Random Most Memorable Portrayals Of Veterans In Film (19 items)

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  (#1) Forrest Gump

  • Fictional Character

  Sadly, Forrest Gump isn't based on the life of a real person, but that doesn't detract from the amazing story of heroism told in this incredible film. Forrest Gump may be a simple man, but that only helps him to adapt to life as a soldier. After enlisting in the United States Army, he goes to basic training, where he excels. Following his initial training, he's shipped off to fight in Vietnam. When he arrives, he finds it to be a calm place filled with helicopters, soldiers, and of course, Lieutenant Dan, his commanding officer.

  The calm is quickly broken when the rain starts and never stops; however, most of his time in Vietnam is spent on patrols, which never cross paths with the enemy. That changes when their unit is ambushed and several men are killed. Forrest holds his position until he's ordered to fall back and run. As he runs, though, he realizes he's leaving his friends behind. He quickly returns to the battlefield and finds one wounded man after another. He eventually rescues nearly every member of his platoon, but doesn't stop until he finds his "best good friend," Bubba. He takes a round in the bottom while doing so, but manages to carry him onto the beach alongside the rest of the men. He only has a moment to hold Bubba in his arms before he dies on the beach. It's a sad scene, but followed by Gump receiving the Medal of Honor for his bravery in battle.

  Though the accounts and characters are all fictional, Forrest Gump was praised for its depiction of soldiers, the Vietnam War, and the conflict's impact on American society. For his portrayal of the titular character, Tom Hanks received the Academy Award for best actor, and the film itself received numerous accolades.
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  (#2) Saving Private Ryan

  • Film

  There are tons of soldiers in Saving Private Ryan, and the title itself refers to one specifically. Despite the plethora of troops involved in the film, the one who receives the most attention is Tom Hanks' Captain John H. Miller, the commander of the squad of Army Rangers sent to find the titular private. Hanks' portrayal of a schoolteacher thrust into combat is one of the best portrayals of a junior officer in all of film. He follows a noble pursuit, doesn't question his orders despite the fact that they are dangerous and unusual, and when he and his squad finally locate Private Ryan, they don't extract him immediately. Instead, he commands the remaining troops to hold off an offensive so they can protect a bridge.

  Hanks' Captain Miller isn't simply a soldier on a battlefield - he's a real human being, and while he leads from the front (as all leaders should), he still suffers from the same difficulties any man on the front lines experiences. His hands shake from time to time, which is a symptom of his body's reaction to the stresses he's undergone in combat. Despite this, he doesn't show any weakness to his men. By the end of the film, his sacrifice ties together the entire storyline, which begins and ends in a veteran's cemetery in France.

  Saving Private Ryan is one of the most realistic portrayals of combat ever filmed, and while that adds to the visceral nature of the story, it caused some problems for veterans of actual combat. The VA set up a nationwide toll-free hotline for vets to call in if they felt unsettled after watching the film. At the time, the VA issued a statement that said, "Counselors at VA medical facilities have been asked to prepare to assist veterans who experience emotional trauma as a result of the movie."

  The film is a fictional account, but it's based on the story of the Niland brothers, four siblings who served during WWII. Saving Private Ryan was nominated for an impressive 11 Oscars at the 71st Academy Awards. While Hanks was nominated for best actor (his third nomination), that wasn't one of the awards the movie took home. It ended up winning best film editing, cinematography, sound, and sound effects editing, while Steven Spielberg took home his second win for best director.
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  (#3) Sergeant Thomas Highway

  • Fictional Character

  Heartbreak Ridge is a fictional story inspired by real-life events related to the 1983 US invasion of Grenada. The title comes from the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge in the Korean War, in which Gunnery Sergeant Highway took part and received the Medal of Honor for his actions. Now a much older man who is facing mandatory retirement, the grizzled USMC Korean War veteran is tasked with training a new generation of recruits. They prove much easier to deal with than Highway's new operations officer, an Annapolis graduate who believes he knows more than the MoH recipient training his Marines.

  When it comes time for the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit to deploy for the invasion of Grenada, Highway and his men are dropped by helicopter into the water and advance on the beach. They engage in several firefights, and after their radioman is killed, the unit's lieutenant comes up with a plan to use a payphone to make a long-distance call to Camp Lejeune for air support. The trick works, and eventually, Highway leads his men to victory.

  Clint Eastwood has never had a hard time portraying a member of the United States Armed Forces, which likely stems from his own time as a soldier during the Korean War, though he didn't serve in the conflict. The film was inspired by the real-life account of Marines using a payphone to call for air support in Grenada, but it's otherwise a fictional story. Eastwood's performance was true-to-life, and the film went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for best sound.
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  (#4) James T. "Joker" Davis

  • Film character

  Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket tells the story of James T. "Joker" Davis from his entry into basic training at Parris Island, SC, to his time serving in Vietnam. When the film begins, he is a private who garners the attention of his drill instructor by uttering the phrase, "Is that you, John Wayne? Is this me?" After this, he's branded "Joker" for the remainder of the film. During basic training, he is put in a position to help and watch over another private who is constantly picked on. That recruit ultimately kills himself and the drill instructor, closing out the first half of the film.

  The next scene takes place in Vietnam, where Joker is exposed to the brutality of war. He and his fellow Marines find themselves pinned down by a sniper. After losing several men, Joker manages to shoot the enemy. When it turns out to be a young girl, the horror of war is palpable. Joker maintains a stance on the duality of humankind by wearing a "peace" symbol on his jacket, while his helmet sports the phrase "Born to Kill." That duality is expressed throughout the film, and thanks to Matthew Modine's incredible portrayal of Joker, it's conveyed through his expressions and actions in a way only Kubrick could direct.

  Full Metal Jacket is a fictional account of the Tet Offensive, which was a series of battles that took place in early 1968. It was based on the book The Short-Timers, which was adapted by Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford, who wrote the book. The film received a single Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay, and was chosen by the American Film Institute as the 95th choice in their "AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills" list.
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  (#5) Chris Kyle

  • Military Person

  American Sniper is a biographical war drama loosely based on the military accomplishments and life of Chris Kyle. The film was inspired by American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012), which was written by Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice. Kyle is the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history, with 255 kills, 160 of which were officially confirmed by the Department of Defense.

  Kyle, along with many other men and women, endured multiple tours of duty during the Iraq War. For Kyle, those deployments took a toll on his personal and family life. Bradley Cooper portrays Kyle brilliantly in the film, which focuses on his accomplishments in war followed by his difficult transition to a normal civilian life. Though he is troubled by "all the guys he couldn't save" during the war, he dedicates his time to helping other vets who were wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The film ends with Kyle's death, which comes at the hands of another troubled veteran who murders him at a shooting range.

  The film was a box-office and critical success, receiving six nominations at the 87th Academy Awards, including best picture, adapted screenplay, and actor. It received the award for best sound editing, and is the highest-grossing war film of all time when adjusted for inflation. American Sniper is also director Clint Eastwood's highest-grossing film to date.
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  (#6) Matt Eversmann

  • Military Person

  The Battle of Mogadishu was one of the worst firefights the United States Army endured between the two wars in Iraq. The battle involved just 160 soldiers who were sent into Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the self-proclaimed leader of Somalia. The planned operation was supposed to take one hour, but due to the downing of a helicopter, several troops were stuck behind enemy lines and bogged down. The ensuing battle for survival turned into a rescue mission. Ultimately, 18 soldiers were killed, 73 were wounded, and one was captured. That battle was described in a book, and ultimately, the film Black Hawk Down.

  The film follows Staff Sergeant Matthew Eversmann, who is given his first command of Ranger Chalk Four when his lieutenant suffers a seizure and is unable to go on the mission. He and his men get stuck in the city after the Black Hawk helicopter Super Six-One is shot down by an RPG. Shortly after this, another Black Hawk helicopter, Super Six-Four, is shot down in the same manner. Eversmann manages to keep his men together while fighting off the thousands of militia that continuously engage them.

  Josh Hartnett's portrayal of Eversmann stays true to the book and the soldier himself, who survived the conflict. He eventually went on to complete 20 years of service and retired as a First Sergeant. The movie's depiction of the events may have been embellished and modified for cinematic purposes, but the portrayal of the Army Rangers and Delta Force troops were honorably and respectfully done. Black Hawk Down was a critical success, having won two Academy Awards for best film editing and sound mixing at the 74th Academy Awards.
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  (#7) John "Doc" Bradley

  The Dirty Dozen is the fictional story of 12 convicts led by Major John Reisman on a suicide mission to attack a French château near Rennes in Brittany with the intention of disrupting the German military command. In the movie, Reisman, played by Lee Marvin, takes 12 military prisoners who are either awaiting execution or serving long sentences and trains them into a single specialized unit. These men are the worst of the worst, but when they are given the prospect of a pardon for their crimes should they survive the mission, they have little choice but to participate.

  Reisman molds them into a cohesive fighting force, and he manages to get them to conduct the raid. While things don't go according to plan, they succeed in trapping all the people of the château inside a bomb shelter, which has several handy openings to the street level. Those openings serve to let airflow into the bunker, but they also make it possible for Jefferson (Jim Brown) to toss grenades down before he's shot and killed. They succeed in blowing up the shelter, killing everyone inside. The remaining members of the team, which include Reisman and Wladislaw (Charles Bronson), escape on a stolen half-track and make it back to Allied territory.

  The film closes with the men back in England with a voiceover indicating that Wladislaw has been pardoned, while the men who fell were honored for giving their lives in the line of duty. The film is fictional, but is based on a novel of the same name, which was inspired by a real group called the Filthy Thirteen. Marvin's performance is particularly noteworthy for his portrayal of an Army officer who finds a way to command a group of convicts to serve the greater good. The Dirty Dozen has been praised by fans and critics as one of the best World War II movies to ever be released. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards and took home the Oscar for best sound effects.
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  (#8) Marcus Luttrell

  Lone Survivor tells the the true story of Marcus Luttrell, who wrote a book about his involvement in Operation Red Wings during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Mark Wahlberg plays Luttrell in the film, which depicts a four-man Navy SEAL team inserted into Afghanistan in an attempt to track down Ahmad Shah, the leader of the Taliban. Within a few hours, three of the four SEALs are killed, leaving Luttrell as the eponymous "lone survivor."

  Wahlberg is no stranger to playing a soldier in film, but his portrayal of Luttrell and his struggle for survival is incredibly well done. Throughout the film, Wahlberg manages to convey a sense of impending dread, all the while maintaining his military bearing. Luttrell spoke about his performance in the film, saying, "Wahlberg is a consummate professional, and he's a great actor. It was a little strange watching somebody trying to play me, but we talked about it, and I knew it would turn out great. I was more worried about the other guys because they're not around to speak for themselves."

  To prepare for his role, the actor decided not to read the book. Instead, he focused solely on the script. He did this so he wouldn't be distracted by the discrepancies, as no film can accommodate the entirety of a book. Wahlberg has stated that Lone Survivor was his favorite project to date: "This is the best working experience I've ever had, under the toughest conditions. I remember early on as an actor, you worked a long, hard day, but you did something you felt was special, and that car ride home you couldn't stop thinking about it. I had that feeling every day on this movie."

  Luttrell received the Purple Heart and Navy Cross for his actions in Afghanistan. The film that tells his story received two Academy Award nominations for best sound editing and sound mixing.
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  (#9) Captain Benjamin L. Willard

  Ask any film buff to name the best war movie ever made and odds are, you're going to hear Apocalypse Now uttered more often than not. The film has been highly praised for its portrayal of a captain sent deep into the jungles of Cambodia to find and assassinate a renegade officer. The premise itself is almost absurd to comprehend; however, if you set aside the fact that one officer was tasked to find and kill another, the depiction of combat and the variety of soldiers fighting across different types of terrain illustrate both the horrors of war and the insanity of the conflict.

  Martin Sheen's Benjamin L. Willard is one of the most interesting yet troubling depictions of a soldier to date. You don't send a perfectly sane person on a kill mission like the one he goes on, and from the very beginning of the movie, it's apparent that he isn't entirely stable. Despite this, he manages to travel deep into South Vietnam and Cambodia, where he ultimately finds Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and kills him with a machete. As Kurtz is dying, he utters a line that perfectly sums up the movie: "The horror... the horror..."

  Apocalypse Now was nominated for eight Oscars at the 52nd Academy Awards. It ultimately won for best cinematography and sound. Many critics consider it to be one of the best movies ever made, and the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
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  (#10) The Deer Hunter

  • Film

  If you've never seen The Deer Hunter because you thought it was about hunting deer, you've missed out on one of the greatest war movies ever made. Robert De Niro plays Staff Sergeant Michael Vronsky, one of several steelworkers from Pennsylvania who find themselves fighting together in the Vietnam War. Mike ends up fighting with U.S. Special Forces, and though he and his pals are separated throughout the conflict, they find one another in a Vietnamese village shortly before they are captured by the NVA.

  The men are taken into a POW camp where they are forced to play Russian roulette for their captor's amusement. The friends are made to play against one another, and when Steven (John Savage) shoots his gun in a way that only grazes his head, he is thrown into a submerged cage full of bodies and rats. When Mike and Nick (Christopher Walken) play against one another, they manage to convince their captors to put more than one bullet into their guns, which ups the odds for their gambling. The plan works, and the pair manage to escape. They grab Steven, and the three men are rescued.

  When they return to civilian life, they don't have it easy. It's no longer relaxing to hunt deer together, and Nick has lost many memories of his friends and life before the war. The film's depiction of prisoners of war and the aftermath of conflict are true to many veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The Deer Hunter won five of the nine Academy Awards it was nominated for, including best picture, director, supporting actor, sound, and film editing.
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  (#11) Private Silas Trip In 'Glory'

  Glory tells the real-life story of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and his command of the Union Army's second African American regiment, which was established to fight in the American Civil War. While Matthew Broderick's portrayal of Shaw is one of the best in a Civil War movie, the soldiers who joined the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment are the real stars of the film. Denzel Washington's Private Silas is the standout performance in the film, and the character is based on a real person. Other soldiers were either an amalgam of real people or were created for the film, but Private Trip was 100% real.

  In the film, he is portrayed as an angry man who wants nothing more than to fight for his freedom. Born into slavery, he grew up tortured and beaten, which engrained in him a bitterness toward free and educated African Americans in the North. Despite his distaste for others, he learned to be a soldier, and when the 54th was tasked to lead the assault on Fort Wagner in July 1863, Trip was tapped to carry the colors - a considerable honor. When the unit began to falter, he raised them high and rallied the troops to charge. Private Trip was killed in the conflict, but he is remembered for his bravery even to this day.

  Washington's portrayal of Trip remains true to historical events, and thanks to his amazing talents, he received the award for best actor in a supporting role at the 62nd Academy Awards. The film also won for best cinematography and sound, and was nominated for film editing and art direction.
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  (#12) The Hurt Locker

  • Film

  Typically, great war movies don't find release until long after a conflict has come to an end, and it's only rarely that this "rule" is broken. The Hurt Locker defied convention and found release in 2008 during the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The film follows a three-man Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team working to eradicate dangerous roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices throughout their area of operations.

  At the center of the film is Jeremy Renner's Sergeant First Class William James, a newly deployed soldier in 2004. He has come to replace Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson, who was killed in Baghdad when an IED exploded. James' squad gets into several skirmishes, as well as an incident involving the same kind of bomb that took out his predecessor - although this time, the victim is forced to wear an IED vest they cannot remove. Ultimately, James survives only to return to Iraq for another tour of duty, which concludes the film with a 365-day countdown beginning all over again.

  The film was praised by critics, but decried by a number of veterans for some of the depictions of Army unit activities. One of the biggest complaints involved the three-man team splitting up to "cover more ground" while not having any communications equipment to speak of. Despite these complaints, Renner's performance was given high praise, and his depiction of an EOD soldier working to dispose of dangerous IEDs made for exciting and frightening viewing.

  Though the movie is fictional, it was written by Mark Boal, a freelance journalist who was embedded with an EOD team in 2004 for two weeks. His experiences helped to craft the structure of the film, though the movie itself isn't autobiographical in any way. The Hurt Locker made less than $50 million at the worldwide box office, but it received six of the nine Academy Awards it was nominated for, including best director, picture, and original screenplay.
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  (#13) Sam Cahill

  One of the most significant outcomes from the United States' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is a better understanding of the condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. While this is nothing new to veterans, the treatment of the condition and understanding of its causes have expanded exponentially due to the ongoing conflicts many members of the military have been engaged in for years. Brothers tells the story of Marine Captain Sam Cahill's (Tobey Maguire) experiences in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and the aftermath of those engagements upon returning home.

  Shortly before he was deployed on his fourth tour of duty, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) was released from prison following an armed robbery conviction. Soon into his deployment, Sam's helicopter is shot down and his family is told of his death. Tommy and Sam's wife Grace (Natalie Portman) commiserate with one another and become close. They eventually kiss but don't take things any further due to the shame and guilt they feel. It eventually turns out that Sam was taken prisoner, and while he was a POW, he was forced by his captors to kill his friend with a lead pipe.

  When he returns home, he shows significant signs of PTSD due to his guilt over killing his friend. This leads him to become paranoid and violent toward Tommy and Grace, whom he believes have had an affair in his absence. When he pulls a gun and threatens suicide, they manage to talk him down. He eventually ends up in a mental hospital, where he is treated for his condition. He and Grace reconcile after he finally tells her what happened while he was deployed.

  The film is particularly difficult for veterans to watch due to its realistic portrayal of the struggles many go through during combat and when they come home. Maguire's portrayal of Captain Cahill is outstanding, and he received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a motion picture drama for his performance in Brothers.
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  (#14) Petty Officer Homer Parrish In ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’

  The Best Years of Our Lives is a story about veterans returning to civilian life following the deadliest conflict in human history - WWII. In the film, Petty Officer Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) was aboard a ship that sank. The event cost him both of his hands, and he was fitted with two hook prostheses in their place. Before the war, he was a high school football quarterback. Because of his injuries, he pushes away his fiancee Wilma so as not to burden her. She doesn't relent and insists on marrying him.

  The movie also focuses on two other returning veterans, Al (Fredric March) and Fred (Dana Andrews), both of whom have similar problems returning to civilian life. The film demonstrates the struggles veterans go through when they come back to the real world. The story is fictional, but Parrish's portrayal is true to life thanks to Russell, a WWII veteran who actually lost his hands in combat. He was featured in an Army film called Diary of a Sergeant, which was about rehabilitating veterans. When director William Wyler saw the film, he cast Russell in the role of Homer for The Best Years of Our Lives.

  For his performance, Russell was honored with the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1947, making him only one of two nonprofessional actors to win an Academy Award for acting. The film was lauded with six other Academy Awards, including best picture, director, actor, film editing, adapted screenplay, and original score.
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  (#15) Ron Kovic

  Born on the Fourth of July tells the true story of Staff Sergeant Ron Kovic, a veteran who went on to become one of the most outspoken critics of the Vietnam War. In the film, Tom Cruise plays Kovic, a man who has spent his entire life preparing for military service as a proud American patriot. The title refers to Kovic's birthday - July 4, 1946 - and its relation to patriotic virtue in regards to the United States Declaration of Independence. As the movie begins, it's clear Kovic is a proud American, but when he deploys to Vietnam, the horrors of that conflict quickly demonstrate that war is nothing like he imagined military service to be.

  In one scene, he accidentally kills one of his own men after mistaking him for an enemy soldier. This event would go on to haunt Kovic for the rest of his life. Shortly after the friendly fire occurs, he is involved in another engagement, which results in his being wounded. He's shot in the foot and torso, which ultimately paralyzes him from the mid-chest down. After recovering from his injuries, he returns home in 1969 and becomes an alcoholic, clearly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He goes on to become an outspoken anti-war activist, and after publishing his autobiography, delivers an address at the Democratic National Convention in 1976.

  Cruise's portrayal of Kovic is memorable for a number of reasons. While much of the film revolves around Kovic's time leading up to and following his military service, we see him struggle with his choices, the war, and its aftermath. Cruise spent an entire year preparing for the role, which included visiting veterans' hospitals, reading books on the war, and practicing being in a wheelchair. Born on the Fourth of July was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and took home two: for best director (Oliver Stone) and film editing.
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  (#16) Megan Leavey

  Megan Leavey is a biographical film that tells the story of the titular Marine and her combat dog named Rex. The film revolves around Corporal Leavey, a military police officer and K9 handler, and Rex, who served two combat tours in Iraq together. Their first deployment to Fallujah in 2005 was followed by one to Ramadi in 2006. During that deployment, both Leavey and Rex were wounded in combat by an improvised explosive device.

  For their actions in combat, Leavey was awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a "V" device for valor in combat. The attack left Rex with facial palsy, which ended his days as a bomb-sniffing dog. Soon after Rex was removed from service, Leavey spent a great deal of time petitioning the USMC so she could adopt her companion. With the aid of Senator Chuck Schumer, she managed to do so, and the pair lived together until Rex passed away in 2012.

  The film is a realistic account of Leavey and her experiences, and Kate Mara's performance as the titular character is emotional and true-to-life. In many ways, she honors Corporal Leavey by depicting her in such a positive way. The film went on to receive the Truly Moving Picture Award at the Heartland Film Festival. 
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  (#17) Sergeant Marshall Bennett In ‘Bennett’s War’

  Sergeant Marshall Bennett is serving in combat overseas when an IED explosion changes his life forever. After serving honorably in the Army Ranger Motorcycle Unit, he is medically discharged and sent home with severe injuries to his back and leg. Despite being told another injury could keep him from ever walking again, Bennett, played by Michael Roark, must overcome all odds and save his family from financial ruin.

  When he returns home and learns that his father (Trace Adkins) has gotten behind on the mortgage, it's up to the newly discharged Bennett to put his Army training to use and save his family by doing the only thing he knows how to do. Bennett defies all odds - and the medical advice he received upon discharge - by getting back on his bike and doing what he does best. Only this time, he's not riding for Uncle Sam, but for his family as a motocross racer.

  Bennett's War isn't just an excellent depiction of an Army Ranger and his contributions to the war effort, it's also a brilliant motocross film that fans of the sport are certain to enjoy.
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  (#18) Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales

  • Film character

  While most of the films on this list are either real-life or fictional accounts of real-world conflicts, Battleship falls more in line with science fiction than a standard war drama. While there are plenty of depictions of veterans in sci-fi movies like Starship Troopers, Soldier, and many more, Battleship might be the only one to accurately depict a military veteran simply because it cast one in the film. Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales is played by Gregory D. Gadson, a then-active duty soldier who went on to retire as a full-bird colonel following 25 years of military service.

  In the film, Canales is a double-amputee who is attempting to recover from his wartime injuries. He is thrust into combat once more when aliens attack, and during these scenes, he comports himself as a well-disciplined soldier who doesn't let his disability keep him from the fight. The reason his performance is memorable has a lot to do with Gadson's real life. Those amputations aren't CGI - he not only lost his legs in combat, but he also remained in service and went on to inspire other wounded soldiers through his ability to overcome his own injuries.

  Gadson was cast in the film specifically to play Canales after director Peter Berg read about him and his injuries. The film launched his acting career, which he's continued since leaving the service. 
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  (#19) Coming Home

  The 1978 film Coming Home deals more with the aftermath of combat than an actual depiction of wartime. The film is centered on Jane Fonda's character Sally, a woman whose husband has been deployed to fight in the Vietnam War. She volunteers her time at the local VA hospital, and while she's there, she meets a veteran named Luke Martin (John Voight), a paraplegic who was wounded while fighting in Vietnam. He is also struggling with emotional problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.

  The two fall in love and have an affair, which helps to unburden Martin's issues. However, after his friend Billy commits suicide, he becomes an anti-war activist who chains himself to the gates of a recruiting center in an attempt to keep others from enlisting. Eventually, word of the affair reaches Sally's husband Bob (Bruce Dern). He confronts them with a loaded rifle, but ultimately relents and leaves them alone. The film closes with Luke giving an impassioned speech to a group of young men as Bob removes his Marine dress uniform and wedding ring on a beach before swimming naked out to sea to commit suicide.

  Jon Voight's portrayal of a troubled veteran was well-received and highly regarded by critics and veterans alike. The film won three Academy Awards, including best actor for Voight, actress for Fonda, and original screenplay. 

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