| Journey to Shiloh |  |
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Force 10 from Navarone |
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Heroes (1977)
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With some films, you can tell exactly when they were made just by examining who’s ranked where within their cast, and, wow, “Heroes” couldn’t be a more perfect example. As history records, there was only a very small window of time during which (1) Henry Winkler was a big enough star to headline a picture and pull in a formidable name like Sally Field as his leading lady, and (2) Harrison Ford was enough of a star to score a supporting role in the film but not enough of one for his name to appear above the title. “Heroes” hit theaters in the wake of “Star Wars” and, though stats are available, it’s probable that more of its box office came from members of the Official Han Solo Fan Club than from FotFF (that’s “Fans of the Fonz Forever,” which may or may not be any more of an actual organization than the OHSFC). One wonders how cheated they felt when Ford didn’t turn up until about 45 minutes into the proceedings, and then he only stuck around for about 20 minutes or so. “Heroes” is an interesting look at post-traumatic stress, with Winkler playing a Vietnam vet who escapes from a sanitarium to fulfill a dream he established with his former Army comrades: starting a worm farm. No, seriously. Ford is one of those comrades, a stock car driver in Sedalia, Mo., who lives in a mobile home and blows off steam by firing a machine gun. He laughs and smiles more here than in any film he’s done since, and he and Winkler work well together. Though Ford’s role is in no way the focus of the film, “Heroes” is still worth checking out; it’s a strong character study that was very ahead of its time in tackling the lingering effects of the Vietnam War on its participants.
 Journey to Shiloh |
 Force 10 from Navarone |