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Jacknife

Jacknife

Drama · War · 1989

A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.

Movie details

Jacknife

“Three buddies in Vietnam. Two survived. Only one is really alive.”

1989 Drama · War 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.4 / 10

6.6K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

64 %

Tomatometer

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Jacknife?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.

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Behold a Pale Horse

Drama · 1964

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The Yellow Birds

The Yellow Birds

War · 2018

Two young soldiers, Bartle and Murph, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.

The Beast

The Beast

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Birdy

Birdy

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King Rat

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Drama · 1965

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Gardens of Stone

Gardens of Stone

War · 1987

At Arlington National Cemetery during the Vietnam era, veteran sergeant Clell Hazard trains young soldiers while mourning those lost in combat. Unable to return to war himself, he mentors Jackie Willow—the idealistic son of a fallen comrade—hoping to prepare him for the realities of Vietnam and the cost of duty.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Hugh Jones

Written by

Stephen Metcalfe

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

Joseph 'Jacknife' Megessey

Kathy Baker

Kathy Baker

Martha Flannigan

Ed Harris

Ed Harris

David 'High School' Flannigan

Ivar Brogger

Ivar Brogger

Depot Mechanic

Jordan Lund

Jordan Lund

Tiny

Charles S. Dutton

Charles S. Dutton

Jake, Veteran Encounter Group Leader

Bruce Ramsay

Bruce Ramsay

Corridor Student

Court is in session

Put Jacknife on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.