Good
Moooorniiiinnnnnnnnnnnnng Vietnammmm!
In "Good
Morning, Vietnam", Robin Williams has a role
practically tailor made for his irreverent, yet
uniquely sensitive personality that is able to
shift emotions and shift focus in a matter of
seconds.
Williams portrays Adrian Cronauer, a radio DJ
who begins to shake things up when he's assigned
to the US Armed Services Station during the
Vietnam War.
At first thought, the idea of mixing such an
irreverent, humorous film with the Vietnam War
seems an odd one, and possibly offensive. By
casting Williams, however, director Barry
Levinson is able to transcend the potential
offensiveness of the material.
In "Good Morning, Vietnam", Cronauer becomes a
hit with his energetic, improvisational approach
to the radio waves in Saigon. He's unlike any
other Armed Services DJ, and despite the
jealousy of his immediate supervisor (Bruno
Kirby) he becomes a hit.
Of course, the inevitable conflict occurs when
Cronauer experiences the war first-hand and he
begins using his microphone as a way to tell
America the truth about the war.
As Cronauer, Williams literally comes alive.
He's allowed to be funny, improvisational,
sensitive and dramatic all within the same role.
Of course, this is Williams, so he's best at the
funny and improvisational, however, he ably
handles the sensitive aspect of Cronauer as
well. Williams received a Best Actor nomination
for his performance here, and captured the
Golden Globe for the performance.
The supporting performances are more skeletal.
This is, quite clearly, the Robin Williams show.
Tung Tranh Tuan and Cu Ba Nguyen, in particular,
turn in strong performances as Thanh and Jimmy
Wah.
The technical aspects of the film were generally
positive, and the film was actually darker than
your typical Levinson film. The music is an
absolute highlight, including the magnificent
use of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful
World."
I would regret it if I didn't mention that the
film features a supporting performance by Juney
Smith, who wrote/directed this year's absolutely
horrid "Fake Preacher," proving that a
supporting performance in "Good Morning,
Vietnam" may be the highlight of his career.
There are certain films that have certain
moments that stick with you over time. Nearly
twenty years after its release, one can still
visualize Robin Williams leaning over the
microphone and in how own energetic way
screaming out "Gooooooooooood Morning,
Vietnammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"
©
Written by Richard Propes
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
