VIETNAM GOOD MORNING Movie Review
1987 Barry Levinson
Though it is primarily a vehicle for star Robin Williams's rapid-fire free-association comedy, Barry Levinson's approach to the war does not ignore the serious side. Much of the humor comes out of the insanity of the conflict, and this is one of the few films that attempts to see the American presence through Vietnamese eyes. If the plot takes some arbitrary turns to make its points, they are not too forced.
Air Force disc jockey Adrian Cronauer (Williams) arrives in Saigon from Crete to work for Armed Forces Radio in 1965 as the “conflict” is beginning to intensify. One of the first wire stories he sees quotes President Johnson on raising the level of American commitment in the country from 75,000 men to 125,000. But Cronauer finds that he is not allowed to read such stories over the air. There is no freedom of the press, and the news has to go through twin censors before it is broadcast. Still, the news is only a small part of Cronauer's show. He brings mile-a-minute improvisational irreverence to his patter, along with the best “contemporary” rock.
His superiors—Sgt. Maj. Dickerson (J.T. Walsh) and Lt. Hauk (Bruno Kirby)—want none of it. They hate Cronauer's humor and prefer polkas to Martha and the Vandellas. The troops love his brash wit, and Cronauer is supported by his pals Garlick (Forest Whitaker) and Dreiwitz (Robert Wuhl). Outside the radio station, the sex-starved d.j.—he claims that all the women on Crete looked like Zorba the Greek—quickly falls for Trinh (Chintara Sukapatana). Her brother Tuan (Tung Thanh Tran) says that no relationship is possible between them and tries to explain why.
At first, the two sides of the story seem not to fit together comfortably. When the action moves out of the control room, it shifts gears, and about half way through, the war becomes a more significant part of the film. Levinson handles it with unusual skill. He portrays the Vietnamese as real people, individuals involved in a complex political struggle that has been going on for decades. It's not a matter of good vs. evil, and it's certainly not something that a guy fresh from Crete can comprehend. Levinson and writer Mitch Markowitz wisely leave that side of the story unresolved. More accurately, they leave it unfinished, reflecting the reality of the American experience.
In either case, they are more interested in the characters as individuals than in political statements. They have surrounded Cronauer with a deep supporting cast to provide targets for his humor. The most memorable of them is Cu Ba Nguyen, as a fey club owner who is obsessed with Walter Brennan. Bruno Kirby, an underrated character actor, is excellent as Cronauer's primary target, and Forest Whitaker, who has become more well known as a director in recent years, is just as good.
Finally, a personal note. I have always been fond of this film, at least in part because in the early 1970s I worked with the real Adrian Cronauer at a National Public Radio station. Though he'll never be mistaken for Robin Williams, he is intelligent and funny, and the film is based on his experiences in Vietnam.
Cast: Robin Williams (Adrian Cronauer), Forest Whitaker (Edward Garlick), Bruno Kirby (Lt. Steven Hauk), Richard Edson (Pvt. Abersold), Robert Wuhl (Marty Lee Dreiwitz), J.T. Walsh (Sgt. Maj. Dickerson), Noble Willingham (Gen. Tayler), Floyd Vivino (Eddie Kirk), Tung Thanh Tran (Tuan), Chintara Sukapatana (Trinh), Richard Portnow (Dan “The Man” Levitan), Juney Smith (Phil McPherson), Cu Ba Nguyen (Jimmy Wah), Dan Stanton (Censor #1), Don Stanton (Censor #2); Written by: Mitch Markowitz; Cinematography by: Peter Sova; Music by: Alex North. Producer: Touchstone Pictures, Larry Brezner, Mark Johnson. Awards: Golden Globe Awards ‘88: Best Actor—Musical/Comedy (Williams); Nominations: Academy Awards ‘87: Best Actor (Williams). Budget: 13M. Boxoffice: 123.9M. MPAA Rating: R. Running Time: 121 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta, LV, 8mm, Closed Caption, DVD.