Faith of My Fathers (2005)

The story of John McCain's experience as a Vietnam War POW. Based on the memoir of the same title.

Director:

Peter Markle

Writers:

Peter Markle (teleplay), William Bingham (teleplay)

Stars:

Shawn Hatosy, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Joe Chrest

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shawn Hatosy	...	John McCain
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Cat
Joe Chrest	...	Craner
Chi Muoi Lo	...	Prick
Troy Ruptash	...	Bud Day
Shea Whigham	...	Norris Overly
Jason Alan Smith	...	Charles larson
Scott Glenn	...	Jack McCain
Brian F. Durkin	...	Henry Witt
Michael Arata	...	Captain Hart
Nick Gomez	...	Becker
Douglas M. Griffin	...	Sailor
Brian Bossetta	...	Hanging POW
Robert Heath Hickman	...	Doug McCain
J.D. Evermore	...	Commander James Latimer

Storyline

John McCain is a poor student, except at wrestling, but toughs it out in Annapolis at the US Naval Academy with the goal of becoming a career naval officer like his father and grandfather, who were both admirals. Love at first sight leads to a marriage and children with Carole. During the Vietnam War, he's shot down and captured by the Vietcong, who torture American POWs. He resists years of torture and misery, only breaking once due to his busted limbs, and eventually returning home after five and one half years in captivity.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam | vietnam war | torture | john mccain | u.s. naval academy | 

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Taglines:

John McCain's father gave him the courage to be a soldier. Five years as a POW gave him the courage to be a hero.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of wartime imprisonment and brief sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 May 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

I istoria tou John McCain

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&E Television Networks, Alan Barnette Productions, L.I.F.T. Production

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack McCain is played by Scott Glenn. In the film Game Change (2012), John McCain is played by Ed Harris. Glenn and Harris appeared together in The Right Stuff (1983), and have both played Sheriff Alan Pangborn in Castle Rock (2018) and Needful Things (1993).

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Goofs

Carol McCain suffered a near fatal car accident during John's captivity that rendered her unable to walk without crutches, and deformed from her surgery. Though Carol's accident is mentioned in the book, the movie ignores it completely, so when Carol and John reunite she is in perfect physical condition. They're even shown dancing together.

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Soundtracks

All Along The Watchtower
Written by Bob Dylan
Performed by Jimi Hendrix
[Played during prison scene]

User Reviews

lot of beatings, no plot

Basically a 2-hour film showing McCain getting abused as a POW. I learned nothing about McCain from this except that he was horribly abused. Even how or whether he stood up to it was deliberately left unclear. Or maybe I dozed off in the middle and missed it.

What's left out was his reaction, his growth, what he thought about during his time, and what he did when he got out that made him enter politics. In other words, the movie was totally lacking in merit. I gotta figure that McCain's book (on which the movie is based) had to provide all this detail but the producers had no interest in that aspect.

As for Scott Glenn, I cannot understand how he agreed to this role. There was no meat here for him to sink his teeth into. Anyone can play the role of a father that never shows his emotion. But the opportunity to go into his inner conflict between being a major leader of the Vietnam conflict and his son's confinement was dealt with in less than 1 minute of the film.

Acting from other players was similarly disappointing. For example, there was no in-depth struggle by the actors playing the soldiers who confessed for fear of more torture.

What a disappointment.