CSheehan reminds me of Peg Mullen in Friendly Fire (Vietnam War mother)

[bobbieinok]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079177/usercomments

I remember watching this on TV in IA.....thought of this in connection with CSheehan at Crawford

there are several reviews....I chose the following to share



A surprising Carol Burnett takes on government red tape in superior Vietnam-era story., 19 February 2001

Author: gary brumburgh ([e-mail])

A stunning, sobering look at the crumbling lives of a heartland farm couple who are forced to deal with governmental apathy and red tape to learn the truth behind their eldest son's death in Vietnam. Superbly written and directed with careful detail as to period and attitude, this already rich and poignant production is all the more enhanced by powerhouse performances.

Comedy icon Carol Burnett is handed THE dramatic role of her career and passes with flying colors. As flag-waving mother-turned-war activist Peg Mullen, Burnett buries her legendary elastic face and broad gestures with startling, subtle conviction and lends bitter truth to the quietly distraught but unstoppable Mullen, a woman on a mission who learns to fight back with every untruth she is being fed. The scene where she visits her son's casket at the funeral home will haunt any viewer for a long time to come. Who would have thought Burnett would be up to this arduous task? Kudos to the producers for such a daring, valiant choice. Mullen, who grew up red-white-and-blue proud, went on, by the way, to serve as a significant symbol of protest against the Vietnam war, prompting the government to give unbiased, accurate accounts of military casualties.

Ned Beatty provides able support as the dutiful, grief-stricken husband who finds it just as difficult coping with the fact that his son died mysteriously by "friendly fire" (American artillery fire)during maneuvers than by heroism. Less committed to tackling government indifference and lies, he shows the inner turmoil of a man forced to stand in the shadows of his wife's newly-found obsession and celebrity, a move which threatens home and hearth. Timothy Hutton effectively portrays the neglected younger son who handles his grief in silence as well. Dennis Erdman as the older, ill-fated son, is superior appearing in war-time flashbacks to reveal the sad truth behind his unnecessary death. Sam Waterston as a well-meaning journalist shows appropriate strength and exasperation as a man caught between helping Mullen and fighting department politics himself.

more....

[bobbieinok]

1. recent activities of Peg Mullen

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2000/04/24/export998.prt

....

Mullen was glad to share her views on the war. In the early 1970s, she cut through government stonewalling and proved Michael was killed by "friendly" fire.

She led war protest marches in Washington, D.C., after she learned the truth about her son's death. Her story inspired the book "Friendly Fire," which was turned into a television movie staring Carol Burnett. She still has not watched the movie, though it was filmed in the late '70s.

"Why do you need to watch it when you lived it?" she said.

Mullen also published a reaction to "Friendly Fire" entitled "Unfriendly Fire: A Mother's Story," because she thought "Friendly Fire" supported the government's position on the incident.

Hudson history teacher Joe Heiple couldn't think of a better local personality to drive home the realities of the Vietnam War. Himself a Vietnam veteran, he encourages his students to get outside the classroom and into a situation where they can discover primary source material on their own.

more....

[bobbieinok]

2. one kick for the night crowd.......story about PMullen is interesting part

of Vietnam War history most people have forgotten or never heard of

[DELUSIONAL]

3. Yes I was just thinking about that "old" movie

and the fantastic job Carol Burnett did in the role of the mother. She was driven with the same sort of demand for answers.

bushie has a formidable foe -- mothers who have lost children in his war and their ranks are growing by the day.

Isn't it ironic that the bushie gang also decided to pick on another woman -- the wife of Ambassador Wilson, Val Plame Wilson.

Won't it be interesting that if in the end it will be women who bring this little dictator chicken hawk down?

"Friendly Fire" had a major impact in that through this movie many of us learned that the war dead were being counted (or not counted) differently. Carol Burnett was powerful in this role.