Uncommon Valor (1983)

Ten years after his son went M.I.A. in Vietnam, U.S. Marine retired Colonel Jason Rhodes assembles a private rescue team to find Americans held in P.O.W. camps in Laos.

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer:

Joe Gayton

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Patrick Swayze, Robert Stack

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Colonel Rhodes
Robert Stack	...	MacGregor
Fred Ward	...	Wilkes
Reb Brown	...	Blaster
Randall 'Tex' Cobb	...	Sailor
Patrick Swayze	...	Scott
Harold Sylvester	...	Johnson
Tim Thomerson	...	Charts
Alice Lau	...	Lai Fun (as Lau Nga Lai)
Kwan Hi Lim	...	Jiang
Kelly Junkerman	...	MacGregor (as Kelly Yunkerman)
Todd Allen	...	Frank Rhodes
Gail Strickland	...	Helen Rhodes
Jane Kaczmarek	...	Mrs. Wilkes
Gloria Stroock	...	Mrs. MacGregor

Storyline

A group of Vietnam War veterans re-unite to rescue one of their own left behind and taken prisoner by the Vietnamese. Led by his father (a retired Marine Colonel) and supported by a rich businessman whose son is also a P.O.W., the group engages in a dangerous and violent adventure trying to rescue the P.O.W.s, and at the same time, re-direct their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | vietnam war | post traumatic stress disorder | missing in action | prisoner of war camp | 

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Taglines:

Seven men with one thing in common...

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The size of the group of soldiers that went to Laos numbered the same as The Magnificent Seven (1960).

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Goofs

When Gene Hackman's character arrives to pick up the weapons and the police officer tells him that the guns will be confiscated, during two shots we see the truck driving off behind him.

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Quotes

Jail Guard: [He and Col. Rhodes, via a two-way mirror, are observing Sailor in a jail cell] Your friend, Sailor, blowtorched a local kingpin biker. We're holding him on our Witness Protection Program. Silly sonofabitch come in here with a grenade hung around his neck. If you ask me, I don't think his bread's quite done.

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Connections

Referenced in Body for Hire: Bodyguard Training Videos (1997)

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Soundtracks

Sunshine of Your Love
Written by Jack Bruce, Pete Brown (as Peter Brown) & Eric Clapton

User Reviews

A Winner...It Caught Me By Surprise

This movie is not the "true Vietnam" experience. For that, see only 2 films: Apocalypse Now and Hamburger Hill. All the rest are baloney, or worse. (OK, it's now 2008 and I'm editing this to include We Were Soldiers as another great Vietnam movie. It captivated me utterly and took me back, as did Apocalypse Now. When it was over I was unable to move from my seat until after the cleaning crew had finished.)

Uncommon Valor, however, is still a great Vietnam movie for all to see. It's uneven as hell, so you have to be flexible. I suggest you have fun with the goofball stuff, appreciate the combat bonding stuff, gloss over the obligatory linkage stuff. Watch closely as each Vietnam veteran is recruited and introduced, and learn. Then enjoy what you will of the characters and the actors who bring them to life. (I mostly loved them.)

I was an Infantryman in Vietnam. This movie is the only Vietnam movie, the only one, that ever brought tears to my eyes. I was amazed at the power of its ending. It was overwhelming to me.

When it comes right down to it, take this movie seriously.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Last River to Cross

Filming Locations:

AT&T Building - 611 W. Sixth Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,144,367, 18 December 1983

Gross USA:

$30,503,151

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,503,151

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Milius-Feitshans

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1