Too many young people have no idea what Memorial Day represents. Memorial Day can be a difficult holiday to explain. Its beginnings came after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. Southern ladies also decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other important Civil War cities. Today, the holiday encompasses all wars. For anyone who has served in the military, family member or friend of service members, this is a Heart Warming movie. While, I will say the same about the film, I felt that the movie was missing a few things to make it a really good movie. Before I get attack from all sides, questioning my patriotism, for disliking the movie, a bit. Let's me say, that I honor the "greatest generation" and what they gave us through their sacrifice, but I have the right to voice my opinion and say the movie isn't perfect at all. The movie starts out, with low budget action in Iraq or Afghanistan with Kyle Vogel (Jonathan Bennett), the movie doesn't really explain where we were. All I know, is that it could have been New Mexico since half of the so-called 'Arabs' look Hispanic, Indian, and White. They even have the same actor play two different insurgents throughout the film and makes no attempt to cover the fact that it's the same guy. When Kyle Vogel get wounded in a battle, we enter a talk with the local nurse LT Kelly Tripp (Emily Fradenburgh) about a collection of items, he been carrying around with him and why he does it. The acting between these two are just awful. It is here, we enter a flashback to Memorial Day, 1993 where 13-year-old Kyle Vogel discovers the World War II footlocker belonging to his grandfather, Bud (James Cromwell). Everyone tells Kyle to put it back, but he force his grandfather to talk about it even when he says no. First off, the child playing him is awful actor. Second off, his character shouldn't force and shove it at his elder's face so that Bud had to relive awful horrible memories from his time in WWII. Me, personally, I wouldn't force any grandfather to tell me about WWII, unless he wanted to, and wouldn't shove his items in his face. Bud clearly didn't want to talk about it. Although Bud has never talked about the war, he finds himself striking a deal with his grandson: Kyle can pick any three souvenirs, and Bud will tell him the stories behind each one. Memorial Day not only takes us on a journey into Bud's complicated wartime past, but also into Kyle's wartime future. As the two men share parallel experiences in combat, they come to realize how that magical day on the porch shaped both of their lives. As for acting, I have to say James Cromwell, and his son John playing a younger him are the best. The strongest contribution comes from Cromwell family, who nails a demanding part, finding a core of realism and truth in a role. Everybody else is dreadful or mediocre at best. The story does its best to reel you in and feel for these characters, but flashback within a flashback story telling get kind of confusing. Since the movie is low budget, the action scenes look and feel like recruitment videos. Not the best Computer animation here. The smoke, the broken glasses, and the airplanes all look out of a 1990's computer graphic catalog. I have to say the wardrobe is pretty historic accurate. The $1.2 million production is historically accurate and impressive. The state National Guard provided modern helicopters, Humvees and extras, and collectors of vintage combat vehicles contributed German army halftracks, vintage jeeps and P-38 fighter aircraft. The war stories could have really happen. I like the first of Bud's stories. Still, how did Kyle Vogel knew there was a bomb by having a migraine? That's doesn't make any sense! The shaking cam, and the blurry scenes do hurt my eyes, but it's watchable. The movie very much reminds me of other recent Christian or faith-based films with its message. There is a few scenes with religious undertones. Its does have a few harsh language, and little to no gory scenes. So it's pretty safe for an R-Rated film. Overall: So-So movie with some faults. The ending was kinda emotional and the film was made with lot of heart toward it. If you just focus on the bad things in the film, you are missing the important reason why this film is made. This movie is to remember those that have fallen and those who have not fallen. It's for the troops. Worth a watch, at less once in a while.
Review of Memorial Day
