Jacknife (1989)

A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both... See full summary »

Director:

David Hugh Jones

Writers:

Stephen Metcalfe (play), Stephen Metcalfe (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Kathy Baker, Ed Harris

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | vietnam veteran | alcoholism | post traumatic stress disorder | loneliness | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bicska

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$2,049,769 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineplex-Odeon Films, Kings Road Entertainment, Sandollar-Schaffel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally set to be a star vehicle for Jeff Bridges.

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

User Reviews

Damn, this looks familiar....

I stumbled on Jacknife playing on Bravo... I didn't know the title, but Robert DeNero is a damn good actor, so I started watching. And I started feeling like it was de javu, all over again... I knew the story. Then I realized why I knew it. It was originally a play called Strange Snow, and I did a production of it in collage. Play to screen allows for far more intricacies in story lines, but it is the same -- two survivors of Vietnam both reacting to the real world in different manners. The first thing I thought when I read the play after I was casted was this story is an interesting mixture of a discussion of PTSD and an parable of the Christ crucification ("Bobby"'s sacrifice of his own life in Nam being his... crucification). This movie is very much worth the time. An excellent collection of actors... the script equally effective. If you are looking for a techno-stunt movie, this is not it... it is not a deep plot movie... it is a slice of life. An excellent slice.