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      A Bright Shining Lie

      TV-MA 1998 2 hr. 10 min. Drama List
      Reviews 52% 500+ Ratings Audience Score John Paul Vann (Bill Paxton) is sent to Vietnam in 1962 as a military adviser and quickly learns that several South Vietnamese battalions are forging low casualty numbers and successful battle records. Vann, along with journalist Steven Burnett (Donal Logue), tries to take the matter public and in the process destroys his career and reputation. His private life also takes a hit when his wife (Amy Madigan) learns of his numerous affairs, including one with a Vietnamese teacher (Vivian Wu). Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (21) audience reviews
      Audience Member where have all the flowers gone? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member "It is not true that we are here to solve problems, sir. WE are the problem." Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting HBO movie based on the experiences of John Vann soldier, and military advisor, during the Vietnam conflict. A revealing story of cover-ups, and mistakes that are ultimately revealed about all wars. Decently done. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member I didn't like the film too much because I'm kind of anti-war and this film does glorify war... which it shouldn't. However, the lead actor was good and this helped the film along. I didn't know anything about the Vietnam war, and this film was as informative as it was entertaining. More films should be like it in that way. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member For a movie about war, it's really boring. Bill paxton gives a good performance, as does the majority of the cast but this isn't a very outstanding film merely a merdiocre one. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member The book was better, lame and trite as that is but fuck you as no one has actually seen this movie, despite bill paxton, who is decent but obviously just worked on this for under a month for a decent paycheck. He gapes and gaws, but ultimately we're left with something that obviously subscribes to a single view of the Vietnam War while paying lip service to the Vann's view in a whole WHO CAN SAY OBVIOUSLY NOT THE SCRIPT WRITER FURP FURP Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      A Bright Shining Lie

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (4) Critics Reviews
      Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 24, 2005 Full Review Eric Lurio Greenwich Village Gazette Rated: 3/5 Dec 21, 2004 Full Review Dragan Antulov rec.arts.movies.reviews Rated: 5/10 May 11, 2004 Full Review MaryAnn Johanson Flick Filosopher Rated: 6/10 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis John Paul Vann (Bill Paxton) is sent to Vietnam in 1962 as a military adviser and quickly learns that several South Vietnamese battalions are forging low casualty numbers and successful battle records. Vann, along with journalist Steven Burnett (Donal Logue), tries to take the matter public and in the process destroys his career and reputation. His private life also takes a hit when his wife (Amy Madigan) learns of his numerous affairs, including one with a Vietnamese teacher (Vivian Wu).
      Director
      Terry George
      Executive Producer
      Lois Bonfiglio
      Screenwriter
      Christopher Hampton, Ron Hutchinson, Neil Sheehan
      Rating
      TV-MA (S|L|V), R
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Jan 11, 2000