Educational Media Reviews Online

The War and Peace of Tim O'Brien is not so much about the Vietnam War that the prominent author is well known for writing about, but rather a meandering documentation of the struggle O'Brien goes through as he attempts to author one more book. In this struggle, O'Brien fights wars on several fronts. As an older-than-usual father of two young children with a younger wife, he struggles with his physical condition and worldview to provide a meaningful family presence while writing another book. In addition to the usual struggles authors contend with, O'Brien struggles with PTSD from his Vietnam War experiences. He struggles with the glamour of war versus the brutal reality of war and how to present that dichotomy best in print. His busy life as a successful author and public speaker with many engagements worsens the time crunch he believes he faces due to his advancing age. Furthermore, O'Brien struggles with facing his impending mortality.

O'Brien's wife and two sons are an integral part of his struggle but are somehow less than real-life characters in this documentary. They reveal things about themselves in a few places, but never enough to explain their ubiquitous presence and why they create such conflict for O'Brien. O'Brien's wife comes across as a very understanding and supportive wife. She keeps some sense of self and ensures that O'Brien meets his family obligations despite his struggles and dedication to his writing.

This film is Recommended with Reservation because at eighty-four minutes; it becomes problematic. It is too long to incorporate easily into a standard class period and too meandering to be a powerful stand-alone movie. The meandering nature is significant because it says quite a bit about O'Brien that probably needs to be said but requires watching the whole film to get the impact. Nevertheless, this characteristic makes the film less superficially attractive. Teachers and professors will have a hard time selling this film to a student audience in a meaningful way. The age level for which this film is appropriate is another problem. For students below college level, the film's slow pace quickly loses interest, especially when about a man and a war that does not pique the interest of these age groups. Higher-level college students can benefit from this film as a topic of conversation about writing, war and peace studies, family life, aging, and Vietnam. It would work well in a small group but not in a regular classroom. Libraries that possess a collection of Tim O'Brien's books should have this film as background material.

Awards:
Official Selection: Newport Beach Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, St. Louis International Film Festival

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