Vietnam War vet Stephen Simmons must deal with a war of a different sort between his son and their friends, and a rival group of children. He also must deal with his own personal and ...
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Title: The War (1994)
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1 win & 3 nominations.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Elijah Wood | ... | Stu Simmons | |
| Kevin Costner | ... | Stephen Simmons | |
| Mare Winningham | ... | Lois Simmons | |
| Lexi Randall | ... | Lidia Joanne Simmons | |
 |
LaToya Chisholm | ... | Elvadine |
| Christopher Fennell | ... | Billy Lipnicki | |
|
|
Donald Sellers | ... | Arliss Lipnicki |
|
|
Leon Sills | ... | Leo Lipnicki |
|
|
Will West | ... | Lester Lucket |
|
|
Brennan Gallagher | ... | Marsh |
|
|
Adam Henderson | ... | Chet |
|
|
Charlette Julius | ... | Amber |
|
|
Jennifer Tyler | ... | Ula Lipnicki |
| Lucas Black | ... | Ebb | |
|
|
Justin Lucas | ... | Willard |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (52) »
Storyline
Vietnam War vet Stephen Simmons must deal with a war of a different sort between his son and their friends, and a rival group of children. He also must deal with his own personal and employment problems that have resulted from his Vietnam experiences. Written by David Stumme <dstumme@rochester.rr.com>
Plot Keywords:
cardiopulmonary resuscitation | coming of age | bullying | anti war | post traumatic stress disorder |Taglines:
What's worth fighting for?Genres:
DramaMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for the intense depiction of human struggle and conflict | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
4 November 1994 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La guerra See more »Edit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$16,551,365Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
[to Billy]
Stu: You gotta wake up now, you gotta live. You gotta!
See more »
Written and Performed by Tony Joe White
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The film debut of Brennan Gallagher who played Marsh in the film. See more »Goofs
Amber's hands after she jumps from the tree with the rope. See more »Quotes
Stu: My daddy says that people can do anything they want to as long as they believe they can. Please, God, let him live. You took my dad, don't take Billy. He's just a little kid.[to Billy]
Stu: You gotta wake up now, you gotta live. You gotta!
See more »
Crazy Credits
When the credits are over and the music ends, we hear a helicopter. See more »Soundtracks
Polk Salad AnnieWritten and Performed by Tony Joe White
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
See more »
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It has been said that Vietnam is America's most unpopular war, but in light of both popular opinion and critical oversight, the namesake film may just inch Vietnam out of that role.
The title not only refers to the Vietnam War, which has an appropriate albeit very limited place in the film, but it also refers to the literal war that the children continuously wage with one another and the figurative war that rages within each of them...for identity and purpose.
Personally, I don't feel that "The War" deserves the press it received (or the lack thereof). It is a beautifully crafted film from its intricate, multi-layered story to its moving, realistic performances to its homestyle, nostalgic cinematography.
"The War" combines some of the best elements of "Forrest Gump" and "Fried Green Tomatoes." It captures the nostalgia of its timeframe, the innocence and naivete of youth, the situational humor of the moment, the consequences one's decisions and actions bring, and the tragedy of life. It even contains a couple of "musical" period moments.
Its structure harkens very closely to that of "To Kill a Mockingbird" (my favorite film). Both de-emphasize the star talent (Gregory Peck/Kevin Costner), who still performs remarkably and effectively in a supporting role. Both also utilize a (female) narrator who "bookends" the story in a quasi-flashback style, as well as plays a pivotal (if not the starring) role in the story. Each narrator tells the story of her brother and her father: their growth and what has been learned from and about them.
"Sometimes all it takes is a split second to do something you regret the whole rest of your life." What a great and appropriate theme for a film that few went to see. No wonder so many problems still exist in the world.