On I List of Movie Reviews

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In Country (1989)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 7/17

InCountry
7/17: Hamburger Hill begins with a fast scan over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., and In Country ends the shot by having a personal relationship with it.

For the most part, Emily Lloyd is the star, making it a coming-of-age picture for her character's generation by trying to make sense of the war and what it did to her father and his people. The approach works although the movie does drag at times.

Sporting a good-looking tan, Emily Lloyd was doing so well for the first ninety percent of the film, but she got gradually discarded toward the end although the last ten minutes was touching. It's a poor move on the filmmakers' part because she's the central character. There should've been a closure for her.

Instead, the focus is switched to Bruce Willis. He helps somewhat, making things interesting with his horseshoe mustache, but the reality is: the balance has been wrongly tipped over. Once the attention went to his side, the movie stopped working. Hence, the question must be answered: is In Country Emily Lloyd's or Bruce Willis' picture? I understand the star power the latter brings to the table, but the line needs to be drawn by forcing him to stay on the sidelines as a supporting actor.

Emily Lloyd was a good talent, and she could act. She went on to have another nice role in A River Runs Through It. Then, it was all over for her as she descended to mental illness. Today, Emily Lloyd is an unkempt, old-looking hag.

All in all, In Country may run too long, but the ending makes the wait worth it.