Outstanding performances and excellent story line

Rating: 9/10 (4 June 2018)

This was a movie made for those of us who came of age in the 1960s. If you had some military background, it is even more meaningful to you. It transitions from those "old days" to today in a unique way. Bryan Cranston is excellent in his role as an ex-Marine who was originally from New York as is Laurence Fishburne, the bad dud turned minister. Steve Carell's character says little, but he comes across well as an ex-Navy Corpsman type. The story line interweaves three men's camaraderie and experience with "the system" with today's military. The old veterans have that distrust of the US government which was prevalent in those who served during Vietnam or who came of age during that same time frame. That distrust carries over to more recent times with the lies that Carell's character "Doc" gets as the official story of how his only son dies as a Marine in Iraq. The three veterans all question what happened now and then, and find many answers along their way to their destination at a cemetery in New Hampshire. This is a well done film that I would also classify as a film that will have much more appeal to men than women, especially older guys in their late 60s or 70s. It is a lot better than many of the films that were nominated for Academy Awards this year (2018) and one of those films where you shake your head and say why no Oscar? It's a great film.