Vietnam (miniseries)
Encyclopedia
Vietnam is a Australian TV mini-series, and made in a DVD
which released in the early of 2009, directed by Chris Noonan
and John Duigan
. It stars Nicole Kidman
, Alyssa-Jane Cook
. Kidman has won AFI
and Logie Award
for her role in Vietnam. The series are 10-part TV miniseries
, with each episode lasting 45 minutes. It first aired in Australia
on February 23, 1987, and ended on April 27, 1987.
), Evelyn (Veronica Lang) and their children Phil (Nicholas Eadie
) and Megan (Nicole Kidman
). At the age of 15, Megan is only interested in boys, hanging out with her friends and going to parties, and has to deal with her annoying older brother Phil winding her up! When she meets the charismatic Serge she pretends she is at University so she can go out with him.
The announcement of Australia joining the war in Vietnam rocks the family as Phil is enlisted and leaves to fight for his country. His family say an emotional farewell to him. Once in Vietnam, the soldiers are pushed to their limits and beyond, dealing with landmines, civilian casualties, capture and the other horrors of war. The war puts a massive strain on his family back at home too - Douglas Goddard works in the Government and is involved in policy and decision making regarding the war, which creates tension between him and his family. As Megan grows up and gets closer to Serge, she begins to feel frustrated at not being allowed her independence
at home, so runs away to Sydney where Serge is at Uni.
Much to the embarrassment of her father, Megan and her friends become publicly involved with anti-war
demonstrations, and Megan begins to challenge her father on his war policies. The family are re-united - on the surface - when Phil returns home on leave. Once her annoying older brother, Megan and Phil are now happy to hang out with each other, and go to a club together with friends. But it doesn't last long, as Phil has to return to Vietnam
. Megan becomes increasingly frustrated with her father up to the point where she moves out and goes to live with Serge. Serge and Megan are key figures in anti-war and draft resistance protests. Her parents separate, and Megan introduces her mother to her new friends involved in anti-war protests, allowing the two to relate to each other in a new way and develop a real bond.
Meanwhile, on the frontline in Vietnam Phil is continuing to deal with endless horrors, and is seeing more of his friends die or become injured. When he is able to come home to Australia
, he doesn't make contact with his family, and for months they are left without news of his safety. Now an important part of the Vietnam
anti-war protests, Megan is asked to take part in a radio
interview about her groups efforts. Megan is informed and assured and answers questions with confidence. But she is rocked to her core when a man calling himself Tom calls up and immediately recognises the voice - it's her long lost brother Phil. Megan struggles to retain her composure, and tries to defend her protests when her brother questions her support of the troops. When he hangs up, she breaks down. Following the end of the war, Megan and her parents are able to be civil to each other again, and have a mutual respect for each other.
, Australia
, and Phuket
in Thailand
, presumably in 1986. Nicole would've been just 19 years old at the time. 1986 Kennedy-Miller, the producers behind the show, later cast her in Dead Calm.
Vietnam features a host of high calibre Australian television actors. Veronica Lang, Barry Otto and Nicholas Eadie made up the Goddard family, playing Megan's mother Evelyn, father Douglas and older brother Phil, respectively. Barry Otto is a 5-times nominated Australian Film Institute actor, who built up a solid body of work since his debut in the mid 1970's. He was recently seen in Australia in the small role of Administrator Allsop. Playing Evelyn is Veronica Lang, an English actress who was a familiar face on TV screens in England
and Australia
from 1965. She starred in Winners alongside Nicole in 1985, playing Alison Trig. Both Barry Otto
and Veronica Lang also starred in Aussie soap A Country Practice, in which Nicole also appeared. Playing the pivotal role of Phil, Megan's older brother who gets drafted into the army, is Nicholas Eadie
.
as the strongest points within the show - "Especially fine are Nicholas Eadie as Phil, beginning as a finely crafted ordinary bloke and ending as a man who has experienced too much, and Nicole Kidman as the little sister who grows up. It is their relationship, brother and sister, which holds the whole thing together." To many it is considered one of Australia's greatest television series.
Vietnam aired in the UK in 1988.
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
which released in the early of 2009, directed by Chris Noonan
Chris Noonan
Chris Noonan is a Sydney-based Australian filmmaker and actor best known for the pioneering live-action / CG film Babe, for which he received Academy Award nominations as both director and writer.-Biography:...
and John Duigan
John Duigan
John Duigan, is an Australian film director.Duigan emigrated to Australia in 1961, having been born to an Australian father...
. It stars Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, Alyssa-Jane Cook
Alyssa-Jane Cook
Alyssa-Jane Cook is an Australian actress.She is best known for her regular role as Lisa Bennett on the Australian television soap opera E Street...
. Kidman has won AFI
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
and Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for her role in Vietnam. The series are 10-part TV miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, with each episode lasting 45 minutes. It first aired in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on February 23, 1987, and ended on April 27, 1987.
Plot
Set in the 1960s to 1970's about Australia's involvement in the Vietnam war. On the homefront it mainly focusses on the Goddard family - Douglas (Barry OttoBarry Otto
Barry Otto is an Australian actor with a long list of memorable roles on stage and in film. Otto received an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor in Strictly Ballroom as well as being nominated for Bliss, Cosi and The More Things Change......
), Evelyn (Veronica Lang) and their children Phil (Nicholas Eadie
Nicholas Eadie
Nicholas Eadie is an Australian television actor.Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 1976, studied Arts at University of New England for one year in 1977, and studied at the National...
) and Megan (Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
). At the age of 15, Megan is only interested in boys, hanging out with her friends and going to parties, and has to deal with her annoying older brother Phil winding her up! When she meets the charismatic Serge she pretends she is at University so she can go out with him.
The announcement of Australia joining the war in Vietnam rocks the family as Phil is enlisted and leaves to fight for his country. His family say an emotional farewell to him. Once in Vietnam, the soldiers are pushed to their limits and beyond, dealing with landmines, civilian casualties, capture and the other horrors of war. The war puts a massive strain on his family back at home too - Douglas Goddard works in the Government and is involved in policy and decision making regarding the war, which creates tension between him and his family. As Megan grows up and gets closer to Serge, she begins to feel frustrated at not being allowed her independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
at home, so runs away to Sydney where Serge is at Uni.
Much to the embarrassment of her father, Megan and her friends become publicly involved with anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
demonstrations, and Megan begins to challenge her father on his war policies. The family are re-united - on the surface - when Phil returns home on leave. Once her annoying older brother, Megan and Phil are now happy to hang out with each other, and go to a club together with friends. But it doesn't last long, as Phil has to return to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Megan becomes increasingly frustrated with her father up to the point where she moves out and goes to live with Serge. Serge and Megan are key figures in anti-war and draft resistance protests. Her parents separate, and Megan introduces her mother to her new friends involved in anti-war protests, allowing the two to relate to each other in a new way and develop a real bond.
Meanwhile, on the frontline in Vietnam Phil is continuing to deal with endless horrors, and is seeing more of his friends die or become injured. When he is able to come home to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, he doesn't make contact with his family, and for months they are left without news of his safety. Now an important part of the Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
anti-war protests, Megan is asked to take part in a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
interview about her groups efforts. Megan is informed and assured and answers questions with confidence. But she is rocked to her core when a man calling himself Tom calls up and immediately recognises the voice - it's her long lost brother Phil. Megan struggles to retain her composure, and tries to defend her protests when her brother questions her support of the troops. When he hangs up, she breaks down. Following the end of the war, Megan and her parents are able to be civil to each other again, and have a mutual respect for each other.
Cast
- Nicole KidmanNicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
as Megan Goddard - Alyssa-Jane CookAlyssa-Jane CookAlyssa-Jane Cook is an Australian actress.She is best known for her regular role as Lisa Bennett on the Australian television soap opera E Street...
as Deb - John Allen as T.V journalist
- Alan CassellAlan CassellAlan Cassell is an Australian actor, born in the UK and best known for his roles in film and television.Cassell was one of the actors who worked in Bruce Beresford's early Australian films....
as John Gorton - Pauline ChanPauline ChanPauline Chan Bo-Lin is a deceased Hong Kong adult movie actress who aroused significant attraction and controversies in the Greater China Area during her active years in the 1990s.-Career:Born in Shanghai, Chan's parents divorced when she was very young and she immigrated to Hong Kong with her...
as Lien - Brett ClimoBrett ClimoBrett Climo is an Australian actor.His television credits include: Sons and Daughters, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, The Man from Snowy River, Pacific Drive, Murder Call, Water Rats, Blue Heelers, Stingers, All Saints and The Elephant Princess.-External links:...
as Ritchie - Mick Conway as Knifethrower
- Celia De Burgh as Monica Montgomery
- Nicholas EadieNicholas EadieNicholas Eadie is an Australian television actor.Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 1976, studied Arts at University of New England for one year in 1977, and studied at the National...
as Phil Goddard - Noel FerrierNoel FerrierNoel Ferrier AM was an Australian television personality, stage and film actor, raconteur and theatrical producer. He had an extensive theatre career which spanned over fifty years.-Biography:...
as Sir Robert Menzies - Lucky Grills as Sen. Shane Paltridge
- Virginia HeyVirginia HeyVirginia Hey is an Australian actress, known for her role as Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan on the science fiction TV series Farscape....
as Journalist - Jim HoltJim Holt (actor)Jim Holt, is a British-born actor who has appeared in many Australian television shows and films.Holt is also a magician, and has had the opportunity to incorporate this talent into some of his television appearances. Well known productions in which he has appeared include "Crocodile" Dundee II, A...
as Lt Smart - Veronica Lang as Evelyn Goddard
Production
The project was filmed in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, presumably in 1986. Nicole would've been just 19 years old at the time. 1986 Kennedy-Miller, the producers behind the show, later cast her in Dead Calm.
Vietnam features a host of high calibre Australian television actors. Veronica Lang, Barry Otto and Nicholas Eadie made up the Goddard family, playing Megan's mother Evelyn, father Douglas and older brother Phil, respectively. Barry Otto is a 5-times nominated Australian Film Institute actor, who built up a solid body of work since his debut in the mid 1970's. He was recently seen in Australia in the small role of Administrator Allsop. Playing Evelyn is Veronica Lang, an English actress who was a familiar face on TV screens in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1965. She starred in Winners alongside Nicole in 1985, playing Alison Trig. Both Barry Otto
Barry Otto
Barry Otto is an Australian actor with a long list of memorable roles on stage and in film. Otto received an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor in Strictly Ballroom as well as being nominated for Bliss, Cosi and The More Things Change......
and Veronica Lang also starred in Aussie soap A Country Practice, in which Nicole also appeared. Playing the pivotal role of Phil, Megan's older brother who gets drafted into the army, is Nicholas Eadie
Nicholas Eadie
Nicholas Eadie is an Australian television actor.Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 1976, studied Arts at University of New England for one year in 1977, and studied at the National...
.
Release and Reception
The first episode of Vietnam aired in Australia on February 23, 1987, and received some strong reviews from the Australian press. Reviews praised the shows accuracy in portraying society's changing attitudes towards the war, as well as the family dynamic and character development. "There is much to admire and little to criticize in Vietnam. Personal relationships inside and outside the family and the shift in society's attitudes have been penetratingly and evocatively observed. All the characters, including the South Vietnamese for once, have been given an empathetic point of view," wrote The Age on the day of the shows premiere. The paper added that, "The direction elicits absolutely involving performances from a top-drawer cast who endow the piece with subtle flourishes and delightful finishing touches." In another review a few days later, the paper highlighted Nicole and Nicholas EadieNicholas Eadie
Nicholas Eadie is an Australian television actor.Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 1976, studied Arts at University of New England for one year in 1977, and studied at the National...
as the strongest points within the show - "Especially fine are Nicholas Eadie as Phil, beginning as a finely crafted ordinary bloke and ending as a man who has experienced too much, and Nicole Kidman as the little sister who grows up. It is their relationship, brother and sister, which holds the whole thing together." To many it is considered one of Australia's greatest television series.
Vietnam aired in the UK in 1988.
DVD Release
- Australia released - PAL/Region 4 DVD. (Not US DVD player)
- Multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD (USA/Canada: Languages: English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
- Multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Subtitles)
- Widescreen (1.78:1) 3 DVD