Excellent review DRD, you made me suddenly want to watch it again! (It's been years.) As we mentioned in the other thread, neither one of us is a huge fan of Williams' coked up comedic style, but I think it worked brilliantly in context here: a radio personality. I have a collection of old rock n roll radio broadcasts on vinyl (the Cruisin' 1955-1969 series, it pops up on ebay sometimes), and that's exactly how the DJs talked as they were introducing the oldies. They spoke in rapid fire puns, mostly groan worthy, and a merciless barrage of silly gags. Ridiculous but entertaining for sure. And I'm suddenly realizing that Robin Williams probably grew up listening to those exact broadcasts because that became his style. In other words, the choice to cast Robin Williams as a Vietnam wartime radio DJ was brilliant.

But what really did it for me were the moments of tense drama, because he really came through. The heartfelt scene you mentioned is at the front of the line. His initial reluctance (due to his loss of faith), slowly then explosively building back to full character, is magical to watch, especially because you know that he's just a salve for these young boys being sent to the worst hell imaginable. You know it, I know it, Williams knows it, but the boys don't. Williams excellently played the scene on both sides of the coin (comedy/tragedy) in a way I can't imagine anyone else ever doing.

Another scene with the same vibe, earlier in the film perhaps mirroring/foreshadowing the troops' farewell, is when he has just witnessed the bombing of the cafe and rushes to the studio to report it but is told no because it's not official. That first minute when he gets on the air trying vainly to slip into his devil-may-care schtick while he's losing his mind makes me think of the quintessential "tears of a clown". Again, who but a manic comedian/tragedian like Williams could've pulled it off?

I also agree that the Pocahontas theme was well handled, especially when the girl's brother gives Cronauer a piece of his mind. That boy was really the voice of reason in the movie, despite being the "terrorist". And he rightly pointed out Cronauer's arrogance at thinking he can waltz in like the great white savior and swoop up the girl, when in actuality it's probably just lustful desire. Brilliant metaphor for USA's involvement in the whole mess! I was relieved to see he didn't get the girl, otherwise I would've dumped popcorn all over the person sitting next to me.

I don't remember the director or writer of this film, but I'm pretty sure they are not huge names. That surprises me. I thought this was a really well made film. Glad you enjoyed it as well!

@rooprect said:

Excellent review DRD, you made me suddenly want to watch it again! (It's been years.) As we mentioned in the other thread, neither one of us is a huge fan of Williams' coked up comedic style, but I think it worked brilliantly in context here: a radio personality. I have a collection of old rock n roll radio broadcasts on vinyl (the Cruisin' 1955-1969 series, it pops up on ebay sometimes), and that's exactly how the DJs talked as they were introducing the oldies. They spoke in rapid fire puns, mostly groan worthy, and a merciless barrage of silly gags. Ridiculous but entertaining for sure. And I'm suddenly realizing that Robin Williams probably grew up listening to those exact broadcasts because that became his style. In other words, the choice to cast Robin Williams as a Vietnam wartime radio DJ was brilliant.

Good insight, and I'd bet you're right!

But what really did it for me were the moments of tense drama, because he really came through. The heartfelt scene you mentioned is at the front of the line. His initial reluctance (due to his loss of faith), slowly then explosively building back to full character, is magical to watch, especially because you know that he's just a salve for these young boys being sent to the worst hell imaginable. You know it, I know it, Williams knows it, but the boys don't. Williams excellently played the scene on both sides of the coin (comedy/tragedy) in a way I can't imagine anyone else ever doing.

So well said.

Another scene with the same vibe, earlier in the film perhaps mirroring/foreshadowing the troops' farewell, is when he has just witnessed the bombing of the cafe and rushes to the studio to report it but is told no because it's not official. That first minute when he gets on the air trying vainly to slip into his devil-may-care schtick while he's losing his mind makes me think of the quintessential "tears of a clown". Again, who but a manic comedian/tragedian like Williams could've pulled it off?

Yep!

I also agree that the Pocahontas theme was well handled, especially when the girl's brother gives Cronauer a piece of his mind. That boy was really the voice of reason in the movie, despite being the "terrorist". And he rightly pointed out Cronauer's arrogance at thinking he can waltz in like the great white savior and swoop up the girl, when in actuality it's probably just lustful desire. Brilliant metaphor for USA's involvement in the whole mess! I was relieved to see he didn't get the girl, otherwise I would've dumped popcorn all over the person sitting next to me.

Indeed!

I don't remember the director or writer of this film, but I'm pretty sure they are not huge names. That surprises me. I thought this was a really well made film. Glad you enjoyed it as well!

Barry Levinson, no slouch (Rain Man, Disclosure, Wag the Dog...)

At times, the movie had an almost documentary feel. That motif of the typewriter banging out the official government briefs gave it an authentic, newsroom like feel. Really anchored the tone, kept things sober, if you will.

Definitely, it didn’t occur to me how important the typewriter scenes are until you mentioned it. They provide the perfect sober, sterile, “documentary” account of what’s happening. Now that I think back on those scenes I’m reminded of 2001 A Space Odyssey—the mechanical viewpoint of HAL’s actions providing the viewer with a cold irony.

The director of Rain Man, how did I miss that?? No slouch indeed!

@NeoLosman said:

That said, I am a person of colonized experience

Me too.

Wonderful. As was Stephen in Django Unchained.

I'm sure we both agree that our lives in suburban America easily rivaled the horrors of The Congo under Belgian rule

Well, you're wrong, but what's new?

@NeoLosman said:

Wonderful. As was Stephen in Django Unchained.

This raises a question which doesn't get asked more: Do we blame Malcolm X for poisoning our cultural bloodstream with the fraudulent and ahistorical of notion of The House Negro and The Field Negro(Fact: The vast majority of the most powerful abolitionists who were themselves Black were house slaves at one time. And as Ishmael Reed points out, they had their own way of dealing with cruel masters: Poison and taking pick axes to their skulls whilst the master and mistress slept), or the born imbeciles who continue to repeat this lie like Branch Davidians under the sway of Koresh?

There is a conversation to be had somewhere in this, but your curious framing makes it difficult to want to bother here on this board.

Well, you're wrong, but what's new?

Hey, I'm agreeing with you.

You can't be, because I don't know enough to challenge my belief that there's no solid argument supporting the notion that growing up in an American suburb "easily" rivals conditions in the Belgian Congo.

Being born in The US to people who's ancestors in another continent were at one time subjected to Colonialism makes us victims of Colonialism also.

Yes, I wholly agree with that statement.

The fact that we grew up in suburbia playing video games and occasionally being stopped by the cops for questionable rationales makes us kin to Nelson Mandela

You were comparing American suburbs to the Congo. Nelson Mandela lived in South Africa. I won't even bother contending this assertion of kinship.

and Juan Alberdi, who spent their lives outwitting state-sponsored assassins and enduring prison sentences for daring to champion liberty and free expression for one and all

By this point, I'd have assumed you were being sarcastic but, if you're actually serious, I've no idea how to engage this conversation.

I'm content to stop here and let all we've typed thus far to speak for itself before things derail, as they are too often wont to do.

@NeoLosman said:

This movie is a drama with no real laugh-out-loud moments (for me, anyway, although there were a few cute scenes that did make me chuckle, most notably when Cronauer first meets the Stanton twins!).

In hindsight, this movie is the source of lots of indirect and unintended farce. This was the beginning of Robin Williams's decades long con, wherein he deceived most film critics in The English Speaking world into believing that he was a serious actor, rather than a goof ball who was always better suited for stand-up

To me, Robin Williams was a far better dramatic actor than he was a stand-up comedian. I'm not sure I ever laughed at any stand-up material I ever heard him do. His pace, his rhythm, his tone, his sense of linguistic poetry, how he landed words...none of it ever resonated with me. Yet, when I watched him portray dramatic rolls (and, if most people refer to Dead Poets Society, the three to which I most frequently refer are Patch Adams, One Hour Photo, and Insomnia). I'm quite happy to add his turn here in Good Morning, Vietnam, to my list - and, again, it won't be due to how they presented him as "funny" (although, thanks to @rooprect I've learned enough to respect how well he nailed that aspect of the character-type).

If you think Robin Williams was a better stand-up comedian than he was a dramatic actor, you are entitled to your opinion; but to suggest that he deceived most film critics is, in my opinion, absurd.

@NeoLosman said:

To me, Robin Williams was a far better dramatic actor than he was a stand-up comedian. I'm not sure I ever laughed at any stand-up material I ever heard him do. His pace, his rhythm, his tone, his sense of linguistic poetry, how he landed words...none of it ever resonated with me.

Understandable. Neither who self-identify as Woke and their mirror images on The Alt Right are renown for their capacity to comprehend and follow along with comedy

My capacity to comprehend and follow along with comedy is just fine. We can differ on what constitutes "funny" — everyone has their preferences.

If you think Robin Williams was a better stand-up comedian than he was a dramatic actor, you are entitled to your opinion

It's not my opinion alone. The great John Houseman encouraged RW to leave Julliard for stand-up, and pointed out that he was far better suited to that than he was dramatic acting.

Sure, and Gene Hackman's acting school said he'd never make it. And Eddie Van Halen's music teacher said he'd never make it. The list is long of people who tuned out the detractors and discouragement, did their thing and found their audience.

That Williams only half-took his counsel is nothing short of a tragedy

It's sufficiently short of a tragedy that I wouldn't even consider the term applicable.

@NeoLosman said:

Wonderful. As was Stephen in Django Unchained.

This raises a question which doesn't get asked more: Do we blame Malcolm X for poisoning our cultural bloodstream with the fraudulent and ahistorical of notion of The House Negro and The Field Negro(Fact: The vast majority of the most powerful abolitionists who were themselves Black were house slaves at one time. And as Ishmael Reed points out, they had their own way of dealing with cruel masters: Poison and taking pick axes to their skulls whilst the master and mistress slept), or the born imbeciles who continue to repeat this lie like Branch Davidians under the sway of Koresh?

Well, you're wrong, but what's new?

Hey, I'm agreeing with you. Being born in The US to people who's ancestors in another continent were at one time subjected to Colonialism makes us victims of Colonialism also. The fact that we grew up in suburbia playing video games and occasionally being stopped by the cops for questionable rationales makes us kin to Nelson Mandela and Juan Alberdi, who spent their lives outwitting state-sponsored assassins and enduring prison sentences for daring to champion liberty and free expression for one and all

Juan Alberdi never spent any time in prison & what I have read about his life, never had to outwit an assassin.

@NeoLosman said:

Juan Alberdi never spent any time in prison & what I have read about his life, never had to outwit an assassin.

Read up on his clashes with the Rojas government of Argentina

I have. The worst thing that happened to Alberdi was that he lived in exile during Rosas' time as Governor. And by the way, his name was Juan Manuel de Rosas NOT Rojas. There is also NO comparison to what Mandela went through!