Before I saw the movie I had read several comments that Don Johnson does a superb job here as the main character, Benjamin Tyson, a former Army Lt who now is a well-off oil business man in Dallas. In fact Johnson does deliver a very fine, convincing performance. But that came as no surprise to me, having seen his excellent performance in "The Hot Spot" in a totally different type of role.
Here he has a pretty good life, a loving wife, a teen son, a high-paying job, and an upper class home. But something hits the news that comes back to haunt him, and as it develops might send him to prison. A former medic in his squad, John Heard as medical Dr. Steven Brandt, has a terminal illness and decides to tell all about an incident where many died and a hospital was burned down. In it he implicates Tyson, claiming it was he who ordered that everyone be shot and killed.
Jeanne Tripplehorn is good as Maj. Karen Harper of the Judge Advocate office, and ends up being the one to prosecute the case.
Sharon Lawrence is fine as Tyson's wife, Marcy McClure Tyson. The young Tyson in Viet Nam is played by Don Johnson's real-life son, Jesse Johnson. And Arliss Howard is very effective as J.D. Runnells, the attorney defending Tyson.
SPOILERS: The movie's title is actually the central theme. The whole group of survivors has given their word to each other, what happened in Viet Nam was never to be discussed. Tyson planned to stick to that word of honor, even though what was being said was not true. In a flashback we learn that Tyson did not order everyone killed, in fact it was one of his men who stared shooting everyone, and to stop him Tyson killed that man, one of his own men. But Brandt had misbehaved in Viet Nam, and had actually raped a 12-year-old girl. That Tyson way back then had called him on it, Brandt was making these false accusations to get back at Tyson. The Army used a never-before invoked rule that allowed Tyson to be re-activated, since he was getting disability medical pay. So they were able to have a court marshal. In the end he was found guilty of murdering his own man, but his punishment was being discharged from the Army. No jail time.
Here he has a pretty good life, a loving wife, a teen son, a high-paying job, and an upper class home. But something hits the news that comes back to haunt him, and as it develops might send him to prison. A former medic in his squad, John Heard as medical Dr. Steven Brandt, has a terminal illness and decides to tell all about an incident where many died and a hospital was burned down. In it he implicates Tyson, claiming it was he who ordered that everyone be shot and killed.
Jeanne Tripplehorn is good as Maj. Karen Harper of the Judge Advocate office, and ends up being the one to prosecute the case.
Sharon Lawrence is fine as Tyson's wife, Marcy McClure Tyson. The young Tyson in Viet Nam is played by Don Johnson's real-life son, Jesse Johnson. And Arliss Howard is very effective as J.D. Runnells, the attorney defending Tyson.
SPOILERS: The movie's title is actually the central theme. The whole group of survivors has given their word to each other, what happened in Viet Nam was never to be discussed. Tyson planned to stick to that word of honor, even though what was being said was not true. In a flashback we learn that Tyson did not order everyone killed, in fact it was one of his men who stared shooting everyone, and to stop him Tyson killed that man, one of his own men. But Brandt had misbehaved in Viet Nam, and had actually raped a 12-year-old girl. That Tyson way back then had called him on it, Brandt was making these false accusations to get back at Tyson. The Army used a never-before invoked rule that allowed Tyson to be re-activated, since he was getting disability medical pay. So they were able to have a court marshal. In the end he was found guilty of murdering his own man, but his punishment was being discharged from the Army. No jail time.