In Country

Based on a book by Bobbie Ann Mason, In Country follows teenager Samantha Hughes (Emily Lloyd) as she attempts to piece together the Vietnam-era exploits of her long-deceased father – with the character receiving help from her disturbed yet honest uncle (Bruce Willis’ Emmett) and a host of other figures. Filmmaker Norman Jewison does a nice job of establishing the small town (and its myriad of denizens) in which Lloyd’s affable character resides, with the authentic, lived-in atmosphere going a long way towards occasionally compensating for Frank Pierson and Cynthia Cidre’s rather meandering screenplay. It’s clear, too, that the unabashedly episodic narrative paves the way for a hit-and-miss midsection that’s more often the latter than the former, as Jewison’s decidedly unhurried approach to the material, which is compounded by the script’s filmed-play-type bent, generally does prevent one from wholeheartedly embracing the characters or their respective struggles. In Country, then, benefits substantially from the terrific work of its various actors, with Lloyd’s bright and appealing work matched by a strong supporting cast that includes Joan Allen, John Terry, and Stephen Tobolowsky. (Willis turns in a somewhat mannered yet mostly effective performance as Samantha’s tortured uncle). And although the Vietnam War Memorial finale admittedly does pack a more potent emotional punch than one might’ve anticipated, In Country has long-since confirmed its place as a well-intentioned yet terminally erratic production that could (and should) have been so much better.

** out of ****