Wanting to be taken more seriously as an actor and director, Emilio Estevez navigates a well-marked short cut: to Vietnam, and to the tempestuous readjustment of a war vet to civilian life. The dynamic of the central family of four is credible, especially in the ways in which hurt can be inflicted without intent; and Estevez's real-life father, Martin Sheen, is adept at measuring out the finite patience and tolerance of the paterfamilias ("Oh, look. I'm being civil here. The least you can be is civil"). The unforced comedy is more successful than the gun-to-the-head drama, however, and all of it retains the staginess of its source material, the James Duff play Homefront. With Kathy Bates, Kimberly Williams. (1996) — Duncan Shepherd
This movie is not currently in theaters.