally glued to the TV as they watched. I don't think there was a dry eye in the barracks at the end (but nobody would admit it!)

The power of the movie came from several strong plots that ran simultaneously... It was a love story, a war story, a story of suffering and a story of triumph. You can see, and feel the change as a loner, who cared only for himself, learns to care about, and love others... even to the point of risking his life for the orphans and nuns that he once viewed as irritants. I strongly recommend this movie.