[ALOHA RONNIE]

Go to my .."RONNIE GUYER PHOTO COLLECTION".. in the...

..'IA DRANG - Interest'.. Section of...

http://www.lzxray.com

...to see my photo of Lt. Col. HAL G. MOORE's (MEL GIBSON) actual -SMILE OF VICTORY- taken immediately after his arrival at Landing Zone Falcon, fresh from his Victory at Landing Zone X-Ray in the IA DRANG Valley of November 1965.

GARRY OWEN, Sir (7th Cavalry 'CUSTER' Salute)

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...The Oscar Race is on...

...while an Oscar-Deserving Vietnamese Actor and Saigon Resident DON DUONG has just been declared a TRAITOR to the Government and Army of Communist Vietnam who have tried twice to force him to sign a "Confession"...

...simply for his brilliant portrayal of the Communist North Vietnamese Army Commander who lost to MEL GIBSON in...

.."WE WERE SOLDIERS"..!

The Reality of this Motion Picture is...

...just "UNREAL"

Pray for DON DUONG.

[ambrose]

MEDVED: "WE WERE SOLDIERS" deserves Best Picture Oscar Nomination

Agreed, but don't hold your breath waiting for the pinkos in Hollywood to give any recognition to a Vietnam movie that didn't accuse the Americans of being war criminals.

[ambrose]

My personal pick for Best Picture would be Signs.

[SkyPilot]

I agree--but I am highly doubtful.

When Saving Private Ryan was up for best picture, it lost to the sappy "Shakespeare in Love."

Only after the Oscars that year did we get the truth: over half of the voting Academy admitted they refused to even watch Saving Private Ryan before voting.

Medved is a very good critic, and a fine writer. I hope he can shame Hollywood by his article (if they are capable of feeling shame).

[Rocko]

We Were Soldiers wasn't bad (it wasn't great, either), but Signs was extremely disappointing-- no, make that terrible. A good cast wasted on a childish, illlogical story. The Two Towers, flawed as it was, was far superior to both.

[Lexington Green]

FYI--- TIME magazine has declared HEART OF A SOLDIER, the story of Rick Rescorla, the #1 Non-Fiction book of 2002.

http://www.time.com/time/bestandworst/2002/books.html

[Diana Rose]

I loved We Were Soldiers I think the women in the story were as much the soldiers as the men.

[Gritty]

WE WERE SOLDIERS is a great movie, especially to those who served over there. It is a terrific piece of technical work, acting, drama and emotion which acccuately portrayed those times as well as a movie could.

When I saw it in the theatre it took me back a lot of years in time and place. When it was over, I - and a group of other greying men (obviously also vets of that war) and their wives - sat transfixed, despite the credits being over and the lights coming up.

Even the hidden tears didn't seem to matter much then.

[dalebert]

I agree, "We Were Soldiers" deserves an Oscar.

[agincourt1415]

By the way I highly recommend the buying the DVD version, I saw it in the movie theater but got the DVD for Christmas. I enjoyed watching the scenes that were cut from the movie. Especially the LAKE SCENE. It's hillarious, and Sam Elliot was a Great Top Kick.

[mommadooo3]

I'm not into the 'awards' stuff. Sooo, I don't know if this'll matter much. But, Ronnie, we'll NEVER forget, you'll NEVER be forgotten.

God bless you and all those who gave some, or gave all.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

GARRY OWEN, Sir

[Mr. Mojo]

I agree.....We Were Soldiers should win best picture honors. But considering that this is a film that highlighted the honor and bravery of those who served in Vietnam, I can't imagine the leftists on the Oscar board will see it that way.

That said, and to take nothing away from We Were Soldiers, this was probably the worst year (overall) for movies that I can remember.

[Fzob]

From We Were Soldiers

"We are moving into the Valley of the Shadow of Death where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours, and you won't care what color he is, or by what name he calls God. We are going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear... when we go into battle, I will be the first to step on the field and I will be the last to step off. And I will leave no one behind... dead or alive. We will all come home together."

With these words, on the day before he was to lead his men off to war, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore addressed his soldiers and their families........

This movie is a must see and clearly is the best picture of the year. IMHO.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

GARRY OWEN, Sir (a 7th Cavalry CUSTER Salute 2-U)

[ALOHA RONNIE]

GARRY OWEN, Sir (a 7th Cavalry CUSTER Salute 2-U)

[ewing]

I wish it would be nominated.

My predictions are 'About Schmidt' with Jack Nicholson (the funniest movie of the year so far)

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (darkhorse to win, like Rocky in 1976)

'Gangs of New York' (for Martin Scorsese who has never won best director)

'The Hours' (one artsy-fartsy literary picture is alway in there)

And perhaps 'Lord of the Rings-The Two Towers' or 'Antwone Fisher' as the last selection

[steve-b]

I'd nominate We Were Soldiers and The Two Towers, certainly, but the "story makes sense" requirement leaves Signs out of consideration.

[Rummyfan]

Unfortunately the Academy Awards are the equivalent of a high school popularity contest so I don't expect WE WERE SOLDIERS to get any recognition except for maybe an adapted screenplay nomination.

Regardless, cheers to Mel Gibson for having the ba*** to produce this film as a tribute to you guys who served there. Maybe Hollywood is slowly coming around, but we shouldn't look to the awards for any sort of validation of the USA. Hollywood gives us Nazi priests, kindly abortionists, white supremacist Republicans, saintly homosexuals, and every other reverse stereotype one can imagine.

[Dionysius]

All praise to Mr. Gibson. He is the anti-Alec Baldwin/Sean Penn. A true patriot! That is enough to insure his efforts being ignored by AMPAS. "Braveheart" flew in under the radar. It won't happen again.