Some Kind of Hero
| Some Kind of Hero | |
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The movie poster for Some Kind of Hero.
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| Directed by | Michael Pressman |
| Produced by | Howard W. Koch |
| Written by |
Robert Boris James Kirkwood Jr. |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Patrick Williams |
| Cinematography | King Baggot |
| Edited by | Christopher Greenbury |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million |
| Box office | $23,671,186 |
Some Kind of Hero is a 1982 film starring Richard Pryor as a returning Vietnam War veteran having trouble adjusting to civilian life. Soon he is involved in an organized crime heist. It co-stars Margot Kidder and was directed by Michael Pressman.
Although James Kirkwood and Robert Boris are jointly credited with the screenplay, in fact the script was Boris’ rewrite of Kirkwood’s adaptation of his novel. Originally intended to be a straight drama, the studio insisted that Pryor perform comedic scenes as well.
Eddie Keller is a U.S. Army conscript private who was captured while defecating. He was held in a POW Camp for years. Due to his resistance in signing a confession admitting to committing war crimes he ends up being one of the last POWs to be brought home from Vietnam. Keller endures several years of torture and deprivation at the hands of the Vietnamese Army. He finally relents to signing a "confession" admitting to war crimes to save the life of his cell mate.
Having returned home, Eddie finds the world has moved on without him. His wife has fallen in love with someone new, and had a daughter, just after he became a POW. His mother has suffered a stroke, and requires constant (and expensive) medical attention. Eddie is initially called a hero when he is finally released, but when his signed confession is discovered (and no one can track down the other prisoner he tried to save), his veteran's benefits are suspended by the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs pending further investigation.
Eddie tries to integrate back into society, but finds himself stopped at every turn. The Army refuses to help, he cannot find a job, and he is running out of options. The only bright spot in his life is Toni, a high-priced prostitute who picks Eddie up at a bar. Despite Toni's profession, the two begin a romance.
While trying to secure a loan, Eddie is witness to a bank robbery. He begins to plot a way to gain the funds he needs to provide for his mother, and also to avenge himself on a system that abandoned him in Vietnam, then turned him into a traitor.
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Wikipedia