Jump to content

"Coming Home"


Jeff Wexler

Recommended Posts

"Coming Home," directed by the incredible talent of Hal Ashby. This film, along with "Shampoo" another film directed by Hal Ashby, really captured themes of the sixties in a very honest and real way. "Shampoo," loosely based on the life of Jon Peters, shows the sexual revolution in full swing and how it didn't just effect the younger generation, but also the older establishment types as well. Along with the sexual philanderings of Warren Beatty, there's a very smart subplot of a political campaign another "moment" from the sixties.

Then "Coming Home," what a great film, this film is about performances both Jon Voight and Jane Fonda won Oscars for their respective roles in this film. The Vietnam War was the first war that utilized helicopters for extracting the wounded, and subsequently the stateside hospitals quickly became overrun with the "walking wounded" and also the not so fortunate paraplegics and quadraplegics. They just weren't set up to ever accomodate the numbers that they were faced with during the war, and change wasn't quick to come. There's a sensitive and wonderful performance from Robert Carradine, but to me it's really Jane Fonda's film, her character evolves the most as her world is turned upside down, and she rides the emotional highs and lows of what it must have been like, for so many women at this time in our history.

Before you watch Ashby's directorial efforts, catch "In the Heat of the Night" for which he won his Oscar for Best Editing, the editing is marvelous in this gritty story of Southern Un-Justice. Shot in a beautiful but natural style, by Jeff's Father Haskell Wexler, who won a National Society of Film Critics Award for his cinematography. Rod Steiger also won an Oscar for his brilliant performance and of course the film put Sidney Poitier at the forefront of American actors.

Jeff, had the good fortune to work on several films and projects of Hal Ashby's over the years, I would imagine and I hope Jeff clarify's for us, that the three films they did together in 1976, "Bound for Glory," 1978, "Coming Home," and 1979, "Being There," have got to be a great moment in Jeff's professional career, and maybe personally to, as Jeff's Father shot "Bound for Glory," and "Coming Home."

I sense that this is a "special" period because it certainly represents the creative zenith for Ashby, while he continued to direct films never reached the success he had with "Being There," and sadly passed away at age 59. Also for Jeff, as I believe he's told the story elsewhere, that Jeff worked in the Art Department on "Harold and Maude," directed by Hal Ashby.

Cheers,

Rich Van Dyke

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...