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Word of Honor (2003 film)

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Word of Honor
DVD cover
GenreDrama
Based onWord of Honor
by Nelson DeMille
Written by
Directed byRobert Markowitz
Starring
Music byGary Chang
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Jaffe
  • Howard Braunstein
  • Wendy Hill-Tout
  • Lance Robbins
  • Leslie Greif
ProducerClara George
Production locationCalgary
CinematographyGuy Dufaux
EditorDavid Beatty
Running time91 minutes
Production companies
  • Voice Pictures
  • Jaffe Braunstein Films
  • Greif Co.
  • Robbins Entertainment Group
Original release
NetworkTNT
ReleaseDecember 6, 2003 (2003-12-06)

Word of Honor is a 2003 American drama television film directed by Robert Markowitz, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Nelson DeMille. The film stars Don Johnson, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Sharon Lawrence, John Heard and Arliss Howard.[1] It aired on TNT on December 6, 2003.

Premise

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30 years after serving in Vietnam, ex-Army First Lieutenant Ben Tyson is brought forward for war crimes. Now a business executive, Tyson witnessed a massacre during the war. While he kept silent about it for decades, another veteran speaks out in a magazine article that mentions Tyson's involvement. A military attorney gets involved in the case, and a media frenzy ensues, as Tyson's family and military bonds begin to fray.

Cast

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Production

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Executive producer and co-writer Leslie Greif said of Don Johnson, "He can be the bad guy, he can be the good guy. He can walk that line."[2] Johnson called his role a throwback to classic Henry Fonda and James Stewart characters.[1] Filming took place in Calgary.[3]

While the film came out at the start of the Iraq War amid conflicted opinions, and some writers drew those parallels,[1] Greif said that they did not want the film to get "too political." The filmmakers, he said, instead wanted to explore broader questions of morality and the "murkiness of war."[2]

Critical reception

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The film received several negative reviews. Ron Wertheimer of The New York Times wrote that it wasted its potential on "platitudes and plot contrivances."[4] Brian Lowry of Variety called the film a disappointment, while praising the "top-notch cast".[3]

Nominations

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  • Nominated for a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television Long Form - Sound Effects & Foley - 2004

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bobbin, Jay (November 30, 2003). "A Soldier Who Wears a Medal of Silence". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Byrne, Bridget (December 5, 2003). "Stirring up memories". Associated Press. Retrieved May 23, 2023 – via The Standard-Times.
  3. ^ a b Lowry, Brian (December 3, 2003). "Word of Honor". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Wertheimer, Ron (December 5, 2003). "TV Weekend; What Did You Do In the War, Daddy?". The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
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