Vietnam vet attempts to reconnect with son
A number of films about returning Vietnam veterans made their way to theater screens in the 1970s and 1980s. “Coming Home,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Rolling Thunder,” First Blood,” and “The Deer Hunter” all explored the problems that the veterans faced in readjusting to civilian life after their horrifying wartime experiences. The lesser known “Distant Thunder” is the story of a Vietnam vet who tries to reconnect with a son he hasn’t seen in over ten years.<br /><br />Mark Lambert (John Lithgow, “The World According to Garp”) lives on a remote mountain in a Pacific Northwest rain forest as a “bush vet,” with three other men who served in Vietnam. They make as little contact with other people as possible and have come together in an unspoken understanding of what it is like to be haunted by awful memories, scarred by their experiences in war.<br /><br />After the suicide of one of the vets, Mark decides to get his life together and looks for work at a nearby logging company. The company’s office manager, Char (Kerrie Keane), empathizes with him because her father was a veteran. She recognizes his inner turmoil and makes sure he gets hired. Learning that he has an 18-year-old son son he hasn’t seen in years, Char suggests that he write to him. Mark struggles with this idea but finally does manage a brief letter and sends it.<br /><br />When his son, Jack (Ralph Macchio, “The Karate Kid”), receives the letter, he notes the return address and sets off to meet his estranged dad. The meeting does not go well. Mark has retreated to his squalid home in the rain forest. Jack convinces Char to lead him to his father’s lair and is taken aback by his primitive living conditions and volatile companions. Father and son act awkwardly toward each other. Excuses are made, hurts aired, questions asked. All the while, it’s apparent that Mark is trying his best to connect despite his inability to voice why he abandoned his wife and son.<br /><br />A sub-plot involves jealousy. Mark’s co-worker and Char’s boyfriend, Moss (Jamey Sheridan), mistakes her interest in Mark as romantic and, armed with a rifle, pursues him up the mountain. This mobilizes Mark’s bush-vet friends Larry (Denis Arndt) and Harvey (Reb Brown) into action as they protect their turf, using skills learned in the military.<br /><br />Lithgow is exceptional as Mark, playing the laconic role with a sad, expressive face and hesitant, jumpy body language to show what the character is thinking. He conveys beautifully Mark’s disappointments, sensitivity, defensive manner, and longing to form a bond with his son. He speaks softly and deliberately, using as few words as possible, as if he’s gotten out of the habit of talking to people. Mark is haunted by one particular harrowing experience during the war that’s impossible for him to shake. Sudden noises startle him and he doesn’t like to be touched or grabbed.<br /><br />Macchio is fine as Jack but fails to inject adequate emotion into the role. The script indicates Jack insists on driving across the country to meet his estranged father, yet after he finds him, an initial coolness never thaws until nearly the fade-out. The film is Mark’s story, of course, but Jack is an integral part of the tale and a stronger performance is needed.<br /><br />Arndt, as Larry, provides some comic relief in this somber story with his character’s unexpected outbursts, weird sense of humor, and uncontrolled laughter. Interestingly, Arndt served as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, which may have added a touch of stark realism to his portrayal.<br /><br />Director Rick Rosenthal opens the film with a bloody firefight that shows the dangers of jungle warfare and the moment-to-moment horrors of death and dying. This prologue underscores how devastating and pervasive are the effects and after-effects of war. Rosenthal nicely shows the camaraderie of the bush vets. They accept each other for who they are because they understand, as only a fellow vet can, what they’ve all been through.<br /><br />The screenplay by Robert Stitzel has its drawbacks. It seems unlikely that Jack’s mother (Janet Margolin) would let her son head off alone to find a father he hasn’t known. Mark’s volatility is established in a few scenes in which we realize he can kill a person with his bare hands unless he holds back or is restrained. A character we have seen only fleetingly shows up in the third act to move the plot forward and allow Mark to become heroic. Some viewers may find the ending disappointing, since it doesn’t wrap the story up in typical Hollywood style. We never quite know for sure whether Mark and Jack will fully reconnect because Mark’s post-traumatic demons are so deep-rooted.<br /><br />Bonus materials include an audio commentary and theatrical trailer.<br /><br />“Distant Thunder” has a melancholy tone as we see that war can inflict injury apart from bullets. John Lithgow’s superb, underplayed performance illustrates the tragedy of war on not only the individual but on family as well.
The movie title "Distant Thunder," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.3 from 92 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Featured Categories, Blu-ray and Action & Adventure. 
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 {"Genre": "Action & Adventure", "Format": "Import", "Contributor": "Janet Margolin, Ralph Macchio, Reb Brown, Rick Rosenthal, John Lithgow, Robert Schaffel, Kerrie KeaneJanet Margolin, Ralph Macchio, Reb Brown, Rick Rosenthal, John Lithgow, Robert Schaffel, Kerrie Keane   See more", "Language": "English (Dolby Digital 2.0)", "Runtime": "114 minutes", "MPAA rating": "Unrated (Not Rated)", "Package Dimensions": "6.73 x 5.39 x 0.67 inches; 3.53 Ounces", "Director": "Rick Rosenthal", "Media Format": "Import", "Run time": "114 minutes", "Release date": "December 16, 2022", "Actors": "John Lithgow, Kerrie Keane, Reb Brown, Ralph Macchio, Janet Margolin", "Subtitles": "English", "Producers": "Robert Schaffel", "Studio": "Imprint", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : A HERO OF WAR. A CASUALTY OF PEACE, WITH ONLY ONE HOPE FOR SURVIVAL. HIS SON.John Lithgow (Shrek, Footloose) stars as a self-exiled "bush vet" and Ralph Macchio (My Cousin Vinny, The Karate Kid) co-stars as the son he hasn't seen in fifteen years. Their uneasy reunion accidentally sparks war-haunted violence - and father and son share a harrowing fight for survival that will either destroy them or unify them forever.Special Features and Technical Specs:High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentationNEW Audio Commentary by Author David J MooreMore features to be announcedTheatrical TrailerOriginal Aspect Ratio 1.78:1Audio English LPCM 2.0 / DTS-HD 5.1 audioEnglish subtitlesLimited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with unique artwork..