Good Morning Vietnam

• Cat.no: PLFEB 37321
• Cert: 15
• Running time: 116 minutes
• Sides: 2 (CLV)
• Year: 1987
• Pressing: 1998
• Chapters: 20 (12/8)
• Sound: Dolby Surround
• Widescreen: 1.85:1
• Price: £19.99
• Extras : None
  

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  Director:

  Barry Levinson

  (Diner, Disclosure, Rainman, Sleepers)

Producers:

Screenplay:

Music:

Cast:

Adrian Cronauer: Robin Williams (Being Human, The Best Of Times, The Birdcage, Dead Poets Society, Father’s Day, Flubber, Good Will Hunting, Hamlet (1997), Hook, Jack, Jumanji, Mrs Doubtfire, Nine Months, Toys,The World According To Garp)
Eddie Garlick: Forest Whitaker (Bird, Blown Away, Body Snatchers, The Crying Game, Jason’s Lyric, Phenomenon, Smoke, Species)
Tuan: Tung Thanh Tran
Trinh: Chintara Sukapatana
Lt. Steven Hauk: Bruno Kirby (The Basketball Diaries, City Slickers, Donnie Brasco, When Harry Met Sally)
Marty Lee Druiwitz: Robert Wuhl (Batman, Cobb, The Last Don)
Sgt. Major Dickerson: J.T. Walsh (Backdraft, The Big Picture, Breakdown, A Few Good Men, Hoffa, Needful Things, Nixon, Red Rock West, The Russia House, Sniper, TV: “Dark Skies”)
Censor #1: Dan R. Stanton (Terminator 2)
Censor #2: Don R. Stanton (Terminator 2)

Good Morning Vietnamis the wake-up call dished out by radio DJ AdrianCronauer once he is posted to the Armed Forced Radio Service station in1965 Saigon. Shown around town by colleague Eddie Garlick, it doesn’t takeCronauer long to find his soulmate as he falls instantly in love with a youngVietnamese girl, Trinh. After first rejecting his advances, he takes it uponhimself to effectively hijack the teaching of an English class in a bid toget closer to her.

At the radio station, Cronauer isn’t making friends with his superiors Lt. Haukand Sgt. Major Dickerson, neither of whom think much of his mix of pop musicand rapid-fire humour, despite the fact that it’s giving the troops the liftthey need to beat the G.I. blues. Events take a turn for the worse, and it’sgoing to be a while before things revert back to normal, but will Cronauerstill have a job there now that a traitor is among his circle of friends ?

Robin Williams plays the fast-talking DJ and there’s no-one else whocould have been better suited to the part. I’m not always his biggest fan,but he pulls off a masterstroke here making the perfect blend between maniccomedy and sensitive drama, also dropping a sarcastic line or two in from timeto time. For example, as he encounters the censors who take the news straightfrom the teleprinter and cross through any undesirable items with politicalcontent, he quips “…ooh, come join the army and mark things (!)”

Forest Whitaker is quite good as Eddie Garlick, helping Cronauer easeinto the job, although a lot of the time is spent following him around andlaughing at his jokes. Better still is a very thin Bruno Kirby, betterknown as a porky City Slicker, as Lt. Hauk who takes an instant disliketo the new arrival and who can’t wait for his chance to get on the air; andthe late, great J.T. Walsh as Sgt. Major Dickerson who couldn’t smileif he tried. For every occasion where Hauk disapproves, Dickerson reinforcesthat with a passion although he’s clearly happy when he’s dishing out thepunishment. Just wait for his last exchange with Cronauer.

Finally, the security guard(s) in Terminator 2 are seen here in anequally silent role as the aforementioned censors.

The picture is framed at 1.85:1, emulating the original theatrical ratioand its pin-sharp clarity does perfect justice to this eleven-year-old film.

The sound quality is excellent too and is mainly used for the 60’s soundtrackof songs from The Beach Boys (I Get Around), James Brown(I Got You (I Feel Good)), Wilson Pickett (In The MidnightHour) and Martha Reeves And The Vandellas (Nowhere To Run).The dialogue and ambience during the rest of the film also comes across clearly.

There are 20 chapters to the disc, although it could do with more. It coversa fair number of the major scenes but not all of them. Around 30 or so wouldhave done it.