Happy Birthday, Wanda June - Mark Robson - (1971) DVD

In this film we see how the members of a family react when the husband returns home, after he abandoned them seven years ago.

It is funny, insightful. When I saw it I was a man of about 20 years and really liked how it deflated the stereotypes of what a man is supposed to be. The macho, the nice guy and the nobody are all shown as confused people who have latched on to a role to play. My favorite line was "he speaks German like my ass chews bubblegum". These are the words of a Nazi officer that Rod Steiger's character sent to heaven. He feels okay about it and likes it in heaven. Every day is Christmas and everyone plays shuffleboard.

I am sincerely amazed with this exquisite blend of irony, madness and desperation that was a trademark of Mr. Vonnegut's works. But, there was something really new coming in this flick... the urges of a mankind behind those solid characters, Steiger and Hickey, this last one the bomber that wasted Hiroshima, and his Master, a frontiersman Steiger, both back from a disastrous expedition to Africa, that lasted years... Their families, in the face of those presumed deceased... What about an effervescent and mutating world of the early 70's? They should portrait the Vietnam fighters, being cursed for the flower power generation... Blended with superb interpretations from all the cast, with poisonous 'sensa huma' and political uncorrectioness all over the place. Those were the days, dude. A real must see...

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