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Excellent but underrated film

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Telling war stories over a movie that is predominantly a family movie is indeed hard as proved by this movie. There rises the challenge of whether to make the war depictions look realistic enough or not; holding back details which can be contradicting to the family movie's values. That's quite bad because the story nicely tells details about the war. Each mini stories, particularly those linked to an item, proves to be of high emotional content. The contrast between the World War II stories and the more modern Iraqi Invasion war stories put this movie to a more realistic point in story-telling. Yet again the details about the war action got severely cut due to this movie is intended to be viewed by the whole family. The acting overall feels kind of bland. Individually, only James Cromwell did well to insert adequate emotion into his character through expressions. Not even John Cromwell achieved this in his World War II character.

This is a fine movie that respectful remembrance to those who have served in the military. However, the movie is not a polemic purporting militarism. Rather, it provides a thoughtful and sensitive retrospective on what it means to be in the military. The movie shows that that the American soldier is essentially a civilian who has been asked to become a soldier, which challenges one's sense of identity. The main character, Lieutenant Vogel is, by nature, not a violent person, yet in his role as an soldier he must commit violent acts, which leaves both physical and emotional scars. The movie effectively shows how this remains true even in more recent conflicts involving American soldiers. The United States is not by nature militaristic and regimented, thus when American soldiers are ordered into combat, they may have to perform acts that go against their essentially peaceful nature. And to perform those acts requires a level of bravery and courage that makes the American soldier the strongest and best soldiers in the world.

The film starts out just beautiful. I love films which uses simple effects in close ups combined with beautiful overview of the landscape. Directed by first time director Samuel Fisher, a man with a long career behind the camera, it sure us a fine debut. That's surely also the reason for this film being beautifully photographed.It's a story about family bonding and history telling, as well as giving away what is most important, the stories which makes history and traditions within a family. There's quite some symbolic things put into if as well.The film starts exciting. I'm drawn in right away, and if you are like me, you're in for a compelling story. After a few minutes I understand that this Is a film which balances beautiful between present war in Iraq and foregone days, as well as between war and peace time.It's not a big budget film, but it's very realistically told. The war scenes are shown just like they are, with no glossy Hollywood nonsense. Real snow, real people, just like it would have been. The injuries are so real, I really can't understand how they made it. Just amazing!As mentioned, the story is beautifully photographed where the lighting also is simply great. This is very qualified film making in all aspects, and add to this a charmingly told story in all ways, you have a good film. Add great acting by all, but the best us James Cromwell (as the old grandpa) and his son John Cromwell (playing the younger Bud Vogel). Young Jackson Bond is great as the younger Kyle Vogel. Mary Kay Fortier- Spalding is a fabulous grandma.After a start which promises there's more coming, We meet a young wounded soldier retelling his grandfathers stories about the Second World War. Then we go back to the storytelling, and then further back to the ending days in the war in Europe.There's so much talent and love for giving a message which drives this story, and I appreciate that this story came my way. It's one of those stories which makes you want to watch another, just as good movie, right away. This film deserves many viewers.

Very mild spoilers dealing with the plot. Should not ruin the movie if you choose to view it. This movie is tastefully and eloquently executed in telling the story of a grandfather and grandson who both experience the ugliness of war, two generations apart. It addresses in part why so many veterans do not talk about what they witnessed. It touched me in several ways. Those who watched with me sometimes laughed, sometimes cringed, and occasionally shed a few tears.This is the best performance I have seen from James Cromwell. He was very convincing as the grandfather reliving painful memories with a curious grandson who would not take no for an answer. The boy found a chest full of souvenirs on memorial day and wanted to know what they were and why grandfather kept them.Inside most veterans of war there are two personalities.One is the "protector". He or she cannot speak of the ugliness experienced because that would expose loved ones to the horror of war they intend to shield them from. Neither do they want loved ones to know the violence they were capable of. I learned that from my father but did not fully understand until he was gone.I became a protector myself after Vietnam. Fighting a war on foreign soil in the hope it would never come to my home land. It still goes on to this very day with new generations.The other personality is the "avoider". He or she is the one with the hidden psychological wounds that need to be healed but the veteran is unwilling to talk about it. Afraid to let the monsters out as if they lived in a "Pandora's box". The vet is fearful the demons and ugliness might be overwhelming. And the memories can be very painful so they keep them suppressed. When my father learned I was to be drafted in 1966 he spoke to me of only a few things he witnessed in WWII. I suspect he wanted to prepare me mentally for what I was about to experience. Even then he could only reveal small bits of information.Most decent men and women who experience war do not want to talk about it because it is ugly. There is no glory in war itself. Only in the halting of cruelty is there glory and honor.This movie deals very cleverly with the experiences of veterans. It addresses war rather factually revealing how sad it is to watch someones life slip away much too soon. The murder that occurs in wars is always random, it is just a matter of bad luck that one soldier aims at the person next to you and you are spared. Or that you are only wounded and sent to be "repaired". Purely random, lousy, luck.The horror of war does its damage to the emotional, psychological part of the human. Decent people are sometimes forced to make choices in war that they would NEVER make other wise. And the pain of that lives with them till death or until the memories fade due to something similar to Alzheimer's.I can wholeheartedly recommend this movie for the way it addresses some most important issues. It may not be suitable for young ones because a few of the scenes being relived in the memory of the veterans get quite realistic.This is a good movie, part of me wishes it was required viewing for 12th grade students.