Director: Ulu Grosbard
Format: Color
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: May 30, 1996
Martin Sheen, Jack Albertson and Patricia Neal star in this film, with few other supporting cast members.
Sheen is a returning army corporal following the Second World War. Jack Albertson plays his father, a harsh, dictatorial man who is inclined to lay down the law in the household. His mother, Patricia Neal, is his long-suffering wife who manages to get her licks in. A dysfunctional family, to say the least.
The young soldier manages to sort things out in the end. It is not, really, a surprise ending: rather as happy an ending as might be expected under the circumstances.
They all played their parts well. Probably Albertson played his character best, although Neal was excellent as well. So was Sheen, to be fair. Patricia Neal was recovering from an illness when she made the movie, and Sheen was concerned about her health during a dance scene, but he said she did better than he had expected, and in fact had a hard time letting him lead.
Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books