A troubled Vietnam war vet deserts his wife and child shortly after he returns from the war. He returns after 10 years, where he's been living like an animal in the forest. He finds himself...
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Title: Distant Thunder (1988)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Ralph Macchio | ... | Jack Lambert | |
| John Lithgow | ... | Mark Lambert | |
| Kerrie Keane | ... | Char | |
| Reb Brown | ... | Harvey Nitz | |
| Janet Margolin | ... | Barbara Lambert | |
| Denis Arndt | ... | Larry | |
| Jamey Sheridan | ... | Moss | |
| Tom Bower | ... | Louis | |
 |
John Kelly | ... | Andy |
|
|
Michael Currie | ... | Coach Swabey |
|
|
Hilary Strang | ... | Jane |
|
|
Robyn Stevan | ... | Holly |
| David Longworth | ... | Sheriff | |
| Gordon Currie | ... | Billy Watson | |
| Walter Marsh | ... | Principal | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Storyline
A troubled Vietnam war vet deserts his wife and child shortly after he returns from the war. He returns after 10 years, where he's been living like an animal in the forest. He finds himself unprepared for the changes that he will have to cope with, and when the vet tries to contact his son, he realizes that he has caused more damage than he had imagined. Written by Brennan Storr
Plot Keywords:
forest | vietnam | guerilla warfare | martial arts | hand to hand combat |Taglines:
The last echoes of war. See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
11 November 1988 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Distant Thunder - The last echoes of war See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$8,000,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$156,188Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
John Lithgow's character was a Navy SEAL during his service in Vietnam. See more »Goofs
The 1966 Pontiac used in the film is not a real GTO. The taillights are single pod lenses making this either a Tempest or LeMans - a real GTO has segmented taillights which spans the rear header panel with a 12 inch blank center section. Also, a real GTO has the grille emblem in the driver side grille opening (same with the final 2004-06 generation) - the emblem is on the passenger side grille (the final muscle-era GTO produced for the 1974 model year has a vinyl graphic GTO logo placed on the passenger-side header panel). See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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It was the 1980s and America (and countries like Australia who sent troops to Vietnam) were obsessed with the lives of Vietnam Veterans.
John Lithgow plays Jack, a vet who eeks out an existence in a bush camp. When his friend decides to kiss a train he thinks it is time for him to try life in the real world again.
Char yes is a lovely woman who helps him and encourages him to get in contact with his lost son, but unfortunately her boyfriend does like Jack and he heads back into the bush.
I don't really blame him when his son turns out to be Ralph Macchio (of Karate Kid fame). Still this movie has a heart, but the characters lack depth, which is not made up for by cheesy dialog.
I watched this movie because I read good reviews about it in this website.
I would say watch this with hamburger hill to get a good, but superficial look at the lives of Vietnam Vets, both in country and back home (also some of the language and phrases used in Distant thunder, such as "it don't mean nothing" make more sense after seeing Hamburger Hill).
But please don't expect too much of a humble little drama like this and you will enjoy it.