Heroes (1977) – Nostalgia Central

Erratic Vietnam War veteran Jack Dunne (Happy Days star Henry Winkler in his first starring movie role) suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and memory loss.

After escaping from a New York VA psychiatric hospital, Jack sets out on a cross-country bus trip to the West Coast, on a quest to find three old combat buddies from his unit and convince them to invest their savings to start a worm farm with him in Eureka, California.

Along the way, Jack encounters Carol Bell (Sally Field), a reluctant, runaway bride who is travelling to clear her head before her wedding.

Despite Jack’s unpredictable public outbursts, a romantic bond begins to form between them as they travel west together.

Jack locates one of his unit buddies, Ken Boyd (Harrison Ford in his first film appearance – although Heroes was released after Star Wars), who is now working as a stock car driver in Missouri. Ken is also struggling to cope with life after the war and keeps a hidden M16 rifle in his vehicle.

Jack finally reaches his destination, forcing him to directly confront the repressed, tragic memories of what actually happened to his squad in Vietnam.

The script was written by real-life Vietnam veteran James Carabatsos, who later also wrote Hamburger Hill.

The storyline of Heroes is a silly one, and more an excuse for Carabatsos to make comments on the Vietnam War and its results on the combatants than anything else.

But the two featured players, Winkler and Field, add interest to the film by turning in extremely creditable performances.

Jack Dunne
Henry Winkler
Carol Bell
Sally Field
Ken Boyd
Harrison Ford
Mel
Val Avery
Jane Adcox
Olivia Cole
Dr Elias
Hector Elias
Gus
Dennis Burkley
Peanuts
Michael Cavanaugh
Mr Munro
John Finnegan
Mrs Munro
Betty McGuire
Ticket Clerk
John O’Leary
Nathan
Fred Stuthman
Frank
Caskey Swaim
Leo Sturges
Earle Towne
Charles
Kenneth Augustine
Andy
Rick Blanchard
Stokes
Louis Carello
Robert
Robert Kretschmann
Artie
Dick Ziker
Adcox
Bennie Moore
Chef
Tony Burton
Bus Depot Manager
Helen Craig

Director
Jeremy Paul Kagan