Coming Home (1978)

A woman whose husband is fighting in Vietnam falls in love with another man who suffered a paralyzing combat injury there.

Director:

Hal Ashby

Writers:

Waldo Salt (screenplay), Robert C. Jones (screenplay)

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Fonda	...	Sally Hyde
Jon Voight	...	Luke Martin
Bruce Dern	...	Capt. Bob Hyde
Penelope Milford	...	Vi Munson
Robert Carradine	...	Bill Munson
Robert Ginty	...	Sgt. Dink Mobley
Mary Gregory	...	Martha Vickery
Kathleen Miller	...	Kathy Delise
Beeson Carroll	...	Capt. Earl Delise
Willie Tyler	...	Virgil
Louis Carello	...	Bozo (as Lou Carello)
Charles Cyphers	...	Pee Wee
Olivia Cole	...	Corrine
Tresa Hughes	...	Nurse Degroot
Bruce French	...	Dr. Lincoln

Storyline

Sally Bender is the wife of a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is sent over to Vietnam, and Sally is alone. With nothing else to do, she decides to volunteer at a local veteran's hospital, where she meets Luke, who went to high school with Sally. Luke was wounded and is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. When Sally begins to fall in love with Luke, she has to make a crucial decision about her life.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | paraplegic | vietnam war | wheelchair | u.s. marine corps | 

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Taglines:

A man who believed in war! A man who believed in nothing! And a woman who believed in both of them!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

14+

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sylvester Stallone, Jack Nicholson, and Al Pacino declined the role of Luke Martin.

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Goofs

During the basketball game with the ventriloquist as the announcer, the microphone is at the puppet's mouth, not the human's.

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Quotes

Wounded Vet #1: Some of us, not all of us, some of us need to justify to ourselves what the f*ck we did there. So, if we come back and say what we did was a waste, what happened to us was a waste, some of us can't live with it.
Wounded Vet #2: So, they'd do it again.
Wounded Vet #1: So they say, well, they gotta keep, man, they gotta make, you know, inside of themselves, they're lyin' to themselves, continuously, saying, "What I did, was okay, because this is what I got from it, man. I have to justify being paralyzed. I have to justify killing...

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Crazy Credits

Four members of the film crew are designated as "Friends who did everything".

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Bruce Dern/Leon Redbone (1983)

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Soundtracks

Hey Jude
(1968)
Written by Paul McCartney (uncredited) and John Lennon (uncredited)
Performed by The Beatles (as Beatles)

User Reviews

Up Close And Personal

The strength of "Coming Home" is its realistic portrayal of the emotional effects of war on individuals far removed from battle. In particular, the film calls attention to the difficulties, hardships, and trauma that paraplegic vets are forced to endure, as a result of governmental neglect. The emphasis here is on life after combat, upon returning home, and the ensuing experiences, personal feelings and relationships, and the drudgery of everyday life. More effective than dialogue, the close-up camera shots of character's faces effectively convey the psychological suffering, the scars, brought about by exposure to war. In this context, I thought Jon Voight's performance was quite good.

The subject matter is so totally ... not glamorous. Yet its importance is undeniable. And so, I respect this film for its intent and its sensitivity. The film's humanistic message is surprisingly relevant 27 years after its release.

That said, the film's screenplay is weak. The plot rambles and meanders. The love triangle seems incongruent with the heavy-duty political message. The film is anti-climactic from start to finish. You keep thinking something big is going to happen. Then at the end, the film dwindles, and eventually just fizzles out. Finally, the background music, an assortment of late 60's pop songs, is intrusive.

Overall, "Coming Home" is less about entertainment than it is about education. I'm not sure that I would choose this film to watch on a first date. But, I would choose it as part of a high school course in governmental ethics.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le retour

Filming Locations:

Manhattan Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$32,653,905

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,653,905

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jerome Hellman Productions, Jayne Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1