A Bright Shining Lie (TV 1998)

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

Director:

Terry George

Writers:

Neil Sheehan (book), Terry George (teleplay)

Stars:

Bill Paxton, Bo Eason, William L. Mansey

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Paxton	...	John Paul Vann
Bo Eason	...	Officer Tally
William L. Mansey	...	Officer Conroy
Karina Logue	...	Barmaid
Amy Madigan	...	Mary Jane Vann
Robert L. Hull	...	Bureaucrat Soldier
Donal Logue	...	Steven Burnett
'Josh' Somsak Orajan	...	Vann's ARVN Driver
Harve Presnell	...	MACV General
Robert John Burke	...	Frank Drummond
Bill Whelan	...	Ron Dray
Kay Tong Lim	...	Colonel Cao Huynh Van
Seng Kawee	...	VC Leader (as Kawee 'Seng' Sirikhanerut)
Kajie Khan	...	Madame Nhu (as Kajie Kahn)
Vivian Wu	...	Lee

Storyline

Something in his past keeps career Army man John Paul Vann from advancing past colonel. He views being sent to Vietnam as part of the US military advisory force a stepping stone to promotion. However, he disagrees vocally (and on the record) with the way the war is being run and is forced to leave the military. Returning to Vietnam as a civilian working with the Army, he comes to despise some South Vietnamese officers while he takes charge of some of the U.S. forces and continues his liaisons with Vietnamese women.

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Plot Keywords:

military | vietnam | civilian | wedding ceremony | peasant | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for war violence and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Vietnamese

Release Date:

30 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mentiras de guerra

Filming Locations:

Lompburi, Thailand

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Labrador Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

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

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

"Monday, Monday"
Written by John Phillips
Performed by The Mamas and the Papas (as The Mamas and The Papas)
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under License from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

The book is so good there is no way the movies can live up to it.

However, all hands do a credible job and it's worth watching. However, like most movies about Vietnam, it depressed me: the tragedy & the waste are almost overwhelming!