GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM 🤩

I was a teenager in the 60’s. Those were turbulent, tough, terrifying times. At every street corner, there were protests. We, as the next generation, were not happy with the way our government was handling race, war, or civil rights. People my age stood up to the powers in control and said, Enough. We figured that no one would know how we felt if we didn’t speak up. So we marched and waved our signs. In return, we got tear-gassed, and some even gave the ultimate sacrifice. Kent State was a true wake-up call about what was on the line. 

Lately, I have been thinking about Memorial Day and all its implications. Our planet is immersed in wars on its front doorstep and far from home. In the 60’s, Vietnam was our battleground that conflicted people about why we were even there. It was disturbing because we couldn’t see the enemy. The jungles were too deep and thick. There were too many hidden holes, and it seemed to bring out the worst in our troop’s morals. Our government deemed it important to be the protector of smaller, more vulnerable countries. It was, in the end, a senseless war that left bitter battle scars for decades. It caused controversy among those drafted and those who volunteered to serve. It was not an easy time to be young. 

Vietnam was a daily conundrum. Choices had to be made about whether to fight or burn your draft card while fleeing to Canada. Opinions were rampant, and every night, parents, families, and friends watched in horror at the nightly news that showcased body bag after body bag on the 6 pm news broadcast. Few of us will ever forget those images burned into our innocent youth.

In those crazy days, I fell in love for the first time.  He was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona. I met him when I was 19, one night at a local bar. He was a great dancer. God, the man could move his hips. I was in college, protesting the war, and he would be shipped to Saigon soon. We dated until he got his orders. He didn’t want to go, but he had no choice. He believed in doing the right thing and listening to his superiors. I just wanted him to live. We promised to write and see each other at the end of his tour. He was my wild, red-headed, blue-eyed, Irish-Catholic boyfriend. Looking back, we never had a chance. We were too different, and our relationship was about to be blown up on the other side of the world. 

Yes, we did write. Yes, I flew to California to see him when he returned almost two years later (He ended up serving two tours). I followed him to New York to meet his family, but he wasn’t the same young man. He was one of the lucky ones. He lived, but the joy and laughter disappeared from his face and beautiful eyes. He had seen too much. Even his amazing hips didn’t move in the same carefree way. We tried to make it work, but the gap was too wide and deep. He lived through daily nightmarish scenarios. There was too much gray surrounding him now. We fought often. He wouldn’t get help. There wasn’t a name yet for PTSD. We grew apart and eventually went our separate ways. Sometimes, there are milliseconds when the song ” I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE ” blasts on a phone, and then I can still see him joyously dancing once more, hopefully free from horrific nightmares. 

When GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM premiered in 1987, old memories came rushing back. I was an older, divorced woman with two children, but the second Robin Williams shouted, GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM time stopped, and we were back in the thick jungles once more, but no longer wearing old rose-colored glasses. 

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM is a story about Airman Adrian Cronauer, incredibly portrayed by the incomparable Robin Williams. He was selected to be a DJ for Radio Saigon, the Armed Forces’ radio station. He was recruited because of his style and humor. His job was to raise the spirits of the troops. This is the only part of the film content that is honest and truthful to the facts. 

Cronauer was not like Robin Williams. This film was an avenue to allow Williams to do his schtick. It worked like a charm. Williams improvised all his on-air radio time. It was a stand-up comedian’s dream gig, which could be done while sitting at a desk. The lightning-fast zingers, impressions, and outrageous jokes brought cinema theaters to their knees at every showing. The film took in close to $125,000,000! No one could get enough of William’s brilliance and genius performance. He was nominated for an Oscar but only took home a Golden Globe statue. He should have swept every award show due to his stellar, nuanced, dramatic, comedic acting style. He was one of a kind and left us too soon in life. 

The film features great talent, including Forest Whitaker, Tom T. Tran, Robert Wuhl, J.T. Walsh, Bruno Kirby, and Noble Willingham. The film was directed by Barry Levinson (RAIN MAN, BUGSY, and WAG THE DOG), who understood it was a Robin Williams production. I couldn’t stop laughing, chuckling, and snorting every second. The humor still holds up, and the profound moments pull moviegoers back to the reality of war. 

The montages of the country, the men lined up in military formation, and the sweeping helicopter rides were all too real. Walking into small villages, reliving the death, destruction, the unimaginable humid heat, and hearing the men’s laughter, seeing their smiles before going into battle, was so realistic and heartbreaking. War is hell. Plain and simple. GMV made this extremely clear. 

It was also bold and risky to express the racism that existed between some of our troops and the Vietnamese people. Using the terminology of “gooks” was brave. Williams made his point when he asked who would be left if we didn’t stand up for each other. Playing Louis Armstrong’s version of WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD put everything into perspective.  When will we ever learn that fighting and killing are such a waste of humanity’s potential? 

There are hundreds of comedy jewels throughout this film. I can’t recite them all, but my three favorites must be Hanoi Hannah the wicked witch of the north, Pope on a rope, and the big Dick (In reference to Nixon). There is no time limit to enjoy great, improvised comedic moments. 

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM, in my mind is a huge thank you to all the men who have or are currently serving our country. It is a reminder of the reality of war. It tells us to use our words and diplomacy before blowing up civilian life. It is about maintaining thoughtfulness, kindness, and restraint wherever we travel. GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM is a profound, funny, war movie classic that shouldn’t have had to be created if we could use our brains more than our muscles, bullets, and bombs. Robin Williams knew this. So did my first red-haired love. I hope we can be better so we can live in peace. The words “thank you for your service” are becoming repetitive and hollow. 

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM is available to rent.