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Green Dragon

PG-13 Released May 3, 2002 1h 55m Drama List
61% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
"Green Dragon," set in California in 1975 in a Vietnamese refugee camp, tells the story of Tai Tran (Don Duong), who has the courage to introduce himself to Sergeant Jim Lance (Patrick Swayze), and manages to eventually improve conditions and communications in the camp.
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Green Dragon

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Critics Consensus

Green Dragon struggles to control its sentimental tendencies, but its flaws are just outweighed by an affecting -- and often overlooked -- perspective on the Vietnam War.

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Critics Reviews

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Bruce Westbrook Houston Chronicle An honest, sensitive story from a Vietnamese point of view. Rated: A Jul 26, 2002 Full Review Jane Sumner Dallas Morning News Earnest, unsubtle and Hollywood-predictable, Green Dragon is still a deeply moving effort to put a human face on the travail of thousands of Vietnamese. Rated: C+ Jul 25, 2002 Full Review Gene Seymour Newsday Just when the movie seems confident enough to handle subtlety, it dives into soapy bathos. Rated: 2/4 Jul 19, 2002 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Revisiting the painful aftermath of Vietnam from the perspective of American-bound refugees, Timothy's film is an honorable if not great companion piece to his brother Tony's Three Seasons; both films played at the Sundance Festival dramatic competition Rated: B- Dec 26, 2006 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 4/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Michael Szymanski Zap2it.com Rated: 0/5 Nov 4, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Little known Patrick Swayze, Forest Whitaker gem. Takes a very different look at the war and some of the other aspects of the war and the people it left behind. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member A moving portrayal of the plight of South Vietnamese refugees housed at Camp Pendleton in 1975 awaiting resettlement in America and hoping to be reunited with family. On hearing of the fall of Saigon the refugees must face the daunting idea of rebuilding their lives in an unfamilar country. For those who find this film interesting I'd recommend reading Ahn Do's "The Happiest Refugee" even though it relates to resettling in Australia. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member This film went beyond anything I had ever expected it to be. The acting was incredible, the scenes were moving and the characters memorable and beautiful. I was so happy to see Patrick Swayze back and looking good and of course Forest Whitaker was fabulous. His relationship with the young Mihn was touching. Please, go rent this movie; you won't regret it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Little known Patrick Swayze, Forest Whitaker gem. Takes a very different look at the war and some of the other aspects of the war and the people it left behind. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a great movie for kids of all ages! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Very natural movie and it really touched my heart. I think it gives a good portrayal of what happened at the time the good and the bad (but not the very bad) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis "Green Dragon," set in California in 1975 in a Vietnamese refugee camp, tells the story of Tai Tran (Don Duong), who has the courage to introduce himself to Sergeant Jim Lance (Patrick Swayze), and manages to eventually improve conditions and communications in the camp.
Director
Timothy Linh Bui
Producer
Tony Bui, Tajamika Paxton, Elie Samaha, Andrew Stevens
Screenwriter
Timothy Linh Bui, Timothy Linh Bui, Tony Bui
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Spirit Dance Entertainment, Franchise Pictures, Rickshaw Filmworks, Franchise Classics, TGD Productions
Rating
PG-13 (Some Disturbing Situations|Nudity|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 3, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 21, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$146.1K
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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