A Soldier's Sweetheart

Plot

Thomas Michael Donnelly directed this Vietnam drama, filmed in New Zealand and adapted from Tim O'Brien's short story, "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong," about a group of army medics in Vietnam. Rat (Kiefer Sutherland) narrates the tale seen in flashbacks: Rat's buddy Fossie (Skeet Ulrich), after learning about a unit that pooled money to bring in a hooker, manipulates the black-market to import his hometown girlfriend, innocent teen Marianne (Georgina Cates). The M*A*S*H-like unit is pleased by her presence, but Marianne finds the war carnage fascinating; she experiments with small-arms fire, goes wandering off into dangerous territory, and becomes friends with a unit of Green Berets, much to the dismay of Fossie. Just when he's on the brink of sending her home, she sets forth on an all-night patrol with the Green Berets. This film and Donnelly's The Garden of Redemption, another war drama, are two/thirds of a planned Showtime trilogy. Locations in New Zealand. Shown at the 1998 Seattle Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Cast

• Kiefer Sutherland - Rat
• Georgina Cates - Marianne
• Skeet Ulrich - Fossie
• Daniel London - Eddie
• Louis Vanaria - Bobbie D

Lawrence Gilliard, Jr. - Shoeshine; Christopher Birt - Sanders

Credit

Ralph Davies - Art Director, Pennie Du Pont - Casting, Leesa Evans - Costume Designer, Robert Huberman - First Assistant Director, Thomas Michael Donnelly - Director, Anthony Sherin - Editor, Marianne Moloney - Executive Producer, Gary Chang - Composer (Music Score), Doug Kraner - Production Designer, Jacek Laskus - Cinematographer, William S. Gilmore - Producer, Tony Johnson - Sound/Sound Designer, Thomas Michael Donnelly - Screenwriter, Tim O'Brien - Short Story Author

Previous:	A Soldier's Story (1984 Film), A Soldier's Plaything (1931 Film)
Next:	A Soldier's Tale (1989 Film), A Somewhat Gentle Man (2009 Film)