While I can see that the movie had in general some good actors and the dialogue was also all decent, the movie had really bad casting for the German soldiers, which actually would have made everything more believable. When telling a true story you need to have everything in it as real as possible. The English actors as German soldiers spoke such broken German, the first thing I thought was, WHY, why save money on that. Would you believe a story when the GI's were Asian looking? Would you believe if they had a Russian accent? No, you would not believe that they were really American soldiers. For that alone, I subtracted 5 stars, simply because it made the movie cheap looking. You can't tell a true story with fake facts.
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michaelniermann24 October 2017
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First, this movie is not for the scoffers, or the jaded, over-privileged film aficionados out there.
It is a story of real honor, duty, sacrifice, and friendship.
There are few left who have a heart to appreciate such a story, as evidenced by the shamefully low rating it has received here.
James Cromwell is superb as usual, and his son John is a good match to play him as a younger man.
The profound aspect in this film is its accurate depiction of the pain, pride, and regret of war.
Most of us who have had war vets in our families have never heard stories like these, because most war vets either refuse to talk about them, or else those who could listen to their stories are repulsed and unwilling to. There is scarce empathy for those who have served us by engaging in the brutality that is war.
Most of us would rather pretend that war is a bad dream that will go away if we refuse to acknowledge it.
But those who have gone through the real fires of war have no such option. They must carry it with them for the whole of their lives. The price they paid for our safety and way of life is a fact of their existence that they cannot escape.
This film will help you understand a profound truth, if you will open yourself to understand the terrible but inescapable truth of what war is.
There is evil in the world, and it must be fought without reservation. Even the pacifists should understand how much they inescapably owe to those whose actions they so vehemently disdain.
The undeniable truth is that the horrors of war require only one aggressor; that is why we must always fight when necessary in order to remain morally good.
The one who cowers in safety during wartime cannot escape this legacy, any more than the war vet can. -
juneebuggy2 December 2015This was a family story as much as a war story, mostly watchable due to the performances from James and John Cromwell. It does its best to tug at your heartstrings and make you feel for the characters, and ultimately I wish I had liked it more because Memorial Day has an important message to tell.
The story is filled with flashbacks starting when a 12 year old Kyle discovers his grandfathers footlocker from WW2 and asks him about his time during the war. "Bud" is still wracked with grief and struggles, reluctant to talk about it. Eventually though an aging James Cromwell shares a story about one of the items from the footlocker, taking us back to Europe where his real life son James plays his part. -Wow do they ever look alike.
Flip flopping back and forth we also follow a grown up Kyle who uses the wisdom from his grandfather while serving his own tour in Iraq. I did enjoy the modern battle scenes here, I thought they were well done. Ultimately this did bring a lump to my throat and James Cromwell kind of breaks your heart it just wasn't fantastic or anything. 11/9/15 -
bshaef24 May 2020That was pretty much unbelievable because how many of us have a kindly old grandpa who lives in a white house with a picket fence around it. Most of the people I know from WW I through the Gulf War don't ever talk about their war experiences with "civilians". That's why they have those meeting of ex soldiers and the buddies. They like to remember their war experiences between them but clam up when civilians are around. Anyway, I liked the movie.
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ironhorse_iv28 May 2013Too many young people have no idea what Memorial Day represents. Memorial Day can be a difficult holiday to explain. Its beginnings came after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. Southern ladies also decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other important Civil War cities. Today, the holiday encompasses all wars. For anyone who has served in the military, family member or friend of service members, this is a Heart Warming movie. While, I will say the same about the film, I felt that the movie was missing a few things to make it a really good movie. Before I get attack from all sides, questioning my patriotism, for disliking the movie, a bit. Let's me say, that I honor the "greatest generation" and what they gave us through their sacrifice, but I have the right to voice my opinion and say the movie isn't perfect at all. The movie starts out, with low budget action in Iraq or Afghanistan with Kyle Vogel (Jonathan Bennett), the movie doesn't really explain where we were. All I know, is that it could have been New Mexico since half of the so-called 'Arabs' look Hispanic, Indian, and White. They even have the same actor play two different insurgents throughout the film and makes no attempt to cover the fact that it's the same guy. When Kyle Vogel get wounded in a battle, we enter a talk with the local nurse LT Kelly Tripp (Emily Fradenburgh) about a collection of items, he been carrying around with him and why he does it. The acting between these two are just awful. It is here, we enter a flashback to Memorial Day, 1993 where 13-year-old Kyle Vogel discovers the World War II footlocker belonging to his grandfather, Bud (James Cromwell). Everyone tells Kyle to put it back, but he force his grandfather to talk about it even when he says no. First off, the child playing him is awful actor. Second off, his character shouldn't force and shove it at his elder's face so that Bud had to relive awful horrible memories from his time in WWII. Me, personally, I wouldn't force any grandfather to tell me about WWII, unless he wanted to, and wouldn't shove his items in his face. Bud clearly didn't want to talk about it. Although Bud has never talked about the war, he finds himself striking a deal with his grandson: Kyle can pick any three souvenirs, and Bud will tell him the stories behind each one. Memorial Day not only takes us on a journey into Bud's complicated wartime past, but also into Kyle's wartime future. As the two men share parallel experiences in combat, they come to realize how that magical day on the porch shaped both of their lives. As for acting, I have to say James Cromwell, and his son John playing a younger him are the best. The strongest contribution comes from Cromwell family, who nails a demanding part, finding a core of realism and truth in a role. Everybody else is dreadful or mediocre at best. The story does its best to reel you in and feel for these characters, but flashback within a flashback story telling get kind of confusing. Since the movie is low budget, the action scenes look and feel like recruitment videos. Not the best Computer animation here. The smoke, the broken glasses, and the airplanes all look out of a 1990's computer graphic catalog. I have to say the wardrobe is pretty historic accurate. The $1.2 million production is historically accurate and impressive. The state National Guard provided modern helicopters, Humvees and extras, and collectors of vintage combat vehicles contributed German army halftracks, vintage jeeps and P-38 fighter aircraft. The war stories could have really happen. I like the first of Bud's stories. Still, how did Kyle Vogel knew there was a bomb by having a migraine? That's doesn't make any sense! The shaking cam, and the blurry scenes do hurt my eyes, but it's watchable. The movie very much reminds me of other recent Christian or faith-based films with its message. There is a few scenes with religious undertones. Its does have a few harsh language, and little to no gory scenes. So it's pretty safe for an R-Rated film. Overall: So-So movie with some faults. The ending was kinda emotional and the film was made with lot of heart toward it. If you just focus on the bad things in the film, you are missing the important reason why this film is made. This movie is to remember those that have fallen and those who have not fallen. It's for the troops. Worth a watch, at less once in a while.
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Memorial Day is not meant to be a "war" movie, it is a Veteran's story. Made with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, the intent was to convey to our families and friends the impact on the soul of going to war. It is not meant to glorify war, everyone who goes there comes back a lesser person in some ways. Enlightened yes, but all too often hardened also. Being a Veteran of several campaigns I don't see myself ever opening up to my immediate family but someday with time and a bit of distance from those tours of duty will be able to relate some of it to grandchildren as "Bud" Vogel/actor James Cromwell, the Grandfather in the movie did.
This movie was helped by a lot of really good people helping to make it this far, and graced by historically significant WWII aircraft. The P38 Lightning is one of only a half dozen flying in the world, the P51 Mustang is one of only a handful that actually flew combat missions in WWII. Fagen Fighters of Granite Falls, Minnesota must be thanked for that. It was made with the invaluable contribution of the WWII Historical Reenactment Society, and many local MN Iraq Veterans used as background actors. It is a story of great significance, and if we can get it told I feel it will do immeasurable good in helping Veterans and their families come to terms with our current return to civilian life. And not least of all, it is a respectful homage to our passing WWII Veterans. In 10 yrs they will all virtually be gone. Our hopes are that the movie will help them, and Veterans of all wars, pass on their first hand experiences and witness to history. -
Telling war stories over a movie that is predominantly a family movie is indeed hard as proved by this movie. There rises the challenge of whether to make the war depictions look realistic enough or not; holding back details which can be contradicting to the family movie's values. That's quite bad because the story nicely tells details about the war. Each mini stories, particularly those linked to an item, proves to be of high emotional content. The contrast between the World War II stories and the more modern Iraqi Invasion war stories put this movie to a more realistic point in story-telling. Yet again the details about the war action got severely cut due to this movie is intended to be viewed by the whole family. The acting overall feels kind of bland. Individually, only James Cromwell did well to insert adequate emotion into his character through expressions. Not even John Cromwell achieved this in his World War II character.
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cosmo_tiger18 May 2012"Promise me no matter what I tell you I'll always be your Opa." While Kyle Vogel (Bennett) is at a hospital recovering from a wound he got in war his nurse begins to ask him about his life. He decides to tell her about a talk he had with his grandfather (Cromwell) when he was 13. This is another movie that I thought could have been either really good or really boring. I wasn't sure how a movie about a grandfather telling his grandson about war artifacts could be any good. After twenty minutes I was absolutely hooked. I really connected with this movie on a personal level as my grandpa was also a vet and always wanted to ask him about what he went through. I only heard one story and after hearing it I never asked again. That aside, this is one great movie that deserves to be watched. The acting buy Cromwell is Oscar caliber and he deserves to be nominated for this, but like most low budget movies it gets glossed over because of the budget. Which isn't fair at all. I highly recommend this movie and is in my top 10 of movies released this year. Overall, a must see movie that will leave you choked up at the end. I give it an A.
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smcrea14 November 2021This was a good movie but some of the details annoyed me. For example the poor firearms safety handling with OPA with his finger on the trigger of the Walther. Also not safety checking it when it came out of the footlocker. No professional soldier would ever do that!
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justkissmebabe8 June 2012This is a great family movie, a good movie to watch with the family. It has a lot of great family values. This movie almost made me cry, "Bud" reminded me of my grandpa that passed away a couple year ago. this movie reminded me of the good times me and my grandpa had. The main actors did a great job but the side actors were not very good and it bothered me. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, if you like war movies or not. This is not really a war movie it is more about the memories and how it changes people. It is about family and friendships. James Cromwell did a very good job. There is some life lessons in this movie, you do not want to take life for granted. Stories live on forever... if you tell them to someone.
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cassadys27 March 2012Unlike many war films, this film does more than just portray events and effects of active duty. This film goes further than blood and bullets.
is a film which embraces family, and intertwines the family aspect into war.
This film is (excuse the cliché) one-of-a-kind. Bennett does an excellent job portraying a young, determined soldier. James and each do an outstanding performance and really tie movie together, really embracing the feel of family (even though they both portray same character but in different times).
I highly recommend this film to ANYBODY. Whether you like war films or not, this movie is more than that. This movie, in a way, is every genre. Horror: giving realization of war events and after effects. Suspense: it keeps you on edge of your seat-- it keeps you wanting more. Comedy: some cute quotes which lighten mood after enthralling dramatic scenes. Family: it brings together a sense of love and support. And Romance: in a way, it is a love . You just have to open your heart to hear it.
Ten out of ten cannot describe the quality and love that this movie is composed of. -
headhunter469 February 2013Very mild spoilers dealing with the plot. Should not ruin the movie if you choose to view it. This movie is tastefully and eloquently executed in telling the story of a grandfather and grandson who both experience the ugliness of war, two generations apart. It addresses in part why so many veterans do not talk about what they witnessed. It touched me in several ways. Those who watched with me sometimes laughed, sometimes cringed, and occasionally shed a few tears.
This is the best performance I have seen from James Cromwell. He was very convincing as the grandfather reliving painful memories with a curious grandson who would not take no for an answer. The boy found a chest full of souvenirs on memorial day and wanted to know what they were and why grandfather kept them.
Inside most veterans of war there are two personalities.
One is the "protector". He or she cannot speak of the ugliness experienced because that would expose loved ones to the horror of war they intend to shield them from. Neither do they want loved ones to know the violence they were capable of. I learned that from my father but did not fully understand until he was gone.
I became a protector myself after Vietnam. Fighting a war on foreign soil in the hope it would never come to my home land. It still goes on to this very day with new generations.
The other personality is the "avoider". He or she is the one with the hidden psychological wounds that need to be healed but the veteran is unwilling to talk about it. Afraid to let the monsters out as if they lived in a "Pandora's box". The vet is fearful the demons and ugliness might be overwhelming. And the memories can be very painful so they keep them suppressed.
When my father learned I was to be drafted in 1966 he spoke to me of only a few things he witnessed in WWII. I suspect he wanted to prepare me mentally for what I was about to experience. Even then he could only reveal small bits of information.
Most decent men and women who experience war do not want to talk about it because it is ugly. There is no glory in war itself. Only in the halting of cruelty is there glory and honor.
This movie deals very cleverly with the experiences of veterans. It addresses war rather factually revealing how sad it is to watch someones life slip away much too soon. The murder that occurs in wars is always random, it is just a matter of bad luck that one soldier aims at the person next to you and you are spared. Or that you are only wounded and sent to be "repaired". Purely random, lousy, luck.
The horror of war does its damage to the emotional, psychological part of the human. Decent people are sometimes forced to make choices in war that they would NEVER make other wise. And the pain of that lives with them till death or until the memories fade due to something similar to Alzheimer's.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this movie for the way it addresses some most important issues. It may not be suitable for young ones because a few of the scenes being relived in the memory of the veterans get quite realistic.
This is a good movie, part of me wishes it was required viewing for 12th grade students. -
First and foremost let me preface this review by saying I love independent films and war films. This film has four main actors, and they all did a marvelous job making their characters extremely believable and real. But, what makes this movie unmistakably good is that it makes you feel. There is no way you can not watch this movie and not feel for the grandfathers condition, or the trials and tribulations that that Kyle Vogel, and Bud Vogel. But, maybe most importantly this film forces us to look at what war is. This film shows that regardless of how much war has changed, in many ways it has not changed. There is still death, loss, and moral struggles. That at some point we all must come to terms with. This is a movie that I would recommend with flying colors, but I am skeptical of this movies re-watch value because once the moral issues have been lay-ed out there is not much else to this movie.
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huffm128 March 2012I was lucky enough to see a screening of this film, and was blown away. To echo the reviews below, it's more than a war movie, it's a family movie. The movie crosses multiple generations, and encompasses stories from two wars. For those from the WWII generation this will bring back their own memories from a time with the war was very much part of their daily life. For those with loved ones serving now it gives a real face to what is happening. For everyone else it's a solid reminder that memories are stories that need to be shared, that burdens can't be carried alone and that all generations have something to give to one another.
Additionally, it teaches us that Memorial Day is more than a time for picnics and BBQ, more than just a free day off and a parade but that it's a day when we honor and remember.
I strongly recommend this for anyone, not just those with military ties. -
In the interest of full disclosure, I do know some "principals" involved with the making of this film, and was on location to watch a few scenes being filmed and met most of the cast.
With that out of the way. Seriously, what these people did, from a conversation, to an idea, from concept, to an LLC, bringing in the key actors, etc. They did not just "make a movie" to say "hey, we made a movie." With limited time, limited location, limited funds, they took a great screenplay which the actors obviously enjoyed, executed their performances to the best of their abilities. They followed through on the cutting room floor, with the Audio and with the Digitization. BEAUTIFUL!
Again, come full circle to the wonderful screenplay, and the performances of the Cromwell's. I loved the movie. I will own it and I will watch it every Memorial Day for my remaining years. Kudos to the entire cast/crew! -
KexUK6 November 2012Well directed, excellently photographed, superbly acted this well scripted movie is a mover - and that's what I watch films for, to be moved, to be taken to another place in my imagination or experiencing that can release feelings and emotions within me that touch upon the core of my 'humanness'. This film performs this task, and more, beautifully. I watched it 4 nights ago and have since watched 3 more movies, yet I find myself consistently and continually being drawn back into Memorial Day. My memory keeps thrusting this back into my consciousness. There are some wonderfully subtle family moments, ebbs and flows, currents and undercurrents, that are so honestly representative of most families. The family setting is very recognizable for most people. I am 68 and I can recognize many characters I have known in this film.They are clearly identifiable. It is,thankfully,not a 'shock and awe' film, but rather a very believable journey through the experiencing of 3 generations and the determined power of children to seek answers.Memorial Day is truly memorable.
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raylyncorvette29 August 2012What a movie! This movie isn't just a story about two wars but how both those wars affected the lives of two people. James Cromwell (Bud Vogel)is at his very best and his son John Cromwell (younger Lt. Bud Vogel)is what many would say is "a chip off the old block". Jackson Bond plays the young grandson Kyle Vogel while Jonathan Bennett plays Kyle as a grown man. The acting and portrayal of the participants is superb in every detail.
The story deals with flashbacks of war and torment and drives home the need to understand. It may be hard for me to tell you about the movie without spoiling it for you so I won't get into too much detail other than to tell you to sit down in a quiet room and watch this movie with an open mind and heart. Saving Private Ryan brought a tear to these old eyes of mine and I have to admit the same thing happened to me while watching this movie. So a box of tissues may be an added item to have nearby. -
I really enjoyed the movie, and appreciate a war film thats family friendly and sparks conversation. Memorial Day gave a touching portrayal of how serving our country touches us all... The men and women who serve, the ones waiting at home, the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, kids, grand kids, and friends. As a fan of James Cromwell, what a treat to see his son - a spitting image- play him as a young man (great actor too). Great to Finally watch a war movie that goes beyond the battlefield scenes. As someone who has family who are Veterans of WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq (big family), I plan to go back and ask those still living about what's in their footlocker. Maybe the answers will help us in a way that provides insight, healing, and connection. Great movie, and not just for war-buffs or Veterans. Well done!
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candym195827 May 2013I was not going to watch this film. But I am ashamed to say I watched it because nothing else interested me. I was hooked within 15 minutes. My Grandfather was a WWII vet who served with Patton and fought at Normandy. I was so proud of my Grandfather he was a great man. I named my son his first great grandson after him. When they got older he told his war stories to my son's and myself. When he passed away in 2008 my son's inherited his Foot Locker plus a lot more from his time as a soldier. My son's and I treasure what he has left to them. My father on the other hand fought in Vietnam and refused to speak about his time there during his two tours of duty. He passed away in 2007 and we never will have the chance to learn about his time in the service. I honor both these men in my heart for the service that they gave this Country.
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rcarlton14 December 2012Wow! What a surprise. Went in not expecting much and was hooked! The trunk that young Vogel found was identical to my grandfathers! I used the trunk in college. Never asked my grandfather about the war, all I knew he was a postman. He also won a bronze star. Because of this I really connected to the movie. While watching the movie all I could think of was the questions I did not ask. It did bring a tear to my eye!
Switching back and forth between now and WWII worked well. The parallels between characters was very believable. As another reviewer said: "have Kleenex available!" -
hkirbysmith6 December 2012I decided to watch this movie because I'm a war movie buff, used to seeing fantastic special effects, latest technology, etc. This movie turned out to be a pleasant surprise - a good war flick but a better human interest story. I've long regarded James Cromwell as an excellent actor, always giving good performances in any role he's cast. I've always been leery of his views, regarding them as very liberal & anti-establishment. After watching this movie, I'm rethinking my view. This movie was about a slice of American life where the old & new get together on common ground. James Cromwell makes this movie what I found it to be - a great emotional interplay between father & son well interspersed with good action sequences. This movie now rates as one of my all-time favorites!
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OJT23 February 2014The film starts out just beautiful. I love films which uses simple effects in close ups combined with beautiful overview of the landscape. Directed by first time director Samuel Fisher, a man with a long career behind the camera, it sure us a fine debut. That's surely also the reason for this film being beautifully photographed.
It's a story about family bonding and history telling, as well as giving away what is most important, the stories which makes history and traditions within a family. There's quite some symbolic things put into if as well.
The film starts exciting. I'm drawn in right away, and if you are like me, you're in for a compelling story. After a few minutes I understand that this Is a film which balances beautiful between present war in Iraq and foregone days, as well as between war and peace time.
It's not a big budget film, but it's very realistically told. The war scenes are shown just like they are, with no glossy Hollywood nonsense. Real snow, real people, just like it would have been. The injuries are so real, I really can't understand how they made it. Just amazing!
As mentioned, the story is beautifully photographed where the lighting also is simply great. This is very qualified film making in all aspects, and add to this a charmingly told story in all ways, you have a good film. Add great acting by all, but the best us James Cromwell (as the old grandpa) and his son John Cromwell (playing the younger Bud Vogel). Young Jackson Bond is great as the younger Kyle Vogel. Mary Kay Fortier- Spalding is a fabulous grandma.
After a start which promises there's more coming, We meet a young wounded soldier retelling his grandfathers stories about the Second World War. Then we go back to the storytelling, and then further back to the ending days in the war in Europe.
There's so much talent and love for giving a message which drives this story, and I appreciate that this story came my way. It's one of those stories which makes you want to watch another, just as good movie, right away. This film deserves many viewers. -
tomhubred12 July 2013For those who are looking for flaws in this movie, they are going to find them. However, considering the budget the film makers had to work with, I think they exceeded expectations. What carries this film is the story and the storytelling. Of course, it's a bonus to have Cromwell and son in two critical roles in the film, but even their combined skills can't make a bad story good. Fortunately, with this film, they have a very good story which they turn into something special. As for the rest of the cast, some of the performances are sub-par, but I would not use a broad-brush with that criticism.
As has been said, this is not a "war movie". It's also not a film about remembering our WWII veterans, though that will hopefully be one effect of it. This film is trying to help us understand our war veterans. Why did grandpa not want to talk about WWII? Why doesn't dad want to talk about what happened in Iraq or Afghanistan? The answer isn't as obvious or as simple as we may think.
I've watched Memorial Day at least 3 times and each time I've come away with something new to think about. -
PWNYCNY27 May 2014This is a fine movie that respectful remembrance to those who have served in the military. However, the movie is not a polemic purporting militarism. Rather, it provides a thoughtful and sensitive retrospective on what it means to be in the military. The movie shows that that the American soldier is essentially a civilian who has been asked to become a soldier, which challenges one's sense of identity. The main character, Lieutenant Vogel is, by nature, not a violent person, yet in his role as an soldier he must commit violent acts, which leaves both physical and emotional scars. The movie effectively shows how this remains true even in more recent conflicts involving American soldiers. The United States is not by nature militaristic and regimented, thus when American soldiers are ordered into combat, they may have to perform acts that go against their essentially peaceful nature. And to perform those acts requires a level of bravery and courage that makes the American soldier the strongest and best soldiers in the world.