User Reviews

One of the few great tearjerkers that focuses on a male character, this is a real life story of the Vietnam veteran who discovers years later that a mission that he was involved in that had certain decisions being made by his father has led to two types of cancer that without extreme radiation treatments will lead to certain death. The treatments are painful in an excruciating way, so not only comes down to the matter of life and death, I'm watching a loved one suffer and that loved one determined to stick around to be there for his family. It's a moral story that is extremely well-written, brilliantly acted and obviously tear-jerking.

With performances by Karl Malden and Keith Carradine leading the film, and the relationship of father and son very loving, it's truly refreshing to see the emotions growing as they face this crisis together, each of them trying to hold it together for the family which includes his wife Margaret Klenck (ironically from "One Life to Live") and two terrific children. Every moment of this film is wracked with emotion as the family learns of the crisis, their preparation for the beginning of his treatments as he enters the hospital and of course the aftermath. Every look between members of this family even without words is excellent acting, very natural and without unnecessary pathos. If there were more families holding together like this one, the world would certainly seem to be a better place, even when tragedy strikes.