HEROES

US, 1977, 102 minutes, Colour.
Henry Winkler, Sally Field, Harrison Ford, Val Avery, Olivia Cole.
Directed by Jeremy Kagan.

Heroes takes on some of the Vietnam war themes prior to the serious films like Coming Home, The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now.

Henry Winkler portrays a veteran who is back from the war for years. He still has traumatic dreams. He has decided to start a worm farm with some of his former buddies. On the bus, he meets a young woman, gets talking to her, becomes friendly and she continues to support him even after his friends pull out of the project.

The film is not nearly as strong as a film like Coming Home, released the next year, which shows the physical and psychological effects of the war in Vietnam. However, it is a more homely and immediate presentation of the effect of the war on the veterans.

Henry Winkler changed style from his Fonz in Happy Days to appear in this film. Sally Field had been the Flying Nun on television but was to win an Oscar in two years for her union leader, Norma Rae (and another five years later for Places in the Heart). Harrison Ford had appeared in American Graffiti and this same year was to appear in Star Wars. He then would be Indiana Jones and a top-lining star for the next thirty years.

The film was directed by Jeremy Kagan, who directed a number of television movies, but also directed The Big Fix about difficulties in American society with drugs as well as the very moving version of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen.

1. The significance and tone of the title? Its reference to the United States, to the experience in Vietnam? To Jack Dunne and the men in this film? The memory of the seventies about Vietnam and its heroics? The aftermath of heroes?

2. The film reflecting the trends of the seventies - the reflections on the Vietnam war, on its aftermath, on the effect on American society of the war involvement, of the men damaged by the war?

3. The reputation of Henry Winkler, his performance in the film, expectations of him? Sally Field and Harrison Ford and their reputations in the seventies and audience expectations? Their performances in serious roles?

4. The portrait of the United States and the device of the journey? As a symbol? Pictorially and thematically from East to West? From the atmosphere of the Eastern cities, the atmosphere of the roads and towns of the mid-West, the farms, hotels and motels? The cities of middle America? The Arizona Desert? The contrast with the West Coast and California? The highway as a symbol of moving through life? A vision of the United States in the seventies?

5. The film's attitude towards war, to the Vietnam war and American involvement? Carol and her comments about protesting? Jack and his being there, the experience of fighting, madness and death? The interruption of life's ambitions, new hopes? The nature of madness and craziness? The veterans who drifted, who were afraid? The meaning of the cause? The place of memories and traumas?

6. Madness in the seventies and the United States? The importance of the credits sequence? Jack's interview? The nature of his escape his shrewdness, the comic overtones? The portrait of the various inmates? Jack when he went berserk? The other friends and their madness? The importance of breaking out? The final going berserk and Carol's plea not to be crazy?

7. The theme of American responsibilities, at home for the veterans of the war? The response of the ordinary citizen who was not directly involved? Audience identification with this?

8. Jack's vision, the name of Eureka and its significance? His dreams and their reality and unreality? The value of having a goal? The importance of his buddies and the origin of the scheme in Vietnam? The humorous detail of the worms and his knowledge of them? The loss and the damage that they caused? His hopes from Adeocks and from Munro?

9. Henry Winkler's interpretation of Jack? The significance of the opening, his behaviour in the ward, the details of his escape, using his wits? The humour of the visuals and the American city? The encounter with Carol, escaping on the bus, the discussions with the driver, on and off the bus? The humorous chatter of the people in the bus, the ventriloquist act etc.?

10. The introduction to Carol? Sally Fields' style? Her presence on the bus, ignoring Jack, the discussions "the earth vibrating", the ventriloquist act, her embarrassment, the meal and the mess and the loss of money? Her telephone calls to her fiance and their poignancy? The reason for her being on the bus and her not facing up to the marriage? Her taking charge of Jack and urging him on? Her grasp of the reality? The encounter with Ken, the enjoyment of the visit, the winning of the race, the realization that he would not help? Her coming to the rescue in the motel fight? The growing romance, love? Jack's shyness of her advances? Her coping with the Adcocks situation and the discussion with Mrs. Adcocks? The clash and the hitchhiking and its ironic humour? Her coping with the Californian situation? Her credibility as a person, a mixed-up person of the seventies with the background of causes and ideologies? Her humanity, care for Jack? Her final plea to him? How well drawn and interesting a character?

11. Her effect on Jack, his fears, hopes, trust, clashes, love?

12. The character of Ken? His work on the farm, his knowledge of the worms, the background of Vietnam? His devotion to his car? His talk, the rabbits, his grandparents? The build?up to the race and its enjoyment? The inevitability that he would never leave? The car and Jack and Carol and the rescue?

13. The Adcocks situation and its understatement? Jack asleep, Carol and her encounter, the discussion with Mrs.Adcocks? The significance of her husband drifting away? The connection with the war?

14. The visit to the Munros and the parents' stunned reaction, Carol trying to understand, Jack going berserk?

15. The way that Jack went berserk? In the street? His memories and their visualizing of the war and death? How appropriate the actual visualizing of the war?

16. The contribution of the minor characters and their illustrating the themes? the bus driver and his reactions, the doctor, the police, the ventriloquist? The thugs and the long sequence of the confrontation with Jack? The racing people, the car driver and the hitchhiking and the advances to Carol? How real a portrait of contemporary America?

17. How authentic a film? The emotional response drawn from the audience as background for understanding the people and the themes?