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Memorial Day

Play trailer Poster for Memorial Day R 2011 1h 48m Action Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Kyle's (Jonathan Bennett) grandfather Bud (James Cromwell) shares three wartime stories from World War II when he turns 13. As an adult, Kyle's experiences in war mirror those of his grandfather.
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Memorial Day

Critics Reviews

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Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times Between all the flashbacks and flash-forwards, you'll need a scorecard. Rated: 2/5 May 24, 2012 Full Review Jayne Nelson Radio Times Cromwell holds it all together with his apparently effortless gravitas and charm. Rated: 3/5 Nov 19, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Trent K If you have ever been to been to war, this is a great movie. You come back with scars no matter if they are visible or not. Over 23-veterans a day commit suicide. If you or a love one needs help, contact your local doctor or the VA for help, it works. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/10/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a small movie that stars one of my favorites, James Cromwell, as an elderly WWII veteran. <p> The contemporary moments of the movie have to do with Cromwell's grandson's deployment in Iraq, but the flashback segments involve first, that same grandson, as a 12-year-old, finding Cromwell's souvenir chest full of mementos he brought back from the European Theater. His asking Cromwell about three of those souvenirs goes to the heart both of his future Iraq tour, and of his grandfather's WWII experience. <p> Second, are the farther flashbacks to Cromwell's deployment in Europe. What the grandfather experiences influences both his explanations of those three objects to the younger grandson, and that grandson's own behavior fighting in Iraq in the present. <p> Three things about this movie struck me. First, Cromwell had served in the Army with the 82nd Airbourne, the same Division as my dad. The two WWII battle sequences in the film are Operation Market Garden (A Bridge Too Far), and the Battle of the Bulge. My dad was in both of those epic battles. <p> The second thing, and this really blew my mind, is that one of the souvenirs Cromwell brought back is a Walther P38 pistol that he takes off a dying German officer. My dad brought back only one single souvenir from Europe, a Walther P38 taken too, we believe, from a dying or dead German Officer. Third, when the older Cromwell is telling his grandson about his war experiences, it's clear he's living with the onset of dementia. By the end of the movie, it's a valid assumption that he dies from complications due to that dementia. This is the same progression my dad suffered through, mounting complications killing him as well. <br> PTSD is everywhere in this movie. I've come to believe that almost everyone who goes to war suffers some degree of PTSD. I know my dad did. Cromwell certainly does in this movie. And it's clear that the grandson's Iraq experience has brutalized him in the same manner. <p> As I say, this is a small movie. It did, however, affect me in a big way. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Incredible, heart wrenching story of a bond between a boy and his war veteran grandfather. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty good movie, very sentimental. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review farah r A moving and inspiring story supported by a solid cast and a great script. Very enjoyable for the family to watch. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A very moving story about our soldiers old and young, and their demons. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Memorial Day

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Kyle's (Jonathan Bennett) grandfather Bud (James Cromwell) shares three wartime stories from World War II when he turns 13. As an adult, Kyle's experiences in war mirror those of his grandfather.
Director
Samuel Fischer, Sam Casper
Producer
Craig Christainsen
Screenwriter
Marc Conklin
Production Co
Perspective Films
Rating
R (War Violence)
Genre
Action, Drama, War
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 5, 2020
Runtime
1h 48m
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