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58% Critic Match
A Bright Shining Lie
“In war as in life, the difference between truth and deception is what a man allows himself to believe.”
5.8 / 10• 1998• 1h 58m•NR• English
DramaWarTV Movie
Storyline
Something in his past keeps career Army man John Paul Vann from advancing past colonel. He views being sent to Vietnam as part of the US military advisory force a stepping stone to promotion. However, he disagrees vocally (and on the record) with the way the war is being run and is forced to leave the military. Returning to Vietnam as a civilian working with the Army, he comes to despise some South Vietnamese officers while he takes charge of some of the U.S. forces and continues his liaisons with Vietnamese women.
Cast & Crew
Bill Paxton
John Paul Vann
Lead
Amy Madigan
Mary Jane Vann
Donal Logue
Steven Burnett
Robert John Burke
Frank Drummond
Vivian Wu
Lee
Ed Lauter
General Weyand
Kurtwood Smith
General Westmoreland
Eric Bogosian
Doug Elders
What People Are Saying
3.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Terry George's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. A Bright Shining Lie is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
