Good Morning, Vietnam (film) When airman disc jockey Adrian Cronauer takes up his post on Armed Forces Radio in Saigon in 1965, he abandons the approved playlist for rock and roll and adds irreverent remarks. His superiors are horrified, but the men love him as he accomplishes his mission of boosting morale. As he gets to know the people of Saigon—Americans and Vietnamese alike—he becomes increasingly frustrated by the military’s censorship of the news. After he broadcasts an “unofficial” report and is cut off the air, his commander deliberately sends him into danger, but a young Vietnamese boy helps rescue him. The boy turns out to be a Vietcong rebel, and Cronauer is sent home for having unwittingly fraternized with the “enemy.” Still, his broadcasts paved the way for changes on Armed Forces Radio. Premiered on December 23, 1987; general release on January 15, 1988. Directed by Barry Levinson. A Touchstone film. 121 min. Stars Robin Williams (Adrian Cronauer), Forest Whitaker (Edward Garlick), Tung Thanh Tran (Tuan), Chintara Sukapatana (Trinh), Bruno Kirby (Lt. Steven Hauk), Robert Wuhl (Marty Lee Dreiwitz), J.T. Walsh (Sgt. Major Dickerson). The film is loosely based on the real-life experiences of a disc-jockey who had a popular rock and roll show on Armed Forces Radio. It was shot primarily in Bangkok, where many local citizens were introduced to the rigors of moviemaking for the first time. For the final week, the unit moved to Phuket, a lush tropical island located at the Southern tip of Thailand, where a Vietnamese village was constructed. Released on video in 1988.
