Resting Place (1986)

The mysterious death of an army officer comes under investigation by Major Kendall Laird as the young soldier's parents seek an honorable burial place, out of respect for their son. The ... See full summary »

Director:

John Korty

Writer:

Walter Halsey Davis

Stars:

John Lithgow, Richard Bradford, Morgan Freeman

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Lithgow	...	Maj. Kendall Laird
Richard Bradford	...	Gen. Willard P. Hauer
Morgan Freeman	...	Luther Johnson
G.D. Spradlin	...	Sam Jennings
CCH Pounder	...	Ada Johnson
Frances Sternhagen	...	Eudora McCallister
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Sarge
John Philbin	...	Bradford Erskine
Brian Tarantina	...	Sp4 Beyer
Richard Brooks	...	Booker T. Douglas
Tegan West	...	Mervyn Oliver
Buck Herron	...	Pvt. Porter
Bob Hannah	...	Col. Richard Holmby
Mert Hatfield	...	Police Chief
Hugh Jarrett	...	Oster

Storyline

The mysterious death of an army officer comes under investigation by Major Kendall Laird as the young soldier's parents seek an honorable burial place, out of respect for their son. The parents are assisted by their neighbor, Mrs. McAlister, in their patriotic and racially divided community.

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Plot Keywords:

army officer | mysterious death | investigation | major | burial site | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: Resting Place (#35.2)

Filming Locations:

Covington, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions,Marian Rees Associates

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Eudora McCallister: Major Laird, are you always punctual to the very minute?
Maj. Kendall Laird: Yes, ma'am. I'm well trained by U.S. Army.

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Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

A soldier is brought home for burial.

I was so pleased that I had taped this movie from the television based upon the briefest review in the newspaper as I have the chance to watch this forgotten gem whenever I wish to. Made in 1986 the film is about a US Army Major in 1972 accompanying the body of a young officer to his home town of Rockville for local burial. So what you may think, but the twist is that Major Laird is played by John Lithgow and his charge is the son of Luther and Ada Johnson (Morgan Freeman and CCH Pounder). In Rockville the cemetery is reserved for the white folks and even black military heroes have to rest out of town, according to the local Sheriff. The plot deals with that period in time when there still was prejudice even though there were laws for equal rights. This may seem quite dated now that Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th President of the United States of America, but the story is told with feeling and some very strong acting ability. Without exception, all of the leading characters are portrayed by actors who all went on to prove their true worth. It may be that the subject matter of the movie was not flavour of the month in 1986 but nevertheless it is workmanlike and sincere in its story of good old white society trying to maintain its superiority over emerging black aspirations. Whilst it is not in the same league as 'In the Heat of the Night' or 'Amistad' this well made tale of a fight against prejudice is still worth watching more than once.