Word of Honor (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Robert Markowitz

Writers (WGA):

Nelson DeMille (novel)
Jacob Epstein (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

6 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Thirty years ago he fought for his country. Now, he's fighting for his honor.

Plot:

Prompted by a just-published book that holds ex-lieutenant Ben Tyson accountable for a hushed-up massacre...

Plot Keywords:

Massacre | Trial | Vietnam War | Flashback Sequence | War Crimes

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Don Johnson	...	Benjamin Tyson
Jeanne Tripplehorn	...	Maj. Karen Harper
Sharon Lawrence	...	Marcy McClure Tyson
John Heard	...	Dr. Steven Brandt
Arliss Howard	...	J.D. Runnells
Peter MacNeill	...	Brig. Gen. Norm Van Arken
Peter Stebbings	...	Maj. Michael Taix
Jesse Johnson	...	Lt. Benjamin Tyson in Vietnam
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Adamthwaite	...	Young Beltran
Che Ayende	...	Young PFC BillySanchez
JR Bourne	...	Mr. Douglas Picard
Rita Bozi	...	Barbara Bellflower
J. Adam Brown	...	Young John Kelly
Olivia Cheng	...	Reporter
Conrad Coates	...	Col. Pierce Truscott
William B. Davis	...	Lewis Kaplan - Tyson's Boss
Joyce Doolittle	...	Eleanor livander
Paul Dunphy	...	Anchor #1
Victor Ertmanis	...	Travis Beltran
Adam Frost	...	Young PFC Steven Brandt
Mackenzie Gray	...	Dr. Dougal
Zoe Heath	...	Young Sister Teresa
Barclay Hope	...	Brad Sadowski
Christopher Jacot	...	Young CPL. Lawrence Cane
Ron C. Jones	...	Ramon Detonq
Reamonn Joshee	...	Young PFC. Arthur Peterson
James Kirk	...	David Tyson
Greg Lawson	...	Wallace Berg
David Lereaney	...	Dr. Monteau
Darren Lucas	...	Truscott
Bill MacDonald	...	John Kelly
Jacey Mah	...	Vietnamese O.R. Nurse
Monique Mojica	...	Sister Teresa
Susan O'Rourke	...	Anchor #2
David Parker	...	Kalahane
Dan Petronijevic	...	Young Kalahane
David Pham	...	Young Vietnamese Soldier
Paul Pham	...	Young vietcong soldier
Joe Ring	...	Civilian Judge
Shawn Roberts	...	Young PFC. Sadowski
Kurtis Sanheim	...	Capt. S. Hodges
Robert N. Smith	...	Phillip Sloan
Rick Timmins	...	Wounded soldier 3
Hien Van Dao	...	Wounded soldier 2
Vuong Vu	...	Sniper
Stephen Warner	...	Young PFC. Vince Farley
Will Weldon	...	Kenny
Jayson Williams	...	Young SGT. Ramon Detonq
Tom Xaykasem	...	Wounded soldier 1

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:12 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Voice Pictures

Trivia:

Jesse Johnson, the actor who portrayed young Lt. Tyson in Vietnam, is Don Johnson's real life son.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In an early scene at the hospital in 1973, a soldier is shown wearing a web belt with a green plastic buckle, which did not enter service until at least the 1980s. All web belt buckles during Vietnam were metal.

Don Johnson blew me away!

I don't usually add to this "comments" aspect of IMDb. But let me tell you, Don Johnson was AMAZING and blew me away, and if I didn't sit down and write about it, I was going to explode.

Truthfully, although Sharon Lawrence did an extremely competent job (sometimes really good) as his wife, the rest of the supporting cast was OK at best. Some really bad performances, in fact, that just make you cringe, but that you will often get on TV movies. The guys in the flashback sections did alright, especially Don Johnson's son. But other than that, you are just waiting for Don Johnson to come back on screen. And he does, so it's worth waiting for those moments:) And let me emphasize that I am NOT some teeny-bopper Don Johnson fan. I've never even liked his work that much before. But if you get a chance to see this (I got an Academy viewer; I'm not sure if they come out on DVD or not) you MUST check this out. I'm so impressed with what Mr.Johnson is capable of, and I'm really looking forward to his next movie.

If this had been a feature film, I would say that it was Oscar worthy.