Distant Thunder

R

1988

1 hr. 54 min.

Drama

List

43%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Chicago teenager (Ralph Macchio) searches the Pacific Northwest woods for his Vietnam-veteran father (John Lithgow).

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Audience Member

Overall, there are a few things this film gets correct and other aspects seem slightly off. While I admire the performances of the leads, I can't deny that the leading actors seem somewhat miscast, and the characters here make strange choices with unexplained moments and backstories. The pacing and story are predictable, and many moments are long and drawn out, which also makes the story, at times, uninteresting and dull. Granted, the film manages to hit hard on an emotional aspect to tie everything in before its credits are finally revealed.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

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william s

All about the performances....the movie itself is barely so-so.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

88% "It said 'no tresspassing'"-Harvey Nitz (Reb Brown)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

This film is very powerful and has many lessons that can be learned from it also. Ralph Macchio and John Lithgow give powerful performances. It is somewhat hard to stay interested in untill the last 30 minutes of the movie. All in all, a captivating film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

This film is very powerful and has many lessons that can be learned from it also. Ralph Macchio and John Lithgow give powerful performances. It is somewhat hard to stay interested in untill the last 30 minutes of the movie. All in all, a captivating film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I had never heard of this movie but I decided to get it because it has a great cast. John Lithgow, Ralph Macchio and Reb Brown. I had no real expectations and seeing how very few people atleast on Netflix, facebook and IMDB have rated this it was very surprising. Figuring that Ralph Macchio and John Lithgow are not unknown actors and the film felt like it had a budget. Anyway, I really did enjoy this movie. It has great cinematography and great acting. The vietnam scenes and the woods parts are shot well. I am confused to why it is not more widely known. It is taken seriously and the story is compelling. The relationship between Lithgow and Macchio is pretty unique. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at this movie and I did enjoy it a lot. It is different than other films and I guess it being kind of low on the radar makes it all the more compelling.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Rick Rosenberg

Director

John Lithgow

Mark Lambert

Ralph Macchio

Jack Lambert

Kerrie Keane

Char

Reb Brown

Harvey Nitz

Janet Margolin

Barbara Lambert

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

This is a movie of great subtlety and strength, marred by the mechanical way in which the last act is played.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Cathy Burke

United Press International

It's hard to fault a story so poignant and still so relevant. But this tale of lost souls deserved exactly the right setting, one that could have provided the intimacy needed to illustrate a sad, yet hopeful, message.

Aug 23, 2016

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Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 2/5

Oct 6, 2005

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 28, 2005

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Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

Rated: 2/5

Apr 15, 2004

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Brian Mckay

eFilmCritic.com

Cliched film about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but with surprisingly strong performances by Lithgow and Macchio.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 19, 2003

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Synopsis

A Chicago teenager (Ralph Macchio) searches the Pacific Northwest woods for his Vietnam-veteran father (John Lithgow).

Director: Rick Rosenberg
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 11, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $146.0K
Sound Mix: Surround

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