Review of Coming Home (1978) by Wendy L — 01 Jan 2009

I really love how Hal Ashby's films carry a minimal film quality; though he doesn't shoot these films as a documentary, they always have that feel, and the way he directs his actors makes them feel natural and real; he's like the Judd Apatow-drama film equivalent.

This movie makes me feel very disappointed in Jon Voight; he is spectacular here, as he was in all of his 70's films, and his speech at the end really resonated with me on a strong emotional level.

Why is he no relegated to acting in "Bratz: The Movie"? It makes me wanna sob. Perhaps I should just be satisfied with the fact that for a brief time, he was capable of truly masterful work.

Jane Fonda also deserves kudos for a performance that probably echoed her infamous 70's sentiments, and Bruce Dern is an actor I never see anymore who was admirably strong in his role as well. The best thing about this film is its willingness to be staunchly anti-war, while still respecting and honoring the hardships of the soldiers abroad.

In that respect, this ends up being a highly-patriotic film.