Thought that Streep and DeNiro were too old to be playing teenagers

Rating: Null/10 (17 August 2000)

I married a vietnam vet, worked in the MIA and POW navy offices, and my father was a steelmill worker near Pittsburgh. I stood in line 3 times to see this movie because it was so sold out. However, as the movie started, I thought Meryl Streep was married to the an abusive husband; he just turned out to be a slap-happy father. She was not a believable teen; neither was DeNiro or Cazale. Having worked with POWs, none of them ever heard of the russian roulette, but the prison scenes did ring true with rats and all. The scenes in the VA hospital rang true. I think the movie did a great job of showing the contrast between an idealistic teenager becoming a horrified maimed vet.