User reviews

It has been said that Vietnam is America's most unpopular war, but in light of both popular opinion and critical oversight, the namesake film may just inch Vietnam out of that role.

The title not only refers to the Vietnam War, which has an appropriate albeit very limited place in the film, but it also refers to the literal war that the children continuously wage with one another and the figurative war that rages within each of them...for identity and purpose.

Personally, I don't feel that "The War" deserves the press it received (or the lack thereof). It is a beautifully crafted film from its intricate, multi-layered story to its moving, realistic performances to its homestyle, nostalgic cinematography.

"The War" combines some of the best elements of "Forrest Gump" and "Fried Green Tomatoes." It captures the nostalgia of its timeframe, the innocence and naivete of youth, the situational humor of the moment, the consequences one's decisions and actions bring, and the tragedy of life. It even contains a couple of "musical" period moments.

Its structure harkens very closely to that of "To Kill a Mockingbird" (my favorite film). Both de-emphasize the star talent (Gregory Peck/Kevin Costner), who still performs remarkably and effectively in a supporting role. Both also utilize a (female) narrator who "bookends" the story in a quasi-flashback style, as well as plays a pivotal (if not the starring) role in the story. Each narrator tells the story of her brother and her father: their growth and what has been learned from and about them.

"Sometimes all it takes is a split second to do something you regret the whole rest of your life." What a great and appropriate theme for a film that few went to see. No wonder so many problems still exist in the world.

"The War" is one of the few "kid" movies that takes itself seriously enough to be loved and appreciated by young and old audiences alike. I would have supported this film to the very end. After all, any vehicle that convincingly gives peace and love a chance deserves a little attention. (Peace and love are such rare qualities nowadays.)

The cast is excellent. Kevin Costner is a little stiff at the beginning but I think that's a good thing. Giving the younger (and equally talented) stars a chance to shine is a smart move on his part. He does get to cut loose in a few fleeting scenes. Also outstanding (when is he not?) is Elijah Wood (a.k.a. the next Tom Hanks) as Costner's angry, multi-layered, deeply troubled son. His frustrations are so well expressed that often times you feel like you could just step in and help him solve his problems.

What is worth fighting for? Nothing. Because as long as you have love, you have everything. Wisdom for both the kiddies and the grown-ups. Just be warned that the film does contain some strong violence and language.

Though on the surface it might be seen as yet another movie about poverty in Mississippi (which is, by the way, the poorest State in the US) or about the impact of the Vietnam War on the family of veterans, "The War" exceeds expectations on several fronts: presentation, complexity, candidness, and good acting. The story is narrated from the point of view of 12-year old Lidia, played excellently by Lexi Randall, with the acceptance kids usually have at that age ("…we are dirt poor, like everyone else in Juliette, Mississippi" - she tells us right of the start). Though she is white, she befriends two black girls the same age, sharing social condition and taste for music, with some hiccup due to her use of language blacks don't like others to use on them. She is "tough" as kids in that environment usually are, yet "girlish" in step with her age. She is the one sensitive enough to realize how others feel and has the guts to naturally stand for them, though she struggles to understand her father. Her brother Stu, about the same age, played impeccably by Elijah Wood, is eager, as most boys at that age are, to get close to his father, and in the period they manage to do it he puts is heart in the basket, at great risk. The father, also played impeccably by Kevin Costner, is troubled by war nightmares and the lack of a stable job, but has the courage to eliminate violence from daily living, aiming to show it to his kids by example, against the pressure for violence from the environment they live in, and to be as good a father as he can in the given circumstances. The kids are at the front of events throughout the film, and the story brilliantly shows us how a rivalry with a group of poorer and tougher kids, centered on the use of a tree house made by the former with materials stolen from the latter, gradually escalates into a dangerous "juvenile war", much the way political conflicts often escalate into wars among nations. "No matter how much people think they understand war, war doesn't understand people", the girl concludes; thus we all lose. The War goes on at several levels: Kids fighting in the forefront, Vietnam in the background, and the inner struggles of the main characters, being this latter what truly gives depth to the story. Drama is sparkled with hope, humor and coziness, the way it is in life, with very few cheesy scenes. This movie is more that entertainment: it triggers our critical thinking, our capacity for understanding, and leaves a haunting feeling long after is done. Recommendable as a family film for discussion, meaning kids 12 or older with some level of maturity. Not for younger kids.

Who would want to see a movie called "The War?" Not, me, and that's why I only saw this 1994 movie tonight, on TV. And I was pleasantly amazed at how good it is. Costner turns out to have a very strong "supporting" role because the movie really is about Elijah Woods' character and the other kids who find out about the real war we human beings seem to fight daily. Excellent mix of humor, action, drama, sadness, and triumph. The "dare" scene inside the water tank was one of the more gripping I've seen in any film. I rate it "8" but almost feel it deserves a "9".

Feb 2006 update. I saw it again, on DVD, and most of the movie was fresh again. After Costner's character was faced with killing people in the Vietnam war, he fully understood that love was the only thing fighting for. This is what he was able to pass down to his son and daughter. As they say, in any 'war', even the ones we may fight with our neighbors, we always lose track of the real reason we are fighting and destroy the things we value.

With solid play acting by Kevin Costner and young Elijah Wood. The storyline could have been a bit more effective, and I felt the scenes from the war were so totally separate from the rest of it, they had little meaning in the film, the "madness" of the father did not appear in the film at all. Perhaps he was cured of it then, but somehow it would have felt better to concentrate on that aspect instead of the few action scenes about the war.

The end with the childrens' war was also a bit... too powerful, i.e. molotov cocktail's used by kids did seem a bit odd.

All in all, a rather solid movie that you should watch if you like a drama movie, but there are some better ones around.

This movie was wrongly overlooked when it came out. It has a lot to say and says it well, leaving the viewer with much to think about. It tells about poor country life in the early '70's from the view point of pre-teens. It touches on the Vietnam War through flashbacks and uses this as a study for the conflicts the children are facing. Their father is their link to the war. It deals with several kinds of hatred and its effects on the kids' lives. It also contrasts the kids' reactions to the father's.

Everything is done well. The children actors, led by Elijah Wood, do a really good job. Elijah was especially wonderful with the emotional out bursts he has to produce. Kevin Costner was surprisingly understated as the father and Mare Winningham is very good as the mother. I wish it was a bigger part. The part of the school teacher comes off a bit stereotypical but it works okay. Again, the kids carry the scene with their show of pride and willingness to stand by each other in adversity.

All in all, it's a good movie and good for older children to watch even though there is some strong language and violence. Actually, I think it's a bit mild for its PG-13 rating.



***1/2 out of ****

I watched The War last night for the second time, having loved it the first time. Maybe then I was too young and/or naive. But what I didn't realise then I realise now; this is sentimentality equally mixed with childish comedy. The two obviously don't mix.

Stu (Elijah Wood) lives in a poor, rundown little village after the Vietnam war. His father (Kevin Costner) suffers from trauma after some harrowing memories, thus making him fit for a mental hospital, when he's supposedly out looking for work. Stu's mother (Mare Winninghams) stays at home, whilst Stu's sister (Lidia Simmons) stays out helping Stu to build a tree house. Sets the scene, doesn't it? But there are complications. The rough-n-tumble Limpnickies hate it when the others steal property from their rundown little "area". Thus unfolding a chain of events that will leave you in disbelief at how mushy and sentimental the film is.

It has its strong points, however; the script (though truly abysmal at times) seems to be quite balanced throughout the film, and the acting and emotions conveyed particularly from Elijah Wood are something special. But all in all, the silly comic streaks unbalanced screenplay leave this with a just over average mark.

Final Analysis: 6 out of 10

I rarely like movies about the South because we're portrayed as stupid hillbillies, brainless boobs. But this movie treats us with respect, there is a loving tenderness to it's portrayal. I watched this movie because of Kevin Costner and loved it because of Elijah Wood's performance. There were a lot of great performances by both the children and the adults. I read the comments about preaching and sentimentality, well we tend to be a bit sentimental in the South and I make no apologies for that. This movie deserves to be seen by a wider audience. I like a big blockbuster as well as the next person but I love these smaller, character driven films. They stick in my mind and I mull them around for a while. I've watched this one many times and I still love it. The casting was perfect, Elijah was superb. The actress that played Elvadean stole every scene she was in. I realize some may think the Lipnicki's were hillbillies, but they were limited by their upbringing and would have behaved that way no matter where they lived. Whenever I spot Reinor Scheine in a movie I think about his portrayal of the Lipnicki's daddy. Unfortunately, I know someone distressingly like him. This movie is well worth watching.

Lidia Joanne Simmons recalls her family's tough times in Juliette, Mississippi. Her shell-shocked Vietnam-vet father Stephen Simmons (Kevin Costner) is struggling to keep any job while her mother Lois (Mare Winningham) keeps the family together. Lidia and her twin brother Stu (Elijah Wood) make peace between the girls and boys to build a tree house together. They are always bullied by the junkyard Lipnicki kids. Stephen befriends Moe Henry who helps him get a job in the mine.

There is a lot of mannered southern accents especially from the kids. LaToya Chisholm is the broadest character of them all and it's somewhat bothersome. She plays the sassy black friend to its tilt. The kids have varying success and that's the problem. The movie relies on mostly amateur child actors and not all of them work well. Kevin Costner gives his wise lessons that border on preaching. This is dripping in sincerity and suffers from its heavy-handedness. The combination of Vietnam war action with a kids' coming-of-age fable creates an uneasy mix. If one's willing to buy into it, the film could be a sincere watch.

Jon Avnet's 1994 flick 'The War' begins well, has a nice hearty message to convey and great performances working for it, but it's screenplay goes for a toss. The final 20-25 minutes are flawed, and one wonders was this drag even needed?

'The War' tells the story of a family, who are not in the best shape. The head of the family was a part of the Vietnam War, his wife suffered, and their kids are warring with their fellow aged people.

'The War' has a wonderful first hour, in fact the portions between Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner are memorable and highly emotional. And their performances elevate those sequences. But the writing gets very weak in the final 20-25 minutes. It loses the pace completely, and even the honest moral the film tries to convey goes over-looked. The writing should've been more sharper!

Jon Avnet's direction is decent. The dialogue at places, are lovely. Cinematopgraphy is perfect. Performances are top-notch: Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood are via for top honors, for their 'Tour De Force' portrayals. Mare Winningham and Lexi Faith Randall are excellent as well.

On the whole, an honest film, that gets chum-bled up towards it's culmination. Nevertheless, it easily stands as a one-time watch!

This is my first ever movie review, so please bear with me :)

I first had the pleasure of viewing this gem of a movie in 1997 and I enjoyed it immensely. I now own it on DVD and consider it in my "top 5" movie list. The War is set in the summer of 1970 in Mississippi. Steven Simmons (Kevin Costner) has recently returned from Vietnam and is trying to fit back into life as he once knew it. However his time in Vietnam has left its scars (both physically and emotionally), and has placed strain on his relationship with wife Lois (Mare Winningham), and his children Lydia (Lexi Randall) and Stu (Elijah Wood), who are 12 year old twins. While Steven is trying to re-build his own life, Stu and Lydia are spending the summer building a tree house with the help of their friends, while trying to avoid the Lipnicki children, who take on the "local bullies" role.

I won't go into anymore detail concerning plot, as it may spoil parts of the movie for some. The length of The War, at just on 2 hours, is sufficient for the plot and all its happenings to unfold, but any longer may have proved to be a little drawn out.

The performances put in by all the main actors and actresses (as well as many of the minor parts) are quite good. Elijah Wood's portrayal of the angry but likeable Stu is very well done. With his angry outbursts, expressive face, and "naturalness" in front of the camera, Wood creates a very believable Stu. This is one of his best performances, except maybe for his portrayal of Mikey in The Ice Storm

Kevin Costner, in what must be one of his best (yet lesser known) roles, is very understated but brilliantly cast as Steve. The uncertainty that he expresses within own life, but also the wisdom that he imparts to his children in various parts throughout the movie, are very touching indeed. Many people are critical in their assessment of Costner's acting, but I beg to differ. This is because, a few months back, I rented (and subsequently bought) 3000 Miles to Graceland, in which Costner plays a mad, mean and sinister robber. His performance in this particular movie could not have been further from his role as Steven in The War, but again he plays the part with ease. After watching these two movies, his acting talent and the range of characters that he can effectively bring to life is obvious.

Mare Winningham is perfectly cast as Lois, the hard-working, determined and supportive wife and mother. She breezes through this role, one which is similar in nature to her part in Everything That Rises.

Lexi Randall, as Lydia, also does well, although is almost overshadowed by the performance of by her best friend Elvadine, played by the brilliant Latoya Chisholm. Elvadine's scene in the classroom (you will know what scene i mean when you see it) is one of the best parts of the movie.

This movie does has some violent scenes where children are seen punching and kicking each other, so it would probably be best seen by those 12 years and up. Director Jon Avnet creates a fantastic visual experience, very similar in feel to that of his Fried Green Tomatoes. I really love the tree in which the children built their treehouse - so old yet so stable and strong..... This is a movie that really lets you escape from reality, if only for two hours.

I have viewed this movie many times, and because of this have picked up a few little flaws. Continuity is a little bit of a problem in some scenes. For example, in one scene, Stu and his friends are soaking wet from driving what looks like a home-mate billy cart into a pond. Straight after this occurs the Lipnickis appear, and as they push Stu and co. away from the billy cart, we see that Stu and co. are practically dry. But this is being picky, I must admit. The accents are a bit off in some parts too - maybe the actors were trying a little too hard.

The sound of this movie i must comment on. If you run a surround sound system with Dolby Digital, the movie will give it a work-out in parts. Two scenes in particular:

1. where Stu goes to wake up his Dad. As Stu shoves his dad to rouse him, the thump of helicopter blades are heard in the background and become progressively louder and louder. The sounds stops abruptly when Steve, who is startled by Stu and presumably woken from a nightmare, grabs Stu and flings him onto the ground (as he might have done in Vietnam when defending himself against an enemy soldier). This is a surprisingly intense scene.

2. At the marble quarry - I can't give anymore information than this without spoiling things.

So, if you have a surround sound setup, your subwoofer will definitely get a workout in some parts of the movie. The dialogue is presented quite clearly, and the constant buzz of cicadas and crickets really give a sense of a typically hot and humid summer in the South.

All in all I would highly recommend this movie. I have read reviews where people have said that this movie is not very interesting and is maybe a bit too "preachy". But I watched this movie once with a classroom full of my 17 year old mates and they were glued to the screen for the duration of the movie. The War definitely has a strong message to give about war - those wars we battle inside ourselves and also the wars that are fought by millions. This is also a sad movie, but has a very uplifting conclusion. The War may take some finding in your local video store, but it is highly recommended. 8/10.

Welcome back to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

Tonight's movie review is the drama The War (1994) where a young Lidia recalls an eventful summer, recounting that time when her twin brother Stu, who is played by someone someone before he was Frodo Baggins, Elijah Wood finds himself learning hard truths about life from his father played by the likeable Kevin Costner. Costner plays Stephen, a tortured soul trying to teach his young son the value of lessons he had learned during the war including positive lessons on social consciousness, but struggles to be a breadwinner for his family due to post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in the Vietnam War. The title not only refers to the Vietnam War, which although relevant to the story, it has a very limited place in the film, has more of a purpose referring to the literal war that the children continuously wage with one another over a treehouse. The war which each kid goes through is figurative in the sense that trying to battle the inner rage within each of them due to battling for identity and purpose.

The film is strong in narrative of the father and son relationship however I found it weird that the film was being narrated by Lidia, as the character herself did not have that much presence and content to be the focal point of the movie. It would have been nice to see this narrative from the brother or both kids to show the duality of each character. The film does well with reflecting on social issues found in this era, including social inequality, the root causes of war and the aftermath of it. To me the kids do well in this film by displaying learning harsh lessons of life and it was smart by the filmmaker to stray away from Costner, even though his character does have a strong influence to the overall story however the performance of the kids demonstrates and correlate with the previous wars experienced by their elders including battling and facing internal and external demons and bullies. The great scene in the movie is the final talk between father and son, where Costner goes to a different level of how a parent should be vulnerable with their child and teach them of the flaws and gaps in life however to understand how life is filled with miracles and these gaps can be filled in by one person's decision. A great example of this would be the 'cotton candy' scene. The only other noticeable supporting character is another kid actor LaToya Chisholm who plays Elvadine and her monologue of how she is struggling both at a domestic and social level is amazing - awesome job. Also a great nod to late 60s and early 70s tunes. An underrated flick with a strong story around the kids with great support by Costner, overall 7/10.

I hated this movie. If I was generous I'd say they wanted to make it a childhood fantasy. Some of that makes sense then with the amusement park level water tower challenge, the fight with actual weapons that somehow hurts no one (and uniforms that fit the kids?) or just the comically, over-the-top awful family that does criminal acts in front of 100 townies on at least two occasions and no one does anything? Okay, say that it's exaggeration, the child's point of view like say A Christmas Story, a realistic-but-exaggerated tale.

But then there's real poverty, real racism, real mine disasters. And no tonal shift between the two. Instead it all just reads as nonsense. So exaggerated I don't believe in it and do not care. No sense of wonder, just of annoyance.

Also, Heavy Handed Morality. Every time Kevin Costner explains his moral stance in his very fake country boy accent, they could edit that out and it would still be too heavy handed. There a no themes of morality but instead flashing neon billboards of it.

And as a final insult, it is filmed like a Lifetime movie, and is "It's a period piece, you can tell because we play pop music you'll recognize" scored. Terrible.

I never heard of this movie before today and I just saw it on TV. What a wonderful movie! I would recommend it to anyone. It is family friendly as well. I was very moved by the movie. As far as kids not talking that way, well, lets face it, people in general don't talk the way people do in movies. At least they weren't constantly swearing. Instead, they were saying intelligent and thoughtful things. I was really impressed by this movie as it emphasizes values in our society. There are many movies that do just the opposite and that alone is very revealing about our society. We seem to value sex, drugs and rock and roll above values and that is sad. The acting was wonderful also. Enjoy everyone!

The ongoing saga of post civil war reconstruction continues in a we'll narrated tale of personal values and personal heroism amplify supported by good portrayals by Lexi Randall and LaToya Chisholm.

A lot of people that have reviewed here say this movie is too sentimental, too much of an "ideal morals" kind of movie, that they don't like coming of age films, and so forth.

I think this movie is a nice break from the typical movies that everyone likes nowadays....ones that are full of sex, sexual humor, people slicing each other's heads off, exploding buildings, etc...Is it a simple story? Yeah. Too full of "moral lessons"? Probably. Cheesy by today's standards? Another maybe, depending on the age of the viewer. I do agree with the statement that kids don't talk like grown-ups, maybe they did back in the time that this movie was set. This is by no means a trendy mainstream type of movie, but Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood are great here. It's a simple story about a war veteran and his family and the adventures of his kids and their treehouse. This is one of my favorite movies. I believe this is also a great movie for children to watch, I bet this movie could teach children some morals better than their own parents can. Also, children have their whole lives ahead of them, and probably are not pessimistic about life already, therefore they still have a chance to be able to appreciate this good old-fashioned story. Good for nostalgia for the non-pessimistic viewer.

This movie does not have a happy ending, however, like some of the other "cheesy" "sentimental" movies.

Today I saw this movie for the first time and I was deeply touched by it. What I liked about the movie was the way it makes us realize what's important in life. Using no great special effects and no incredible shooting technologies this movie is worth seeing namely because of the way it makes your feelings come out into the open. It makes you think of the things you rarely stop to think of. The actors' play is wonderful and I can say this is the movie where I enjoyed Elijah Wood's playing more than anywhere else.

"The War" is already in my personal Best-s. Spending two hours watching a movie like this is much more worthy than spending that time thinking of all those unimportant issues we are dealing with during all our lives. So I recommend you to watch this film and wake up your feelings.

Of course, I've actually seen a few movies. This is certainly a cute tale of childhood adventures and growing up dirt poor. There are some well crafted scenes and the film on the whole is quite watchable, but it ain't no ground-shaking, earth-shattering movie experience. On the whole this is a soft piece of cutsie melodrama and somewhat contrived, but not unpleasant. Get it for a little piece of childhood nostalgia, or a chance to be grateful for what you have. 7/10

This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. It seems like there's a lot of people who didn't see it or they saw it and they missed the point. "Didn't you hear a damn word she said?"

A film that got lost in the shuffle. "The War" has an excellent cast, with quiet scenes that are treasures. What's not so good is when the movie is not so quiet, as in the scenes when the children use weapons. I think, unfortunately, that these scene veers from the message that director Jon Avnet wants to convey.

but unfortunately not nearly as good as those 4 movies. "The War" is a feeble attempt at portraying a returning Vietnam Vet with problems (see "Born on the Fourth of July" for a more poignant version) who is father to two children that hang out with lots of other youngsters (see "Stand By Me" for a more realistic portrayal of youth) who often challenge each other, take risks, and get into trouble (see "The Goonies" for a more entertaining scenario), and climaxes with a water tower scene (see "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" for a less predictable water tower scene).

"The War" is basically overly melodramatic and the use of voice-over by the female young lead is annoying. The basic problem of this movie is that it tries too hard. Also, a note to the screenwriter - kids don't talk like that. They really don't. There are way too many unrealistic scenes featuring the kids in this movie where they philosophize about life, stand up to their teachers by reciting a monologue about their lives lasting 5 minutes, and support each other emotionally with cute quips, smiles, and longing gazes. No children that I've ever met are remotely that well-versed or connected to their emotions.

I hate to say it, but you'll have to rent a John Hughes movie like "Sixteen Candles" to see how kids REALLY act.

This film really affected me emotionally since the first time I saw it. I began to wonder how come it didn't make more noise than it did in the box office. Movies like this are certainly not every day commodity in Hollywood. It is perhaps Kevin Costner's best role and the most serious one as well and came at the end of his golden era, which in itself is rather poignant when you think about it. It also stars now-internationally famous Elijah Wood and the less famous but equally capable Lexi Randall as his children. The movie is set sometime in the late 60's/early 70's in the South of course.

The War that the title refers to is not just the Vietnam War which Costner's character has just returned from but also, in his case, the war to win back your respectability and status. And that's really what this film is about-everyone's fighting for status and respectability. Wood's character faces a struggle in form of the nasty Lipnicki boys who bully and harass everyone who approaches "their" territory around the reservoir with the water tower. He fights to keep his right to go there against overwhelming odds. His sister Lidia befriends two black girls and is therefore seen as a pariah among other white girls in the school and has to fight for status and respect, while her black friend Elvadine does the same but against even worse odds. Costner is struggling to find a job after not being able to get back to his old one and this struggle makes him very frustrated. But he never retorts to violence, except when the equally nasty father of the Lipnicki boys physically threatens his son. Yet he takes pity at his motherless children and treats them kindly even after they hurl verbal abuse at him.

It is a really emotional, at times heartbreaking movie, especially since the ending is rather tragic. Lidia provides the narration which enhances the dramatic effect of the film. Costner's touching speech to his son against violence and fighting is also one of the film's highlights and underlines the pacifist message of the film. It's a shame this film wasn't seen by more souls, otherwise maybe the world would be at a better state than it is. This movie should be shown every month on TV if it was up to me. It is about finding out that fighting never solves anything, unless it is fighting against injustice and with words, not fists or guns.

This movie was very good, except for the directors and everyone else's attention to detail. The use the phrase lets '86 them. This phrase came about from the 1986 World Series (Bill Buckner) and this movie was suppose to take place in 1970. So that is a major lack of attention. Besides that very good movie.

Even though the title and plot synopsis makes the audience think they are going into an adult drama, The War is actually about children.

Kevin Costner plays a Vietnam veteran who returns home to Mississippi (cue all actors have varying degrees of accents) and struggles to reconnect with his wife and children. This part of the story is much more interesting than the main storyline. If the entire movie was about his readjustment after wartime, I would have liked it much better.

The kids get in a mini-war that's probably supposed to be a poignant "do as we say but not as we do" lesson for grown-ups, but it comes across as silly and annoying for viewers. I wouldn't even classify it as a coming-of-age story, even though it's probably trying to be. I'll leave you with one last fact, one that will probably steer you towards or away from the film: Jon Avnet is the director, and he directed Fried Green Tomatoes.