Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

When her husband Bruce Dern, a captain in the Marine Corps, is deployed to Vietnam, Jane Fonda has to adjust to living alone. She volunteers at a veteran's hospital and meets Jon Voight, who has recently come home from Vietnam without use of his legs. He's angry and passionately opposed to the war, and as Jane gets closer to this man who's completely the opposite of her husband, her entire worldview changes.Coming Home is one of the most famous wartime dramas ever made. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1979, but since it was released the same year as The Deer Hunter, there was some competition for the anti-war vote at the Oscars. While The Deer Hunter won Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Sound, and Film Editing, Coming Home took home three statuettes for Best Actor, Actress, and Original Screenplay. The acting and overall messages of the film are wonderful, and had it come out a year earlier or later, it probably would have swept up more gold.If you haven't seen this classic, it's definitely worth watching, not only for the acting but for the piece of American culture. Many Americans, including the film's leading lady, were vehemently opposed to the Vietnam war, and this film captures their mindset and emotions in a very tangible, relatable way. It wasn't until 1989 that Hollywood produced another film of its kind with Born on the Fourth of July, the biopic of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic. While I found that movie to be much more powerful and heart-wrenching, Coming Home was made first and deserves the respect of its time.Just keep in mind that this is a very heavy drama; it's not a bunch of hippies holding up protest signs for two hours. The film is about all veterans, no matter their injuries, and how difficult it is to adjust when you come home to a world that's different from how you left it.Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to sex scenes and some adult situations, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

For those who have consciously witnessed the American war in Vietnam, at least three films are more or less obligatory: "The deer hunter" (riddle: what hops through the woods with a machine gun? Rambi), "Apocalypse now", and "coming home". So it was high time to finally engage in the latter. On the surface it is a story about disabled soldiers, who try to recover in an American hospital. As a bonus the plot contains a love story. In general this combination leads to the typical bitter-sweet vicissitudes like in "A farewell to arms". But Coming home is different. Let me explain. Apparently the battle in Vietnam has something special. It is the extremely cruel and gruesome behavior on both sides, which logically results if you are unable to see anything humane in the other combatant. The right to bear arms is slightly less ludicrous than the right to arm bears (Chris Addison). In general soldiers will only tolerate waging war as long as they dispose of a credible justification. In the case of Vietnam such a motive was lacking, because obviously there was never a Maoist threat. In our times South-east Asia has even become one of our valuable business friends. Wars only solve the problems of politicians (Jan Vanspauwen). It is not surprising that some the war veterans can not cope with their experiences, and become mentally ill. The combination of incomprehension and feelings of guilt paves a sure way into a depression. The love-making is shallow and in fact looks like seeking comfort. Actually the characters seem to have a rather immature and unstable nature. They are naive clodhoppers. They fail to understand - as is expressed at the end of the film - that there is a choice to be made. That it is cold out there. That you should ponder. They go with the flow ("it just happened"), and evidently, without a tried conviction, experience some problems with loyalty. I find the disclosure of human weakness in the film appealing and moving. In particular I recognized the scene, where in despair the crippled Luke enchains his wheel-chair to the gate of the military recruiting center. Suppose they want to start a war, and nobody turns up (Arlo Guthrie)? In the late seventies we felt that the war in Vietnam had been purifying. In the eighties and nineties we believed that imperialistic wars had been abolished. But again we were fooled. See my review of "Rethink Afghanistan" (and Iraq was even more brutal). Invasions and occupations will probably be with us, Europeans and Americans, for centuries to come. In short "Coming home" is a shocking illustration of naivety, thoughtlessness, and horror. The accompanying music (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Steppenwulf and many more) has sentimental value. It is better to win peace and lose the war (Bob Marley). In addition I am somewhat fond of Jane Fonda, who also played sympathetic roles in "Tout va bien" and "Stanley and Iris" (together with Robert DeNiro!). Old memories about Henry Fonda ("My name is nobody"!) may also bias my preference. You could do worse than watching Coming home (me).

Based loosely on the novel of the same name by George Davis, 'Coming Home' is A Well-Acted Film! The Performances are Strong & Real. The Screenplay, though depressing, comes across as mature, while the Direction, is impressive. 'Coming Home' Synopsis: A woman whose husband is fighting in Vietnam falls in love with another man who suffered a paralyzing combat injury there.'Coming Home' is depressing. The characters, their relationships, their past & present, all come up as complicated & troubled. Robert C. Jones, Waldo Salt & Nancy Dowd's Oscar-Winning Screenplay is unsettling, but mature. It freely narrates it's story without any compromises. Hal Ashby's Direction is impressive. Cinematography & Editing are worth a mention.Performance-Wise: Jon Voight, in an Oscar-Winning Performance, delivers remarkably. The Veteran Actor gives his careers most convincing & believable performance in here. Jane Fonda, in an also Oscar-Winning Performance, is terrific. Bruce Dern is electrifying & unforgettable in a strong supporting role, while Penelope Milford is good. Robert Carradine leaves a mark. On the whole, Though not Perfect, 'Coming Home' yet deserves a watch for it's Mature & Impressive Story-Telling along-with it's Strong & Memorable Performances.

This film looks at the effect of the Vietnam war on the home front. The script is preachy and cliché-ridden and Ashby's approach is heavy handed. Fonda is fine as the woman torn between husband Dern and lover Voight. The latter two actors don't fare as well. Initially, Voight overdoes the bitter war vet routine. Then his abrupt transformation from obnoxious and self-centered to sensitive and thoughtful is not believable. Dern is surprisingly normal initially but eventually turns into the weirdo that had been the trademark of most of his career at the time. The movie feels stale and uninspired, as reflected by the lazy use of 1960s songs on the soundtrack.