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88-625: It won the Audience Award at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival , prompting several distributors to enter into a bidding war in response to the positive buzz, but when finally released, critics as a whole responded less favorably than they had at Sundance. The film is the basis for the 2001 Off-Broadway musical of the same name by James Valcq and Fred Alley . Perchance "Percy" Talbot is recently released on parole after five years at Maine Correctional Center in Windham, Maine. The young woman arrives in

176-472: A Catholic nonprofit fundraising and communications organization based in Walls, Mississippi. In the late 1970s, he wished to make a film—an alternative to the ministry of print that was a hallmark of Sacred Heart League, which published and distributed millions of pieces of literature. With the approval and support of the league's board of directors, Courts began searching for a screenplay that could be produced under

264-731: A Leading Role . Sundance began in Salt Lake City in August 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival in an effort to attract more filmmakers to Utah. It was founded by Sterling Van Wagenen , head of Robert Redford 's company Wildwood Enterprises, Inc , John Earle and Cirina Hampton-Catania of the Utah Film Commission . The 1978 festival featured films such as Deliverance , A Streetcar Named Desire , Midnight Cowboy , Mean Streets , and Sweet Smell of Success . The goal of

352-556: A force of approximately 48,000 men in the country. All troops were withdrawn in 1973. About 5,099 South Koreans were killed and 10,962 wounded during the war. Thailand sent nearly 40,000 volunteer soldiers to South Vietnam during the war and peaked at 11,600 by 1969. Units included the elite Queen's Cobras and the renowned Black Panther Division of the Royal Thai Army Volunteer Force. The Royal Thai Air Force provided personnel transport and supply runs in liaison with

440-451: A full blown melodrama at the end using a bunch of tired old clichés, like misplaced money, your standard hermit in the woods and an almost laughably melodramatic drowning. Give us a break. With a more imaginative story, this could have been a great movie, but as it is, it's just a C+." The Spitfire Grill currently holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes , based on 29 reviews. Audience Award Dramatic - 1996 Sundance Film Festival The film

528-648: A hard time readjusting to society, primarily because of the uniquely divisive nature of the Vietnam War in the context of U.S. history . That social division has expressed itself by the lack both of public and institutional support for the former servicemen that would be expected by returning combatants of most conflicts in most nations. In a material sense also, veterans benefits for Vietnam-era veterans were dramatically less than those enjoyed after World War II . The Vietnam-Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended, 38 U.S.C.   § 4212 ,

616-798: A kinder curiosity and reaches out to Percy, becoming one of her few friends in town. When Hannah is bedridden after a nasty fall, she places Percy in charge of the Grill despite Percy's lack of experience with cooking and kitchen skills. Seeing that Percy is in need of help, Shelby pitches in to work at the Grill and help Percy win the approval of Hannah, who learns she does need friends. Joe, an attractive young man in town, becomes smitten with Percy and spends some time getting to know her, even introducing her to his father, Aaron. Although Joe eventually proposes that he and Percy get married, she refuses because she feels unworthy to be his wife and tells Joe she's unable to bear children. Joe reveals that he has been approached by

704-451: A logical chronology, but also served to give these characters more depth, and explain their skills, e.g. MacGyver having served in a bomb disposal unit. China Beach , which aired in the late 1980s, was the only television program that featured women who were in Vietnam as military personnel or civilian volunteers. Thomas Magnum of Magnum, P.I. , Stringfellow Hawke of Airwolf , and

792-702: A military medical team consisting of RNZAF, RNZN, and RNZAMC medical staff arrived and remained until 1971. (This team was additional but separate from the civilian medical team that had arrived in 1963 and left in 1975.) In 1968 an NZSAS troop arrived, serving 3 tours before their withdrawal. Most New Zealanders operated in Military Region 3 with 1 ATF, in Nui Dat in Phuoc Thuy Province , North East of Saigon . RNZAF flew troops and supplies, did helicopter missions (as part of RAAF), or worked as Forward Air Controllers in

880-418: A much larger genre. The first appearance of a Vietnam veteran in a film seems to be The Born Losers (1967) featuring Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack . Bleaker in tone are such films as Hi, Mom! (1970) in which vet Robert De Niro films pornographic home movies before deciding to become an urban guerrilla , The Strangers in 7A where a team of former paratroopers blow up a bank and threaten to blow up

968-617: A one-man war against society whilst he makes plans to assassinate a presidential candidate. This film inspired John W. Hinckley to make a similar attempt against President Ronald Reagan . In a similar vein is First Blood (1982), which stars Sylvester Stallone in the iconic role of John Rambo , a Vietnam vet who comes into conflict with a small-town police department. Such films as Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol (1972), and The Ninth Configuration (1979) were innovative in depicting veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder before this syndrome became widely known. In Born on

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1056-475: A picture of our country that is broadly reflective of the diversity of voices not always seen in our cultural exports." The majority of the film screenings, including the festival's premieres, would be held within the Cineworld cinema at The O2 entertainment district. The 2013 Sundance London Festival was held April 25–28, 2013. Sundance London 2014 took place on April 25–27, 2014, at The O2 Arena ; however

1144-509: A residential apartment building, The Hard Ride (1971) and Welcome Home, Soldier Boys (1972) in which returning vets are met with incomprehension and violence. In many films, like Gordon's War (1973) and Rolling Thunder (1977), the veteran uses his combat skills developed in Vietnam to wage war on evil-doers in America. This is also the theme of Taxi Driver (1976) in which Robert De Niro plays Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle who wages

1232-496: A scientist who thinks that the town's trees might have medicinal benefits, which might lead to greater economic prospects for Gilead. Percy becomes aware of a local hermit in the woods who drops by at night to pick up a sack of canned goods from Hannah. Initially unsuccessful at contacting the hermit, Percy eventually follows him and discovers his makeshift abode in the woods where he crafts aviary art pieces out of bark and other natural materials. Slowly but surely, Percy begins to gain

1320-429: A security battalion, and a logistics and headquarters element. The team's strength peaked at 2068. Even though the role of PHILCAG-V was humanitarian, 9 personnel were killed and 64 wounded throughout their 40-month stay through sniper attacks, land mines, and booby traps. The team left Vietnam in 1969. The People's Republic of China deployed the most foreign troops to assist North Vietnam, with nearly 320,000 troops of

1408-634: A showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including NEXT, New Frontier, Spotlight, Midnight, Sundance Kids, From the Collection, Premieres, and Documentary Premieres. Many films premiering at Sundance have gone on to be nominated and win Oscars such as Best Picture , Best Director and Best Actor in

1496-695: A time. After being released, they faced significant discrimination from the Communist government . A significant proportion of the surviving South Vietnamese veterans left the country for Western countries including the United States and Australia , either by or through the Humanitarian Operation (HO). According to the U.S. Department of Labor , the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 ( VEVRAA ) states, "A Vietnam era veteran"

1584-434: A tough, long mission were injected with steroids . However, pumping the soldiers with speed and heavy anti-psychotics like Thorazine ( chlorpromazine ) came with a price that veterans paid later. By alleviating the symptoms, the anti-psychotics and narcotics offered temporary relief. However, these serious drugs administered in the absence of professional psychiatric supervision and proper psychotherapy merely suppressed

1672-403: A variety of operational tasks at sea, ashore and in the air. The 1st Australian Task Force consisted of Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel and commanded all Australian operations from 1966 until 1972. 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG) was 1 ATF's ground support unit, composed of engineer, transport, ordnance, medical, and service corps units. Australian Army training teams followed

1760-559: Is a person who: In 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau reported there were 8.2 million Vietnam-era veterans who were living in the United States, with 2.59 million of them being reported to have actually served "in-country." More than 58,000 U.S. military personnel died as a result of the conflict. That includes deaths from all categories including deaths while missing, captured, non-hostile deaths, homicides , and suicides . The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes veterans that served in

1848-624: Is also responsible for bringing wider attention to such films as Common Bonds , Saw , Garden State , American Psycho , Super Troopers , The Blair Witch Project , Spanking the Monkey , Reservoir Dogs , Primer , In the Bedroom , Better Luck Tomorrow , Little Miss Sunshine , Donnie Darko , El Mariachi , Moon , Clerks , Thank You for Smoking , Sex, Lies, and Videotape , The Brothers McMullen , 500 Days of Summer , Napoleon Dynamite , Whiplash (which topped

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1936-710: Is documented in Professor Emanuel Levy 's book, Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Cinema (NYU Press, 1999, 2001, 2011). UK-based publisher C21 Media first revealed in October 2010 that Robert Redford was planning to bring the Sundance Film Festival to London, and in March the following year, Redford officially announced that Sundance London would be held at The O2 , in London from April 26 to 29, 2012;

2024-457: Is finally able to reconnect with Eli. Later in the summertime as Gilead is celebrating its town festival, the winner of the essay contest, a young woman named Clare, arrives with her toddler son, Charlie. The citizens of Gilead welcome her enthusiastically, and Hannah shows her to her new home and business as a place for Clare and her son to start life anew. Overall, the film deals with powerful themes of redemption, hatred, compassion, independence,

2112-650: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). From 1969 to 1971, there were around 22,000 ARVN combat deaths per year. The army reached its peak strength of about 1,000,000 soldiers in 1972. The official number of South Vietnamese personnel killed in action was 220,357. Following the North Vietnamese victory on April 30, 1975, South Vietnamese veterans were arrested and detained in labor camps in desolate areas. The veterans and their families were detained without trial for decades at

2200-569: The Balm of Gilead , an ancient medicine made from trees in Gilead . The same hymn is played during her funeral on the organ. The film somewhat misleads the audience into thinking that it will be Percy who finds redemption, but it is other characters and relationships, and indeed the town itself, that are powerfully redeemed through Percy's actions. The idea for the film was conceived by Malcolm Roger Courts, long-time director and CEO of Sacred Heart League, Inc.,

2288-594: The Hollywood system. In 1979, Sterling Van Wagenen left to head up the first-year pilot program of what became the Sundance Institute , and James W. Ure took over briefly as executive director, followed by Cirina Hampton Catania, who was asked by Governor Matheson to help bring the festival into profitability as the governing board was preparing to disband it due to debts incurred in 1978. Catania generated sponsorships, in-kind contributions, and advertising revenue, and

2376-560: The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the National Organization for Victim Assistance. The organizations continue to study and/or certify post-traumatic stress disorder responders and clinicians. To find closure, thousands of former American soldiers have visited and some have decided to move permanently to Vietnam to confront the psychological and physical remnants of the Vietnam War. They participate in

2464-486: The People's Liberation Army . The logistical support provided by China allowed for continuous operations and guerrilla warfare tactics used by the North Vietnamese forces, regardless of American-led attempts to stop the flow of resources down the " Ho Chi Minh trail " to South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). American forces were unable to retaliate against Chinese targets, as it was believed that by doing so, America would escalate

2552-652: The Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War . The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam , the United States Armed Forces , and other South Vietnam–backed allies, whether or not they were stationed in Vietnam during their service. However, the more common usage distinguishes between those who served "in-country" and those who did not serve in Vietnam by referring to

2640-798: The Republic of Vietnam Air Force and the United States Air Force (USAF). The Royal Thai Navy also contributed personnel. The last of the Thai troops left Vietnam in April 1972, with 351 killed and 1,358 wounded. The Philippines sent the " Philippine Civic Action Group " (PHILCAG-V), which entered Vietnam in September 1966, to set up operations in a base camp in Tay Ninh Province northwest of Saigon. The non-combat force included an engineer construction battalion, medical and rural community development teams,

2728-617: The "in-country" veterans as "Vietnam veterans" and the others as "Vietnam-era veterans." Regardless, the U.S. government officially refers to all as "Vietnam-era veterans." In the United States , the term "Vietnam veteran" is not typically used in relation to members of the People's Army of Vietnam or the Viet Cong (also known as the National Liberation Front) due to the United States' alliance with South Vietnamese forces. However, in many parts of east and southeast Asia ,

The Spitfire Grill - Misplaced Pages Continue

2816-411: The 1980s and 1990s, service in Vietnam was part of the backstory of many TV characters, particularly in police or detective roles. The wartime experiences of some of these characters, such as MacGyver , Rick Simon of Simon & Simon , or Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice , were mentioned only occasionally and rarely became central to story lines. To a degree, writing in a Vietnam background provided

2904-575: The 1996 festival in Park City, Utah. Before screening at Sundance, Courts engaged composer James Horner to compose the musical score for the film. With the three female stars in attendance at Sundance, Courts and his team enjoyed the support of an enthusiastic crowd during the festival screenings. During one sold-out festival screening, a representative of Castle Rock Entertainment viewed the film and contacted her superiors in Los Angeles. A second print of

2992-549: The 2000s, when major stars with multimillion-dollar films (like The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher ) dominated the festival. Kevin Smith doubted that Clerks , if made in the late 2000s, would be accepted to Sundance. Numerous small festivals sprung up around Sundance in the Park City area, including Slamdance , Nodance, Slumdance , It-dance, X-Dance, Lapdance, Tromadance , The Park City Film Music Festival , etc., though all except Slamdance are no longer held. Included in

3080-528: The 2015 Festival was cancelled in an announcement on January 16, 2015. Sundance London returned to London from June 2–5, 2016, and again June 1–4, 2017, both at Picturehouse Central in London's West End. The 2018 and 2019 events continued at the same venue. Films shown at the 2019 event included Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling ’s Late Night , the controversial dark tale The Nightingale , US comedy Corporate Animals , Lulu Wang 's The Farewell (which won

3168-621: The Audience Award ) and Sophie Hyde 's film based on Emma Jane Unsworth 's novel about female friendship, Animals . The 2020 event in London was postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic . It was not rescheduled until July 2021. Inaugurated in 2014, Sundance Film Festival: Hong Kong has taken place in 2016, 2017, 2018 and from September 19 to October 1, 2019. It is held at The Metroplex in Kowloon Bay each year. The 2020 events in London and Hong Kong were postponed due to impact of

3256-884: The COVID-19 pandemic and as of late 2021 has not been rescheduled. From 2006 through 2008, Sundance Institute collaborated with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on a special series of film screenings, performances, panel discussions, and special events bringing the institute's activities and the festival's programming to New York City. Many notable independent filmmakers received their big break at Sundance, including Kevin Smith , Robert Rodriguez , Quentin Tarantino , Todd Field , David O. Russell , Steve James , Paul Thomas Anderson , Steven Soderbergh , Darren Aronofsky , James Wan , Edward Burns , Damien Chazelle , Lee Isaac Chung , Jane Schoenbrun , Molly Gordon , Nick Lieberman , A. V. Rockwell and Jim Jarmusch . The festival

3344-633: The Dying Girl in 2015, The Birth of a Nation in 2016, Minari in 2020, and CODA in 2021. At the 2016 Sundance Film Festival , three films went on to garner eight Oscar nominations. Manchester by the Sea took the lead in Sundance-supported films with six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. The next year, about 40 films were acquired by distributors, among them including Amazon , Netflix , Lionsgate , and Universal . CODA became

3432-515: The Fourth of July (1989) Tom Cruise portrays disenchanted Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic who, wounded in action and requiring the use of a wheelchair, leads rallies against the war. A more recent example is Bruce Dern 's portrayal of a down-and-out veteran in the film Monster (2003). B-movies that feature Vietnam veterans with an emphasis on action, violence, and revenge, belong into the exploitation subgenre called " vetsploitation ." In television,

3520-771: The Grill and moves all the money from the safe into the sack. Before he can do anything further, Percy unwittingly takes the sack into the woods for the hermit. The next day, Hannah finds the safe empty and assumes that Percy stole the money and took off. Influenced by Nahum, the local sheriff gathers a posse of state troopers and some of Gilead's citizens (some with bloodhounds) to search for Percy and her supposed accomplice. Shelby correctly deduces that Percy went to be alone in an abandoned church that they had explored earlier. There, Percy reveals to Shelby that she had been sexually abused from age 9 to 16 by her stepfather, Mason Talbott, who impregnated her and then later assaulted her, leading to her unborn baby's death. After whisking her away from

3608-400: The Grill, Percy puts forward the idea to hold a $ 100-per-entry essay contest to find a new owner via lottery for the Grill. Hannah, believing the contest is Shelby's idea, opens up to the idea and eventually, with promotional help from Percy's former cellmates who work in a tourism call center operated by the prison, the contest proves wildly successful. More and more mail comes in with money for

The Spitfire Grill - Misplaced Pages Continue

3696-416: The Grill, and other townspeople are drawn into helping sort through the essays. Attitudes grow more positive, allowing Percy to open up more about her past to Shelby. However, Nahum remains suspicious of Percy and learns that she was in prison for manslaughter. When he suggests that Percy is a con artist planning to steal the contest funds, Shelby is furious and vouches for Percy. That night, Nahum sneaks into

3784-516: The Sundance Film Festival, after Redford's character the Sundance Kid from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid . The Sundance Film Festival experienced its extraordinary growth in the 1990s, under the leadership of Geoffrey Gilmore and John Cooper, who transformed the venue into the premier festival in the United States, on par of Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Toronto International Film Festival (also known as The Big Five). That crucial era

3872-537: The Sundance changes made in 2010, a new programming category titled "NEXT" (often denoted simply by the characters "<=>", which mean "less is more") was introduced to showcase innovative films that are able to transcend the confines of an independent budget. Another recent addition was the Sundance Film Festival USA program, in which eight of the festival's films are shown in eight different theaters around

3960-533: The U.S. Armed Forces. The Republic of China (Taiwan) , Spain, and the Philippines contributed assistance in non-combat roles. Australia deployed approximately three battalions of infantry , one regiment of Centurion tanks , three RAAF Squadrons (2SQN Canberra Bombers, 9SQN Iroquois Helicopters, and 35 SQN Caribou Transports), 2 batteries of Royal Australian Artillery and a Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) Squadron. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) performed

4048-841: The USAF. Other New Zealanders from various branches of service were stationed at 1 ALSG in Vung Tau and New Zealand V Force Headquarters in Saigon. At the height of New Zealand's involvement in 1968, the force was 580 men. Along with the United States and Australia, New Zealand contributed 2 combined-service training teams to train ARVN and Cambodian troops from 1971 until 1972. New Zealand and Australian combat forces were withdrawn in 1971. New Zealand's total contribution numbered nearly 4,000 personnel from 1964 until 1972. 37 were killed and 187 were wounded. As of 2010, no memorial has been erected to remember these casualties. Like

4136-598: The United States and Australia, the New Zealand veterans were rejected by the people and the government after returning and did not receive a welcome home parade until 2008. The Tribute also included a formal Crown Apology. Despite high mortality rates among New Zealand Vietnam veterans attributed to Agent Orange, the New Zealand Government has been accused of ignoring the issue until only recently. The New Zealand documentary "Jungle Rain: The NZ Story Of Agent Orange and

4224-458: The United States. The festival went virtual in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic . The festival returned for in-person showings in 2023. The total economic benefits Sundance brought to Utah were estimated to be $ 167 million in 2020. The Sundance Institute's contract to host the festival in Park City will expire following the 2026 festival. The Sundance Institute is considering moving

4312-477: The Vietnam War" (2006) discusses the Agent Orange issue in depth. South Korea deployed approximately two army divisions ( Capital Mechanized Infantry Division , 9th Infantry Division ), one Marine Corps Brigade ( 2nd Marine Brigade ) and other support units. Throughout the Vietnam War, South Korea sent approximately 320,000 servicemen to Vietnam. At the peak of their commitment, in 1968, South Korea maintained

4400-560: The Vietnam era, more than 30,000 Canadians served in the U.S. Armed Forces; 110 Canadians died in Vietnam, and seven are listed as missing in action . Fred Griffin, a military historian with the Canadian War Museum , estimated in Vietnam Magazine ( Perspectives ) that approximately 12,000 of these personnel served in Vietnam. Most of these were Canadians who lived in the United States . The military of Canada did not participate in

4488-620: The already strained effects of the Cold War , and believed it would invite retaliation by the Soviet Union . The Soviet Union deployed roughly 4,500 soldiers, technicians, and pilots to Vietnam, surreptitiously, to help turn the war in favor of the North. Whilst their presence was never acknowledged by the USSR or any of her successor nations, Soviet involvement was an open secret. The Soviet Union's policy on

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4576-523: The characters of The A-Team were characters whose experiences in Vietnam were more frequently worked into plot lines. They were part of an early 1980s tendency to rehabilitate the image of the Vietnam vet in the public eye. The documentary In the Shadow of the Blade (released in 2004) reunited Vietnam veterans and families of the war dead with a restored UH-1 "Huey" helicopter in a cross-country journey to tell

4664-700: The country, then known as the Republic of Vietnam , from February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975, as being eligible for such programs as the department's Readjustment Counseling Services program, also known as the Vet Centers. The Vietnam War was the last American war in which the U.S. government employed conscription . American servicemen who served between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides , such as Agent Orange . Many Vietnam veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in unprecedented numbers, with PTSD affecting as many as 15.2% of Vietnam veterans. Referred to as

4752-515: The direction of Sacred Heart League's film production subsidiary, Gregory Productions, Inc. Courts and his colleagues read more than 200 prospective screenplays and found most of them lacking in Judeo-Christian values and good story-telling. In the early 1990s, Courts was introduced to Warren Stitt, who eventually became the executive producer of "The Spitfire Grill." Stitt knew of the work of Lee David Zlotoff of MacGyver fame, and an introduction

4840-475: The dose and frequency of administering the drug. In the period 1966–1969, the U.S. military provided 225 million tablets of stimulants, mostly dextroamphetamine, according to a 1971 report by the Select Committee on Crime of the U.S. House of Representatives . According to a member of a long-range reconnaissance platoon, the drugs "gave you a sense of bravado as well as keeping you awake. Every sight and sound

4928-470: The economic problems of small towns, the plight of Vietnam War veterans, and, to some extent, female empowerment. In a pivotal scene when Percy meets Eli for the first time, she sings There Is a Balm in Gilead . Percy, wracked with guilt over her past, attempts to make Gilead, Maine, the balm to heal her wounds. When Joe mentions the local trees being used for medicinal purposes, this may be another reference to

5016-445: The experience of small filmmakers trying to get into various festivals in the late 2000s, including Sundance. The film contained several arguments that Sundance had become dominated by large studios and sponsoring corporations. A contrast was made between the 1990s, in which non-famous filmmakers with tiny budget films could get distribution deals from studios like Miramax Films or New Line Cinema , (like Kevin Smith 's Clerks ), and

5104-402: The festival continued. More than 60 films were screened at the festival that year, and panels featured many well-known Hollywood filmmakers. Also that year, the first Frank Capra Award went to Jimmy Stewart . The festival also made a profit for the first time. In 1981, the festival moved to Park City, Utah, and changed the dates from September to January. The move from late summer to midwinter

5192-430: The festival to another city, and in 2024 announced Boulder, Colorado , Cincinnati, Ohio , and current host city Park City as the three finalists for its host city starting in 2027. 40°38′33″N 111°29′42″W  /  40.64250°N 111.49500°W  / 40.64250; -111.49500 Vietnam veteran A Vietnam veteran is an individual who performed active military , naval , or air service in

5280-530: The festival was to showcase American-made films, highlight the potential of independent film, and increase visibility for filmmaking in Utah. The main focus of the event was to conduct a competition for independent American films, present a series of retrospective films and filmmaker panel discussions, and celebrate the Frank Capra Award. The festival also highlighted the work of regional filmmakers who worked outside

5368-772: The festival's Top 10 Films of All Time in 2024, as the result of a survey conducted with over 500 filmmakers and critics in honor of the festival's 40th anniversary ), CODA , Boyhood , We're All Going to the World's Fair , Theater Camp and A Thousand and One . Three Seasons was the first in festival history to ever receive both the Grand Jury Award and Audience Award, in 1999. Later films that won both awards are: God Grew Tired of Us in 2006 (documentary category), Quinceañera in 2006 (dramatic category), Precious in 2009, Fruitvale (later retitled Fruitvale Station ) in 2013, Whiplash in 2014, Me and Earl and

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5456-478: The film was sent by courier to the Castle Rock headquarters for screening by its executives, who promptly offered $ 10 million for the film's rights, the largest sum paid outright for an independent feature film. On the heels of being sold to Castle Rock Entertainment, the film won the Audience Award at Sundance. The film was distributed worldwide with only a modest return and lukewarm critical reaction. Profits from

5544-421: The film's efforts, but felt that the script was too underdeveloped and too similar to other films. Roger Ebert wrote "Watching this plot unfold, I was remembering last week's Heavy , which also premiered at Sundance; its cafe was run by an older woman (Shelley Winters), and had a veteran waitress (Deborah Harry) and a young waitress (Liv Tyler), and had a regular customer whose name was Leo, not Joe, although he

5632-446: The first "pharmacological war" in history, the U.S. war in Vietnam was so called because of the unprecedented level of psychoactive drugs that U.S. servicemen used. The U.S. military had routinely provided heavy psychoactive drugs, including amphetamines , to American servicemen, which left them unable to process adequately their war traumas at the time. The U.S. armed forces readily distributed large amounts of "speed" ( stimulants ), in

5720-604: The first Sundance film to win an Oscar for Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards . The festival has changed over the decades from a low-profile venue for small-budget, independent creators from outside the Hollywood system to a media extravaganza for Hollywood celebrity actors, paparazzi, and luxury lounges set up by companies not affiliated with Sundance. Festival organizers have tried curbing these activities in recent years, beginning in 2007 with their ongoing Focus On Film campaign. The 2009 film Official Rejection documented

5808-559: The first Vietnam veteran to be a regular character in a U.S. dramatic series was Lincoln Case on Route 66 . Case, played by Glenn Corbett, was introduced in 1963, long before the major U.S. buildup in Vietnam. "Linc" Case was initially portrayed as an angry, embittered man, not only because of his harrowing wartime experiences (which included being taken prisoner and escaping a POW camp) but also because of his grim childhood and continuing estrangement from much of his family. The show depicted his effort to make peace with himself and others. In

5896-456: The first local organizations by and for Vietnam veterans in 1981, now known as Veterans Village. Vets were also largely responsible for taking debriefing and treatment strategies into the larger community where they were adapted for use in conjunction with populations impacted by violent crime, abuse, and man-made and natural disasters and those in law enforcement and emergency response. Other notable organizations that were founded then included

5984-534: The first time it has traveled outside the US . In a press statement, Redford said, "We are excited to partner with AEG Europe to bring a particular slice of American culture to life in the inspired setting of The O2, and in this city of such rich cultural history. [...] It is our mutual goal to bring to the UK, the very best in current American independent cinema, to introduce the artists responsible for it, and in essence, help build

6072-481: The form of Dexedrine ( dextroamphetamine ), an amphetamine twice as strong as Benzedrine, to American servicemen. Soldiers embarking on long-range reconnaissance missions or ambushes, according to standard military instruction, were supposed to be given 20 milligrams of dextroamphetamine for 48 hours of combat readiness. But this instruction for heavy drugs was rarely followed: the drug was issued, according to veterans, "like candies," with little or no attention paid to

6160-423: The hermit is her shell-shocked, Vietnam veteran son, Eli, who had returned home from the Vietnam War and isolated himself from society despite Hannah's best efforts to win him back, including trying to sell the grill. Fearing that the posse will kill Eli, Hannah and Shelby rush to the sheriff's office and convince Percy to help them save Eli. Running through the woods with the posse on Eli's trail, Percy runs through

6248-415: The hospital and to a hotel, Mason drunkenly insulted the memory of Percy's baby, provoking her to kill him with a razor blade, resulting in her incarceration. The local sheriff arrives at the abandoned church with his posse and takes Percy into custody. When Shelby confronts Hannah over the accusations against Percy, Hannah realizes that Percy gave the sack with the money in it to the hermit. She reveals that

6336-467: The inaugural US Film Festival presented by Sundance Institute (1985), which included Program Director Tony Safford and Administrative Director Jenny Walz Selby. The branding and marketing transition from the US Film Festival to the Sundance Film Festival was managed under the direction of Colleen Allen, Allen Advertising Inc., by appointment of Robert Redford. In 1991, the festival was officially renamed

6424-629: The problems and symptoms, but veterans years later often experienced those problems untreated and amplified. This is a large part of the reason why very few servicemen, compared to previous wars, required medical evacuation due to combat-stress breakdowns, but PTSD levels among veterans after the war are at unprecedented levels compared to previous wars. Nationals of other nations fought in the American-led anti-communist coalition, usually as armed forces of allied nations, such as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand , and South Korea , but sometimes as members of

6512-600: The removal of unexploded mines and bombs, help people affected by Agent Orange , teach English to the Vietnamese and conduct Vietnam War battlefield tours for tourists. The Vietnam veteran has been depicted in fiction and film of variable quality. A major theme is the difficulties of soldiers readjusting from combat to civilian life. This theme had occasionally been explored in the context of World War Two in such films as The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and The Men (1950). However, films featuring Vietnam veterans constitute

6600-480: The river to warn off Eli, but is swept away by the raging waters and drowns. Nahum finds Eli cradling Percy's body downriver and recognizes him when he sees Eli's face. Percy's death prompts the town's citizens to examine their own conduct towards her more deeply, especially at the funeral service where Nahum publicly confesses that he moved the money and ultimately caused the events leading to Percy's death; he admits that he never truly knew her as he had assumed. Hannah

6688-784: The sale of the film were used to construct a kindergarten through eighth grade school for 450 children in Southaven, Mississippi, located 10 miles from the Sacred Heart League headquarters in Walls. In 2001, a musical adaptation of the film with a brighter ending, written by Fred Alley and James Valcq premiered at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey, directed by David Saint and then moved to Playwrights Horizons Theater in New York. The Spitfire Grill received mixed to negative reviews. Critics generally were impressed by

6776-516: The small town of Gilead, Maine with hopes of starting a new life. She is given a job as a waitress at the Spitfire Grill, owned by Hannah, whose gruff exterior conceals a kind heart and little tolerance for the Grill's regular customers who are suspicious of and vocal about Percy's mysterious past. None is more suspicious than Nahum, Hannah's nephew, who constantly criticizes Percy and launches his own investigation into her past. His wife, Shelby, has

6864-680: The term "Vietnam veteran" may also apply to allies of the North Vietnamese , including the People's Army of Vietnam, the Viet Cong (National Liberation Front), the People's Liberation Army of China , and the Korean People's Army of North Korea . While the exact numbers are not entirely known, it is estimated that several million served in the South Vietnamese armed forces , the vast majority in

6952-448: The trust of the hermit. At the same time, she learns from Shelby about how Hannah's missing son, Eli, had enlisted to serve in the Vietnam War and did not return, causing Eli's war-hero father, James, to die from heartbreak and Hannah to become hard-hearted. (There is a brief allusion to James perhaps having piloted a Spitfire aircraft, which presumably gave the Grill its name.) Learning that Hannah has tried unsuccessfully for years to sell

7040-559: The units deployed was to label them "military consultants." This deployment resulted in the development of the North Vietnamese air force, then it was formed against the United States' involvement in the war. From 1975 to 2002, forty-four Soviet servicemen were killed in Vietnam, mainly in aviation accidents. The military collaboration at Cam Ranh Base was continued by the later government of Russia until 2002. There are persistent stereotypes about Vietnam veterans as psychologically devastated, bitter, homeless, drug-addicted people, who had

7128-505: The war effort. Initially, New Zealand provided a 25-man team of RNZE engineers from 1964 to 1965. In May 1965, New Zealand replaced the engineers with a 4-gun artillery battery (140 men) which served until 1971. 750 men served with the battery during this time. In 1967 the first of two rifle companies of infantry, designated Victor Company, arrived shortly thereafter followed by Whiskey company. Over 1,600 New Zealand soldiers saw action in these companies, over 5 years and 9 tours. Also in 1967

7216-691: The withdrawal of combat forces in 1971. According to the Australian Government Nominal Roll of Vietnam Veterans 13,600 members of the Royal Australian Navy, 41,720 members of the Australian Army, and 4,900 members of the Royal Australian Air Force served in Vietnam from 1962 to 1975. According to official statistics, 501 personnel died or went missing in action during the Vietnam War and 2,400 were wounded. During

7304-507: Was done by the executive director Susan Barrell with the cooperation of Hollywood director Sydney Pollack , who suggested that running a film festival in a ski resort during winter would draw more attention from Hollywood. It was called the US Film and Video Festival. In 1984, the now well-established Sundance Institute, headed by Sterling Van Wagenen, took over management of the US Film Festival. Gary Beer and Van Wagenen spearheaded production of

7392-470: Was heightened. You were wired into it all and at times you felt really invulnerable." Servicemen who participated in infiltrating Laos , a secret intervention by the United States in the Laotian Civil War , on four-day missions received 12 tablets of an opioid ( Darvon ), 24 tablets of codeine (an opioid analgesic ), and 6 pills of dextroamphetamine. Also, those serving in special units departing for

7480-512: Was made. Courts agreed to field screenplay treatments from Zlotoff, and in late 1994, the story of the film was written by Zlotoff. With private financing from Sacred Heart League, the film was shot in Peacham, Vermont, and Troy, Vermont, in 35 days in April–May, 1995. After editing the film, it was submitted to the Sundance Film Festival in the feature film competition, and was accepted for screening at

7568-589: Was meant to try to help the veterans overcome the issues. In 1979, Public Law 96-22 established the first Vet Centers, after a decade of effort by combat vets and others who realized that Vietnam veterans in America and elsewhere (including Australia) were facing specific kinds of readjustment problems, later identified as post-traumatic stress (PTS). Veterans, particularly in Southern California , were responsible for many of those early lobbying and subsequent Vet Center treatment programs. They founded one of

7656-556: Was played by Joe Grifasi. Also echoing in the caverns of my memory were several other movies about stalwart women running cafes and striding above the local gossip: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe , Fried Green Tomatoes , Staying Together and of course Bagdad Cafe . " Ebert also reviewed the film with Gene Siskel , each giving a thumbs down. Robert Roten of the Laramie Movie Scope wrote "this light character study explodes into

7744-737: Was released on DVD in 1999 and again under the Warner Archive label in 2013. It is available for digital purchase on Amazon Prime . Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival , then US Film and Video Festival ) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute . It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival takes place every January in Park City, Utah ; Salt Lake City, Utah ; and at Sundance Resort (a ski resort near Provo, Utah ), and acts as

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