Good Morning, Vietnam
The wrong man. In the wrong place. At the right time.
Overview
A disk jockey goes to Vietnam to work for the Armed Forces Radio Service. While he becomes popular among the troops, his superiors disapprove of his humor.
Backdrop
What makes this movie Worth Watching
The film is loosely based on the experiences of Adrian Cronauer, a real-life Armed Forces Radio Service DJ in Vietnam. Cronauer's real broadcasts were less explicitly anti-establishment than depicted in the movie, making the film somewhat fictionalized for dramatic effect and to comment on the government's handling of information during the war.
- Robin Williams's phenomenal improvisational performance and comedic brilliance brings a unique energy to the film.
- The film balances humor with the harsh realities of the Vietnam War, offering a nuanced portrayal of the conflict's impact on soldiers and civilians.
- The soundtrack features a fantastic selection of 1960s rock and roll, perfectly capturing the era's spirit and providing a powerful emotional backdrop.
- It offers a critical perspective on censorship and the control of information during wartime.
Fun Facts
- Many of Robin Williams's radio broadcasts were entirely improvised, with the crew often unprepared for his spontaneous humor.
- The Vietnamese village scenes were filmed in Bangkok, Thailand, due to political sensitivities surrounding the Vietnam War at the time of filming.
- The film was a major box office success, proving that a war film could be both comedic and thought-provoking.
Available Languages
English
US
Title:
"The wrong man. In the wrong place. At the right time."
Italiano
IT
Title:
""
Deutsch
DE
Title:
""
Türkçe
TR
Title: Günaydın Vietnam
""
Français
FR
Title:
"Le mauvais homme, au mauvais endroit, au bon moment."
Pусский
RU
Title: Доброе утро, Вьетнам
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Where to Watch
Cast
Crew
Reviews
Good, if a little underwhelming.
Robin Williams (Adrian) is in strong form, while it's amusing to see a less experienced Forest Whitaker (Edward) in a rather dorky role. 'Good Morning, Vietnam' all makes for satisfactory viewing thanks to Mr. Williams' humour, even if I didn't have a great deal of interest in the plot et al.
**_An unseen side of the Vietnam War_**
Airman Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) is a DJ in Saigon, 1965. While Cronauer is a hit with the troops he incurs the wrath of his superiors for what they consider irreverent and subversive tendencies. When he's off the air, Cronauer pursues a cute Vietnamese woman (Chintara Sukapatana) while befriending her brother (Tung Thanh Tran). Forest Whitaker plays Cronauer's friend at the station while J.T. Walsh and Bruno Kirby play his nemeses.
Based on the real-life story, "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987) came out when Vietnam films were popular. While categorized as a war comedy, it's more of a war drama with amusing touches, mostly due to Williams' antics. It was a box office hit when released and hailed by critics. Roger Ebert, for instance, gave it a perfect rating. I didn't see it until a couple of nights ago, far removed from the hoopla of the period, and found it decent and somewhat amusing, but a tad overrated.
Nevertheless, there's an unexpected twist in the third act and the movie is a necessary companion-piece to movies like "Platoon" (1986) in that it provides the non-grunt, political side of the infamous conflict. For instance, the story takes place just _before_ the troop levels were beefed up to 385,000 in 1966, which would escalate to 536,000 by 1968.
The film runs 2 hours, 1 minute, and was shot in Thailand.
GRADE: B-
Oscar Awards
Wins
Haven't Won A Oscar
Nominations
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE - 1987
Robin Williams
Media
Trailer
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) Trailer
Teaser
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) Teaser
Trailer
Good Morning Vietnam - Trailer.