''Welcome Home'' is a 1989 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by Franklin Schaffner. It was Schaffner's last film and was released posthumously. This film stars

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

as a

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

veteran who returns to his family and tries to readjust to life after a nearly 20 year absence. The film also stars

JoBeth Williams Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American actress and television director. Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film ''On Hope'' earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2009 she bega ...

Brian Keith Brian Keith (born Robert Alba Keith, November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film '' The Parent T ...

, and

Sam Waterston Samuel Atkinson Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television and, film. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, and has receive ...

. The theme song for the film, "Welcome Home" was performed by

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

Plot

Jake Robbins went off to Vietnam, leaving his wife behind to mourn when he is reported missing and presumed dead. Seventeen years later, he unexpectedly returns. Having been a prisoner of war, Jake was rescued and ended up in Cambodia where he had a family. Jake's reappearance is a godsend for his father, Harry, but a mixed blessing for wife Sarah, who has moved on with her life. While old feelings stir in her, Jake confronts the military on how his disappearance was handled, and, more importantly, on how to track down his missing Southeast Asian wife and child.

Cast

Box office and critical reception

The film was not a box-office success. Movie historian Leonard Maltin's ''TV, Movie & Video Guide'' gave the picture 2 out of a possible 4 stars, citing it as "tolerably sincere at best, embalmed at worst."

Legacy

Unlike the similarly-named ''

Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol ''Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol'' is a 1972 television film directed by George McCowan and starring Martin Landau and Jane Alexander Jane Alexander (née Quigley; born October 28, 1939) is an American actress and author. She is the recipient ...

'', which features an Army conspiracy theory that turns out to be delusion, ''Welcome Home'' features a conspiracy of silence with regard to Vietnam War prisoners which is all too real.Cinematic Revisions of the Vietnam POW
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References

External links

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AFI Catalog
{{Franklin Schaffner 1989 films 1989 drama films American drama films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Franklin J. Schaffner Films scored by Henry Mancini Vietnam War films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films