Just got back from "Going Upriver"

[girl gone mad]

I'll try to write a full review after I've had some time to think it over, but I'd like to give some quick impressions and observations.

It was a 5:30 showing, and there were were about 50 people in the audience, pretty decent in Dallas for a film with no advertising (I don't even think the film title was advertised on the marquee).

I took my Republican, Bush supporting mother in law. She had watched the debates and said she thought Kerry did well, but she believes Bush will do better in the next debate.

My first thought after seeing the film was that I could see why Kerry did not make his anti-war protests a prominent part of his campaign. There was so much anger and sadness surrounding the VVAW movement, it seems like it would have simply been exploitative. The film made it hit home with me how poorly the veterans were treated by their government and their countrymen when they returned. I think that by promoting his Vietnam heroics in this campaign, Kerry is doing all Vietnam veterans a service. He is raising the profile of all of the men who served, not just his own profile, which is why the Swift Vets campaign is so disingenuous and disruptive.

My mother in law told me afterwords that she would now have to think about who to vote for. It's too early to know if she'll actually seriously consider Kerry, but I do know she really liked the movie. She asked me if Kerry was still as eloquent and I told her "absolutely". She just called and wanted me to make sure to mention that everyone stayed to see the photos of Kerry during the credits and applauded when the film was over.

[NMDemDist2]

1. so it was well done? it is playing at the theater down the street

and I'm going tomorrow i hope

[girl gone mad]

5. It was well done.

My mother in law actually had a more positive reaction to it than I did, but she lived through that era and I hadn't been born, so I think that had something to do with it. Also, I don't think she knew Kerry's history.

I came out feeling better about Kerry becoming CIC, because I do think his Vietnam experience will shape his Iraq policy.

[Hamlette]

11. I think I liked it better than my son for the same reason

parts of it were very hard to watch as it brought back painful memories. We fought so hard then to get out of Vietnam. 6 long years we protested.
Will we be doing that this time too? the very thought makes me sick.


Saw the show earlier today. It's very good, very anti war.

[AnIndependentTexan]

2. did you go to the inwood? I believe that was the only one playing it

When I went to the inwood we were the first ones there. They had a newspaper clipping and a large poster of Going UpRiver to the right. That theater was older and saying 50 were in there for it if you went to the theater I went to is pretty much saying it sold out. Unless of course another theater around Dallas has picked it up.

[girl gone mad]

7. Yes, I saw it at the Inwood.

I'd say the theater was well over half full, but several people came in late, so it's hard to give an exact figure. I was happy to see so many people there.

I also want to mention how many HUGE Martin Frost signs I saw while driving through Highland Park. I haven't been down there in months, so I was thrilled to see it. There were so many Frost signs I lost count, and only 2 Sessions signs. Also, there were at least as many Kerry signs as Bush/Cheney.

Good news from North Dallas.

[crispini]

3. Hey, you're in Dallas too? Cool!

It was great wasn't it? The part where they threw their medals over the fence... I'd heard about that before, but when that one vet talked about what it meant to him, how this was the first thing he'd ever accomplished and how it really hurt his heart, it was the hardest thing he'd ever done... I was crying my eyes out.

This movie totally convinced me of John Kerry's heroism and honor. I already ordered my copy.

[CrowNotAngelGRL]

4. Will this movie

be out on DVD? I don't think it's showing anywhere here. I haven't checked out all the theatre's but the one's in my main area so far hasn't shown it. :\

[AnIndependentTexan]

6. October 19th it will be out on DVD

[girl gone mad]

9. It was touching.

These men were so brave to speak out.

There were also a few humorous moments. The Daughters of the American Revolution got a big laugh from my audience.

[mindfulNJ]

8. It was very moving to me.

There is this one photo of John Kerry, right after he threw his ribbons over the fence, where he is sitting on a lawn near the Capitol. It was taken from a distance and he was hanging his head, obviously upset, with his soon to be wife Judy consoling him. You could see in that photo what the war, and the aftermath of the war had brought to bear on those guys. It moved me to tears.

[girl gone mad]

15. I know.

That was hard to see. I really felt like a voyeur.

[gmoney]

10. Well, duh! (Thanks)

I guess I should have been able to guess that. :)

[mindfulNJ]

13. here's the link:

http://www.goingupriver.com/

[girl gone mad]

14. Here you go:

http://www.goingupriver.com

[cheshire]

12. I didn't realize there was that much about 1971 in it. That will be hard

to live thru again without crying. I guess it will be a big box of tissue. Thanks for the heads up and Way to go on your MIL.

[exJW]

16. Inwood, Angelika, Magnolia?

Oh sure, I could look it up, but then how would I say, "hey, look at me, I'm from Dallas too!"?