Green Dragon | |
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DVD cover
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Directed by | Timothy Linh Bui |
Produced by |
Tony Bui Tajamika Paxton Elie Samaha Andrew Stevens |
Written by |
Timothy Linh Bui Tony Bui |
Starring |
Patrick Swayze Forest Whitaker Don Duong Hiep Thi Le Billinjer C. Tran Trung Nguyen Kieu Chinh |
Music by |
Jeff Danna Mychael Danna |
Cinematography | Kramer Morgenthau |
Edited by | Leo Trombetta |
Production
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Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Green Dragon is a 2001 American drama film directed by Timothy Linh Bui and starring Patrick Swayze, Forest Whitaker and Duong Don.
The film follows the experience of Vietnamese refugees in the United States immediately following the Fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Tai Tran (Duong) has been appointed the camp translator by Gunnery Sgt. Jim Lance (Swayze). He has arrived with his sister's two young children. Their mother is believed to have been lost in the rush to leave Vietnam.
Despite the despair of leaving Vietnam and having to live in an unfamiliar United States, many of the occupants make adjustments. Minh (Nguyen) is silent and solitary until he meets Addie (Whitaker), the camp's cook. They embark on a friendship to the point where Minh is drawn out of his shell. Meanwhile, Tai and his friend Duc (Tran) find themselves enamored with two female refugees. Tai falls for Thuy Hoa, the daughter of a discredited Vietnamese general. Duc falls back in love with a former girlfriend from Vietnam who is an unhappily married second wife.
There were open casting calls for actors and actresses in Orange County, California and San Jose, California.
Don Duong had been cast in Tony Bui's 1999 acclaimed film Three Seasons as Hai. Impressed by his work in the film, Timothy Bui asked him to play Tai.
Initially, Bui did not want Patrick Swayze for the role of Jim Lance due to fears that his big name would overshadow the story and message of the small film. However, upon meeting Swayze he changed his mind, as Swayze related to Bui his complete understanding of the film.
The story was written by Bui's younger brother Tony Bui. Both of the brothers came to the United States with their family in 1975, as refugees from Vietnam.
The setting of the film is Camp Pendleton in Southern California, where the movie was also filmed.