THE WAR
US, 1994, 124 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Costneer, Elijah Wood, Mare Winningham, Lexi Randall, La Toya Chisholm, Christopher Fennell, Lucas Black.
Directed by Jon Avnet.
An unexpectedly pleasing picture of children, poverty and the aftermath of the Vietnam war; pleasing in the sense that the characters are sympathetically drawn but with some sharp edges. Star is the talented Elijah Wood, a twelve year old who loves his father, a disturbed veteran (whose trauma in war is shown in flashbacks) and who grieves at his father's suffering and absence from the family. The father is played effectively by Kevin Costner (who takes second billing).
John Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) is the director and captures the detail of life in the south, especially the children, their fights, friendships, their tree-house and their dealing with tragedy. Journey into a child's world.
1. A film of the 1990s? Memories of Vietnam and American involvement? Returning soldiers, mental stress? Life in war, life in peace?
2. The American South, the way of life, poverty, those who went to war, opportunities on returning, loss of opportunities? Families, neighbours, feuds?
3. The location photography, the town, the homes, options, the treehouse, the institutions? The mind? The water tower? The woods? The musical score?
4. The title, generic, the war in Vietnam, children and the local wars? Feuds? The extent of hatred and violence? The need for collaboration, reconciliation, working together?
5. The focus on Stephen, his experience of the war, his friend being killed, his having to escape? The return home, and the flashbacks, war action? In the institution, voluntarily? His experience, the nightmares, the treatment? Going home? His relationship with his wife, with Stu and the twins? Getting a job at the school, security, the regulations about anybody in an institution? The potato work? Searching for jobs? The meeting with Moe, the job in the minds?
6. Stu, Lydia? His real world, the world of play and fantasy? The woods, the tree, the treehouse? Stu, Chet and Marsh? Lydia Elvadine, Amber? Their personalities? The friendships? The dispute between the boys and girls? Working together for the treehouse?
7. The Lipnicki family, the bullying? The garbage and getting material for the treehouse? Billy, his price? The truth?
8. The accident on the mine, Stephen and Moe, the rubble, Stephen and the rescue, the stone falling on him, hospital, comatose? His death?
9. The family response, his wife, Stu and the others? His lock and key for the treehouse? The challenged by the Liipnickis? The bet, swimming in the water silo as it was draining? Stu’s success? The challenge with dropping the key into the water silo? The rotten roof?
10. The war about the house, its being destroyed? Billy wanting peace? Stu and his response? Billy going into the water silo and the collapsing? His being saved?
11. Billy, the story of his vision of the angel, the overtones of Stephen? The message?
12. Rebuilding the treehouse, the better treehouse, Stephen and his arranging for the house before he died?
13. An allegory about war for a younger audience?
