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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Add Synopsis
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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 »
See full technical specs »
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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By Bill Thumm & R.D. 'Luther' Fairbairn (as R.D. Fairbairn)
Performed by Keith Bennett
See more »
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 »Quotes
Jack Lambert: I'm not going to waste all of your time so I'm just going a few words. Like all of you, I would like to move on in life. Thank you.See more »
Soundtracks
Distant ThunderBy Bill Thumm & R.D. 'Luther' Fairbairn (as R.D. Fairbairn)
Performed by Keith Bennett
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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I saw this movie several years ago, really late at night, on cable TV. I enjoyed the movie greatly, but, over time, forgot the name of the movie. It took me until today, after years of searching, to find the movie. Now I am off to Amazon to see if I can buy it.
The movie is great in regards to the subject, a Vietnam vet. Too many are forgotten, and many returned changed forever, such as the main Character, played by John Lithgow. He does give an excellent performance, and should have had some recognition for it. Find this movie, and enjoy it!