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» » Soldier's Home (1977)

Short summary

Harold Krebs went off to fight in World War I, "the war to end all wars." But when he comes home, Harold finds that he doesn't fit in any more. He needs peace and quiet to figure out what has happened to him and who he has become, but his mother pressures him to rejoin society.

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    • Author: Gadar
    Richard Backus portrays the prodigal son, returning home, in this PBS version of Ernest Hemingway's short story.

    It is tragic because, while there are no visible physical injuries, the soldier has been irreparably damaged psychologically. As this was to be World War I, the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder was not yet known, although many young men were suffering from it.

    Nancy Marchand (A familiar face from TV's "Lou Grant" series, in the 1970's) portrays the mother, wishing for her son to return to work, for everything to remain status quo. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be an attainable goal, for this soldier is now alienated and depersonalized; questioning his very existence.

    This is an excellent short film, which used to be made available to high school students: Reminiscent of many Vietnam era stories ("Coming Home", "The War at Home", and many others) this is a very good short film not to be missed.
  • Credited cast:
    Richard Backus Richard Backus - Harold Krebs
    Nancy Marchand Nancy Marchand - Mrs. Krebs
    Lane Binkley Lane Binkley - Roselle Simmons
    Mark La Mura Mark La Mura - Bill Kenner (as Mark LaMura)
    Robert McIlwaine Robert McIlwaine - Mr. Krebs
    Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
    Lisa Essary Lisa Essary - Marge
    Mark Hall Mark Hall - Pool Hall Boy
    Robert Hitt Robert Hitt - Librarian
    Tom Kubiak Tom Kubiak - Pool Hall Owner (as Thomas Kubiak)
    Robert Nichols Robert Nichols - Old Man
    Phil Oxnam Phil Oxnam - Charlie Simmons (as Philip Oxnam)
    Bryan Utman Bryan Utman - Pool Hall Boy
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