Vietnam War Movies, Vol. 3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Full Metal Jacket

"Full Metal Jacket" is based on the semi-autobiographical novel "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hasford, a Marine combat correspondent. The title of the movie refers to the type of ammo used by infantrymen in Vietnam. The movie follows the story of Private 'Joker' Davis, Private 'Cowboy' Evans, and Private 'Pyle' Lawrence among others as they go through basic training and then Joker, Cowboy, Sergeant 'Animal Mother', and Corporal 'Eightball' among others in Vietnam.

Initially R. Lee Ermey was only hired as a technical advisor on the movie but Ermey made an instructional tape that convinced Kubrick to allow him to play Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Kubrick allowed Ermey to write and edit his own dialogue and to improvise on the set, both of which Kubrick rarely allowed.

Answer: Tommy Lee Jones

As with all of Oliver Stone's Vietnam movies, "Heaven and Earth" is based on a true story, that of Le Ly Hayslip. She wrote of her experiences during the war and after in "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places", "Child of War", and "Woman of Peace". The movie follows Le Ly's story starting with the French occupation.

It then goes through the American involvement and her marriage to an American Marine Sergeant. They move to the US and he kills himself. Years later she returns to Vietnam for a visit with her sons. Tommy Lee Jones plays Sergeant Butler who marries Le Ly.

Answer: Air America

"Air America" is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Christopher Robbins. The airline operated from 1950 to 1976 and operated throughout Southeast Asia in support of CIA operations. "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime, Professionally" was the slogan of the real Air America and they lived up to that motto.

The movie follows pilot Billy Covington, played by Robert Downey, Jr., as he gets fired from his job as a news helicopter pilot and ends up in Laos working for Air America. In Laos he hooks up with pilot Gene Ryack, played by Mel Gibson, and follows their adventures flying for the CIA. The movie deals with drug running, gun running, and smuggling.

Answer: Martin Sheen

"Apocalypse Now" is based on Joseph Conrad's book "Heart of Darkness" which has nothing to do with the Vietnam War. The book is about turn of the century colonial Africa written by a man who had been a pilot on a river boat there and is considered to be a classic of English literature. Coppola took the story from "Heart of Darkness" and set it in the context of the Vietnam War. In both the movie and the book Kurtz is the person the protagonist is searching for.

In the movie Captain Willard is sent up the Nung River deep into Cambodia to find a highly decorated Green Beret Colonel named Kurtz who has gone rogue. He is ordered to terminate the Colonel's command with extreme prejudice, which means kill him. The movie follows Capt. Willard as he travels up the river in a Riverine Navy Patrol Boat (PBR) and to his showdown with Kurtz.

Answer: The Boys in Company C

"The Boys in Company C" is one of the first post Vietnam War movies to come out. The movie stars a bunch of unknown actors. It follows five of them through basic training and then onto Vietnam. There they have the chance to get out of frontline duty by winning a soccer game against a South Vietnamese team.

In many ways "Full Metal Jacket" follows in its footsteps including the fact that this is the first movie in which Ermey plays a drill instructor. Besides these two Vietnam movies, Ermey also appeared in "Apocalypse Now" and was a technical advisor on that film.

Answer: Gene Hackman

"Uncommon Valor" tells the fictional story of a retired Marine colonel, Jason Rhodes played by Gene Hackman, who puts together a team of Vietnam vets to go on a MIA/POW rescue mission in Laos. He believes his son is being held there with other POWs and he plans to rescue them because the US government has refused to help. Patrick Swayze plays a former Marine who is the son of a MIA pilot. Fred Ward plays a member of Rhodes' son's platoon. 'Tex' Cobb plays 'Sailor', a vet who is a bit of a mental case.

Answer: The Deer Hunter

"The Deer Hunter" tells the fictional story of three friends, Mike Vronsky (DeNiro), Steve Pushkov (John Savage), and Nick Chevotarevich (Walken). They hail from a small Pennsylvania town and go off to the war. The movie tells the story of the men right before going to Vietnam, of their time in Vietnam and of the tragic aftermath of their service. Streep plays the girlfriend of Nick whom Mike also has feelings for, complicating things.

The movie won five Academy awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Walken. It was nominated for another four, including Best actor for DeNiro and best Supporting Actress for Streep.

Answer: Jon Voight and Jane Fonda

In "Coming Home" Jon Voight plays a paralyzed veteran and Jane Fonda plays his love interest. Voight's character is based on Ron Kovic, whose story is told in the 1989 movie "Born on the Fourth of July". At the time of "Coming Home" he had just finished writing the autobiography "Born on the Fourth of July". Kovic did not come home as an anti-war advocate, but like Voight in the movie he became more and more disillusioned after being home. Jane Fonda has a very checkered history with the Vietnam War.

She was an anti-war activist and is known as 'Hanoi Jane' because of a picture taken of her on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft battery during a visit to Hanoi in 1972. She is despised in the veteran community because of her activities during the war, especially her visit to North Vietnam.

Answer: Operation Dumbo Drop

"Operation Dumbo Drop" is loosely based on the true story of Major Jim Norris, a former Green Beret in Vietnam. In the movie, Danny Glover plays Green Beret Captain Sam Cahill and Ray Liotta plays Green Beret Captain T.C. Doyle. A friendly village has had their elephant killed by the NVA and the two must find a replacement elephant for the village. Corin Nemec and Doug E. Doug co-star in the movie.

Answer: Sam Waterston

One of the spill overs of the war in Vietnam was the effect it had on Laos and Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia they set about systematically killing anyone considered an intellectual. The movie is based on the experiences of three journalists, a Cambodian, Dith Pran (played by Haing S. Ngor), an American, Sydney Schanberg ( played by Sam Waterston), and a Brit, Jon Swain (played by Julian Sands). John Malkovich also stars in the movie as photojournalist Al Rockoff.

In the movie, Pran gets left behind when the Khmer Rouge takes over and becomes a forced laborer.

The movie follows Pran's story of survival and escape while also following the story of Schanberg's attempts to locate and free him.