Decoration Day

Decoration Day
Approx. run time	100 minutes
Production company	Hallmark Hall of Fame Marian Rees Associates Vantage Entertainment Group
Distributed by	NBC
Creator	John William Corrington (novel)
Written by	Robert W. Lenski
Directed by	Robert Markowitz
Produced by	Dick Gallegly Marian Rees
Starring	James Garner Judith Ivey Ruby Dee Bill Cobbs Laurence Fishburne Jo Anderson Norm Skaggs Wallace Wilkinson
Editing by	Harvey Rosenstock
Music by	Patrick Williams
Cinematography	Neil Roach
Country	United States
Language	English
Release date	2 December 1990

Decoration Day is a 1990 film based on a novel by John William Corrington of the same title. The award-winning made-for-TV movie was directed by Robert Markowitz and filmed on location in Georgia.

Plot

James Garner plays a retired judge and recluse who comes out of "hiding" to investigate when his childhood friend (Bill Cobbs) refuses to accept a Congressional Medal of Honor earned decades ago in World War II. His reason is kept in confidence and Garner's character files a motion to deny the ceremony. Meanwhile, the personal lives of the other characters have issues of their own to work out. In the end of things Cobbs' character is told of something he didn't know about and the two romantic side stories resolve in a positive fashion.

Cast

• James Garner...Albert Sidney Finch
• Judith Ivey...Terry Novis
• Ruby Dee...Rowena, Finch's Housekeeper
• Bill Cobbs...Gee Pennywell
• Laurence Fishburne...Michael Waring, DOD Man
• Jo Anderson...Loreen Wendell
• Norm Skaggs...Billy Wendell

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly movie reviewer Ken Tucker, gave the film an A-. In his review, he says the movie "starts out like the [...] a video greeting card designed to warm your heart. But very quickly it becomes something better than that." He goes on to say "To be sure, there's a lot that's sentimental about this story," and calls the film "entertaining."^[1]

The DVD Verdict website also praised the film, saying "Decoration Day offers a solid evening of family entertainment, handling serious subject matter with care and presenting a wonderful cast we'd like to wrap in a great big group hug by the end of the film's 99 minutes." They also declared "...if you haven't brushed aside a tear or three by the closing credits, you probably can't see your reflection in a mirror, either." They summed up, "Gather the relations, grab a box of Kleenex, and enjoy."^[2]

Awards

Awards

• 1991 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series or Special – Ruby Dee
• 1991 Golden Globe Award for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
• 1991 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV – James Garner

Nominations

• 1991 Emmy Award for Directing in a Miniseries or a Special – Robert Markowitz
• 1991 Emmy Award for Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special – James Garner
• 1991 Emmy Award for Writing in a Miniseries or a Special – Robert W. Lenski

References

1. ^ "TV Review: Decoration Day". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318731,00.html. 
2. ^ "" Case Number 02740: Decoration Day". DVD Verdict. http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/decorationday.php". 

External links

• Decoration Day at the Internet Movie Database
• Decoration Day at Allmovie
• Decoration Day at TV.com

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