Emotions at the end
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Uncommon Valor
MisterBootles — 19 years ago(April 25, 2006 08:39 PM)
Just seeing what everybody else thinks about this one. Where does this rank in your top sad endings of all time? I can't help but feel real bad when Colonel Rhodes comes back without his son.
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Sir_John_Rossman — 19 years ago(May 26, 2006 09:36 AM)
Sir John Rossman
Knight Of The Jersey Shore
Owner and Proprietor Of The Laughing Loon Inn
I have to agree here. I mean, sure it's great that he was able to rescue quite a few POWs, but it's really heartbreaking that he went through all that and wasn't able to free his own child. -
ogarac9 — 19 years ago(May 29, 2006 09:09 PM)
Sure it may be sad, life doesn't always have a happy ending. What struck me was the excellent directing in the last scene showing all the different emotions in the back of the helicopter, like the excitement of combat rookie Scott, the agony of Wilkes and the surviving daughter, the relief of the POWs and of coarse the pain of Col. Rhodes.
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ebonyaprildd — 19 years ago(July 04, 2006 10:48 PM)
I agree it is sad but at least now he knows what happended to his son. Every parent of a missing off spring will tell you that it's the not knowing that's the worse.
I also agree, not every movie has to have a happy ending. -
NicotineNellie — 17 years ago(April 16, 2008 07:50 PM)
It really gets me when Col. Rhodes is checking the pits for Frank, and he opens one and yells, "Frank!". He gets down and holds the guys head in his hands and realizes its MacGregor's boy. That moment where they stare at each other, and the Col. realizes he isn't going to find Frank is so sad. Yet, you feel good they found Americans to bring home. This is such an underrated film.
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doobienick — 17 years ago(May 12, 2008 10:23 AM)
This is, without doubt, the very best of the 'Return to 'Nam' films. Hackman is his usual great and the rest of the cast is far above par. The fight scene between Scott and Sailor was very good, ending by showing the regret of Sailor, finding out that Scott's father was MIA. Scott and Sailor become close after that. Charts, unhappy with the trophy wife back home, finds love in the jungle, Johnson and Wilkes slay their hidden demons, Scott discovers himself, Sailor and Blaster give their lives to save the others and Rhodes come home to his wife, empty handed but his mission a success. Very touching ending.
Best line of the film: "Boy, you just bought the whole can of Whoop Ass."
I spend my money on dope, sex and cheap thrills.
The rest of it, I waste. -
Baltar65 — 17 years ago(November 06, 2008 10:04 AM)
The end of this movie, when they are in the chopper and Rhodes finds out his son is dead, chokes me up Every Single time I see it. Very powerful.
"Again we see, there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away" -
ma_marcil — 17 years ago(November 11, 2008 06:42 PM)
The end of the movie gets me every single time I see it too. It's just too sad, but at the same time very realistic. It could have been cheaply melodramatic, but thanks to the very convincing and gripping acting by Hackman and the others, and the very effective directing by John Boorman, the moment in the chopper made a very good film even better, and all the more genuinely poignant and moving. The song at the end of the movie was also just perfectly in tone with that scene, sad but hopeful at the same time.
Bill Foster: I'm the bad guy?How did that happen? -
American1 — 17 years ago(November 22, 2008 08:59 PM)
You're right. Sadly, the ending made the movie all the more memorable. All of the actors were perfect for this movie. I watched it in the theater in high school. I've shown it to my kids and they love it although they don't like the fact that Gene Hackman found out his son was dead. The embracing of Hackman and his wife at the end was touching. At least they had each other and some closure. Great movie.
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doobienick — 16 years ago(December 21, 2009 11:36 AM)
The line was - "Boy you just opened a whole can of Whoop ass!!"
Wrong. Watch the movie again. As Sailor tosses his grenade over his shoulder, he tells Scott " Boy, you just BOUGHT the whole can of Whoop Ass."
I spend my money on dope, sex and cheap thrills.
The rest of it, I waste. -
Ed in MO — 16 years ago(December 28, 2009 07:07 PM)
I haven't seen this movie in 25 years but I still vividly remember the scene where Robert Stack tells the Colonel, "What they don't understand is that I would spend every nickel I have just to spend five more minutes with my son." Sometimes I look at my seven year old daughter and I think, "Hell yeah. Every minute I spend with her is more valuable to me than all the gold in the world."
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Lunchbox-3 — 16 years ago(June 16, 2009 11:34 PM)
Not only does Rhodes not find his son, it occurs to me that four people died (the old man, his daughter, Sailor and Blaster) so that they could save four POWs. They didn't really gain any ground in that sense. It reminds me of that exchange in Star Trek III when David Marcus dies in the attempt to bring back Spock. Sarek tells Kirk "at what cost? Your ship your son" and Kirk replies "If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul." That's what was eating at Wilkes and all the others to a degree, they didn't get a chance to even try to go back and save their friends until this mission.