2005 film
Faith of My Fathers
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d4/FaithOfMyFathersFilm.jpg/220px-FaithOfMyFathersFilm.jpg) DVD cover
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Genre
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Based on
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Written by
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Directed by
| Peter Markle
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Starring
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Music by
| Velton Ray Bunch
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Country of origin
| United States
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Original language
| English
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Executive producers
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Producer
| Alan Barnette
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Cinematography
| Bill Roe
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Editor
| Scott Boyd
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Running time
| 90 minutes
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Production companies
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Network
| A&E
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Release
| May 30, 2005
(
2005-05-30
)
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Faith of My Fathers
is a 2005 American
biographical drama
television film
directed by
Peter Markle
and written by Markle and William Bingham, based on the
1999 memoir of the same name
by
United States Senator
and former
United States Navy
aviator
John McCain
(with
Mark Salter
). It aired on
A&E
on
Memorial Day
, May 30, 2005.
Filmed in
New Orleans
,
Faith of My Fathers
is based on the story of Lieutenant Commander John McCain's experiences as a
prisoner of war
in
North Vietnam
for five and a half years during the
Vietnam War
, interleaved with his memories of growing up in a heritage rich with military service.
Shawn Hatosy
stars as John McCain, with
Scott Glenn
as his father, Admiral
Jack McCain
. Of the North Vietnamese captors,
Chi Muoi Lo
plays the keyman "Prick" and
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
plays prison commander "Cat".
Plot
[
edit
]
John McCain flies his jet from a carrier on a bombing mission over
Hanoi
,
North Vietnam
. As a warning buzzer announces incoming missiles, McCain stays with the bomb drop, but is hit by a missile. He lands in the water and is pulled ashore by an angry mob, and taken prisoner. Asked to give information, he gives out the names of the
Green Bay Packers
rather than of his squadron. In flashbacks, his father tells of how his submarine escaped destruction in
World War II
, and told him not to worry about his grades, as his father and grandfather "really fooled them" by rising to admiral despite doing poorly in school. In prison, McCain sees other prisoners cruelly
tortured
, while he sees a couple who appear to have decided to cooperate with the enemy. McCain is given a choice to be released early in recognition that his father is commander of U.S. forces in the
Pacific
, but he refuses, and suffers for it. During a stepped-up bombing campaign, the prisoners sing "
Silent Night
", after which negotiations result in a release of prisoners and a trip home.
Cast
[
edit
]
Production
[
edit
]
Faith of My Fathers
was shot in
New Orleans
. Filming locations included the former
Falstaff Brewery
(as the
Hanoi Hilton
)
[1]
and
Tulane University
(as the
United States Naval Academy
).
[2]
Reception
[
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]
When initially aired, the film had 3.7 million viewers, and was A&E's highest-rated program in over a year.
[3]
Reviews for
Faith of My Fathers
were mixed, with
Variety
calling the treatment an "earnest adaptation" and "a stark, by-the-numbers account of the horrors POWs endured in Vietnam",
[4]
while
The Washington Post
said the film was "serviceable" but fell short of McCain's "much more nuanced" memoir.
[5]
The New York Times
said the film lacked complexity and texture, but that it was "a respectful, moving view of a veteran's effort to pay respects to his family and fellow P.O.W.'s."
[6]
The film was nominated for four
Primetime Emmy Awards
, in categories involving
art direction
,
cinematography
, and
editing
, but did not win any of them.
[7]
It was also a nominee for the
American Society of Cinematographers Awards of 2005
.
[8]
It was released to DVD by
Sony Pictures Television
[9]
on August 30, 2005.
[10]
A
DVD
of the film was commercially released in June 2008 by
Sony Pictures Entertainment
, and was also used as a contribution reward by
McCain's 2008 presidential campaign
.
[3]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Morris, George (August 29, 2018).
"St. Tammany veteran shared John McCain's experience as prisoner at infamous 'Hanoi Hilton'
"
.
The Advocate
. Archived from
the original
on August 29, 2018
. Retrieved
October 14,
2022
.
- ^
Blumenstock, Kathy (May 29, 2005).
"Film chronicles McCain's years as Vietnam POW"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
October 14,
2022
– via
The Gainesville Sun
.
- ^
a
b
Ressner, Jeffrey
;
Vogel, Kenneth P.
(July 3, 2008).
"McCain's TV biopic, reconsidered"
.
The Politico
. Retrieved
January 30,
2009
.
- ^
Lowry, Brian (May 26, 2005).
"Faith of My Fathers"
.
Variety
. Archived from
the original
on September 15, 2008
. Retrieved
April 16,
2008
.
- ^
Davis, Marcia (May 30, 2005).
"
'Faith of My Fathers': In Principle, a Noble Effort"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
April 16,
2008
.
- ^
Stanley, Alessandra
(May 30, 2005).
"Like Father, Like Son, Like Patriots"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
April 16,
2008
.
- ^
"Complete list of 2005 primetime Emmy winners"
.
Chicago Tribune
.
Associated Press
. September 18, 2005
. Retrieved
April 16,
2008
.
- ^
"Film Awards"
.
SeismicFX
. Archived from
the original
on June 10, 2008
. Retrieved
April 16,
2008
.
- ^
"Shawn Hatosy And Scott Glenn To Star In ..."
(Press release).
A&E Network
. March 14, 2005. Archived from
the original
on October 14, 2006
. Retrieved
April 16,
2008
.
- ^
"Faith of My Fathers"
.
Amazon
. 30 August 2005
. Retrieved
April 15,
2008
.
External links
[
edit
]
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