User reviews

When I saw this film I was quite young and it gave me a humanizing portrait of Viet Nam veterans for the first time. Harrison Ford's performance gave a great glimpse into the personal demons of the war, and coupled with Henry Winkler's fellow veteran offered a range of the complexities of the impact of the war and the responses of the public to our soldiers coming back. I thought it was much subtler than some of the other Viet Nam films of the era and portrayed more everyday people. As a kid in the seventies, veterans were always seen as men that were just walking around with the constant threat of exploding, one-dimensional beings of violence. The movie crosses my mind occasionally because of the impact on my youth but also more now because of the large number of veterans that will become a returning part of our society. I wonder if a movie like Heroes will have added significance because it didn't feature 'heroic' war activists but instead the mechanic next door and the kind misfit you meet on a bus.

Disturbed Vietnam veteran escapes from an East Coast institution and travels by bus to Northern California to meet up with his war buddy to start a worm farm; an attractive young woman--and runaway bride!--takes a liking to him after the two share a few calamitous run-ins. Henry Winkler and Sally Field (and Harrison Ford in a small but telling role) excel in one of the odder star-vehicles of the 1970s, more interesting as a serious character piece than as the comedy it often tries to be. Director Jeremy Paul Kagan (who had earlier directed Winkler in the TV movie "Katherine") and screenwriter James Carabatsos (with uncredited help from David Freeman) aren't afraid to pace their film carefully by allowing the characters to talk things out and find each other emotionally (they set the movie's rhythm, not the plot situations). As such, the finale is remarkably sensitive and brave. *** from ****

I remember seeing this movie when it came out in the theater. Tonight I got to see it at home on TV after all these years. The big surprise is the ending song of the movie was changed! "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas was changed for some trivial song about Heroes. I don't understand why. That was one of best parts of the movie. Sally Field is one of the best dramatic actresses I have seen. She is right up there with Katherine Hepburn and Anne Baxter. Henry Winkler did OK but I think other actors could of done just as well. Harrison Ford was underused. The plot was very thin. What a shame not to use the talent they had available to a better use. They really could of developed the characters more and got rid of the fight scenes and racing cars.

Sad

To see that someone else has had the same memories for as long as I have about a particular movie, really makes me smile.I have tried for years and years to tell folks about this movie and no one seems to remember it. Heck, I even remember who I went with and the day of the week. The song had a profound affect on me as well and I can't hear Kansas's Carry on Wayward Son without thinking of the movie.. it so touched me!Thanks for being a great site and for helping me put together some memories that were turning into tiny pieces. And now, I'm going to go out and rent the movie just so I can watch Harrison Ford, I can't for the life of me remember his role...

Here's the Fonz, Henry Winkler, who plays a returned veteran a little on the crazy side, but with plenty of personality and ambition to hoodwink several people into his crazy schemes. We see several scenes of the Fonz in the nude; he has a beautiful body. He has a penchant to allure older women into his arms and head, with crazy schemes for making a living, which he doesn't! One cute lady is not older than he, Sally Fields, and she is drawn to him. He is such a cooky free personality; that watching this film made me wonder what could possibly happen to him; that is the essence of this film; the acting is superb! Harrison Ford has one of his earliest film performances as one of his friends. There are a lot of sincere emotions in this film, and the photography and music are great, too.

RELEASED IN 1977 and directed by Jeremy Kagan, "Heroes" details events in the mid-70s when a quirky PTSD patient at a New York City veteran's hospital (Henry Winkler) escapes to start a worm farm in Eureka, California. He meets a young woman on the bus (Sally Field) and they have many adventures in their journey across the country wherein the man must come to terms with his 'demons' before successfully moving on with a potential babe by his side. Harrison Ford appears as a mentally dubious race car driver from the sticks in Missouri.

Winkler was riding a wave of popularity due to his role as Fonzie on Happy Days when "Heroes" was shot in 1976. Despite its obscurity, it was a hit at the box office, grossing $33.5 million on a $3.2 million budget, and opened at #1. It's similar in tone to Jack Nicholson's "Five Easy Pieces" (1970) and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and, actually, is a meshing of those two movies, but it's nowhere near as good. There's something about Winkler's kooky character that doesn't ring true and so it takes forever to catch a grip with him. Thankfully, you eventually do by the second half.

Another problem is obvious plot holes. For example, would two thugs steal over $1000 and nonchalantly hang out in the nearest, most obvious place in which to find them? Would an intelligent young woman (or man) rashly drive a car through the walls of an establishment, risking the lives of any innocent person who happened to be on the other side of the walls (whom she can't see)? I suppose it could be argued that she peeked through the window just before pulling the stunt but, even then, she still wouldn't be 100% certain no one would be near that wall when she drove through it.

Nevertheless, it's great seeing Winkler star in a movie in the mid-70s as someone besides The Fonz, not to mention seeing both Field and Ford when they were so young. Harrison was on the verge of shooting to fame with "Star Wars," released the same year. The message of the movie is worthy too and is the first post-Vietnam War film to address the topic of PTSD (major release anyway), although it's done better in "Coming Home" (1978). There's some low-key humor thrown in here and there with a ventriloquist dummy episode on the bus being particularly amusing.

The original song that ushered in the end credits was Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son," but it was removed for legal reasons on the DVD, which is the version I watched. The substitute song "Heroes" isn't anywhere near the greatness of the Kansas number, of course, but it ain't bad and the lyrics are actually more fitting. Yes, it's bland by comparison, but a 4-minute song at the end doesn't make or break an almost two-hour movie; it's just extra toppings on a cake.

THE FILM RUNS 112 minutes and was shot in New York City and California (Petaluma, Marshall, Nicasio, Lancaster & Inverness). WRITER: James Carabatsos.

GRADE: B-

Heroes (1977)

A terrible movie. Bland, forgettable nonsense. One half hour of content (I'm being generous) stretched to the breaking point; being nearly two hours in length.

Henry Winkler's character, Jack Dunne, is immature and obnoxious.

Sally Field's character, Carol Bell, is one dimensional. Harrison Ford's character, Kenny Boyd, plays like one of the dumb hicks from the Dukes of Hazzard. Neither my wife nor myself could develop any sense of empathy towards any of the characters.

There's some very low-key humor thrown in here and there. For whatever reason.

At 0:55:42 -Kenny fires many more bullets than what the magazine could hold.

At 0:47:05 -Kenny claims that his car has a "blower" (a supercharger) but at 0:57:28 there is no supercharger on the engine.

SUBMITTED THURSDAY 03.16.2023 12:15.

It isn't believable or plausible but it isn't a comedic farce.

It isn't funny so it isn't a comedy.

There is no real romance so it isn't a love story.

There is no real drama. There is no real character development.

Shall we just admit the truth? Sally Field is only engaging in high dramas. Despite his claims he was the male Kate Jackson, a major talent stuck in a mundane fluff 1970s show. In actuality, he, like Kate, is a talentless hack who couldn't hold a film. Winkler just hit it lucky with Happy Days. Then he complains about it.

All that, and the writing is bad, only to be topped by lazy direction.

I was present during the filming of a couple of scenes. In fact I have a blink and you'll miss me part as well. When this was being filmed Henry Winkler was desperate to shed his Fonzie persona. Children would say "Hello Fonzie" and he would say "I am NOT the Fonz!" Sally Field was the real star of the film at the time. And as Star Wars had not yet been released, my only thought was "Harrison Ford? Why does this man have two last names?" The day they filmed the racing scenes there had been a real rain storm. It required a lot of work to get the track ready for the race. During the course of filming his close up scenes in the race car, Henry Winkler spun the car out and they were frantic that the camera had been damaged. That scene, the scene at the bus station, and the scene where Jack meets the parents of his friend were filmed in Petaluma CA.

It's a testament to the enormous popularity of Henry 'The Fonz' Winkler that this post-Vietnam movie hauled in more than $33 million in 1977 money. That's an impressive haul for what is essentially a very good TV movie starring a wide collection of TV actors, plus Francis Ford Coppola's deck builder.

There's no nudity. No swearing. Some graphic violence. And the very adult theme of PTSD. Talk about a 180-degree turn from leaning on a bike, whipping out his comb and grunting, ''ehhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Despite being about 5 feet tall, Winkler was completely believable as a former vet with big dreams. His range in this movie is impressive, from his rage-outs to his tender scene in the motel room with Sally Field. Speaking of whom, Gidget was before my time and just about anybody could have sat in the passenger seat with Burt Reynolds for Smokey and the Bandit. But watch Field when she makes the phone call to her fiance from the house. I don't know if that's natural or Method but that might be the most realistic long-distance breakup phone call in the history of cinema. I was crushed.

Now to the ending credits song. Too many reviewers must be Boomers with a penchant for horrible 70s shlock performed by guys with feathered hair and bell-bottom slacks. Because Kansas is a terrible band. And Carry On Wayward Son is a horrible, bloated, everything-that-was-wrong-with-70s-rock song that you're glad to know in retrospect that the Ramones were just around the corner. If anything, I'd take a point off my rating off this movie because I saw the version with that cr@ppy song still in it.

It's kinda too bad Fonzie was such a cultural phenomenon that Winkler probably wasn't often considered for roles that required this kind of depth. If this was the only thing Winkler did besides Happy Days, he could be proud.

Overall I'd say it's an hour and a half of not much, then a pretty great ending (albeit predictable) ending. It reminds of something that would've made a decent Mash episode. The acting is decent, although I kinda wonder why either Winkler or Field would be in it, except that at the time I think it was kinda drawing on the popularity of Mash. I liked the film mainly for its 70s feel. It seems like to most people, the most important part of the film was the Kansas song at the end (or its apparent omission in some versions). That seems pretty strange to me. Overall a watchable film, although a bit hard in parts, and kinda hard to swallow in some parts.

I was a teenager when this movie first came out 1977 and I just HAD to see the Fonz in anything I could. At the time I thought he was just a fox, and then I found he really can act! I actually was fortunate enough to meet him once years later, and I told him that "Heroes" was the best movie I had ever seen him in since "The Lords of Flatbush". I cry every time I watch this movie, but the saddest part is the last scene. Its so sad because its true! I think everyone should go out and rent "Heroes."

As with the general consensus, I was shocked to find the omission of "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas. Having originally seen this on t.v., the accompanying song had always stuck out in my mind. I assume copyright issues prevented the song from being used. Instead, we are subjected to a tone-deaf inducing song with horrendously awkward lyrics. As a whole, the characters were underdeveloped, and the acting was too laid-back. Winkler ("The Fonz" was one of my childhood heroes) and Field did not give it their all. As a buddy picture, it was an enjoyable watch. Otherwise, I came away with an unfulfilled feeling. Winkler is best suited for comedies.

"Heroes" is not as much about Vietnam vets as it is friendship, the human spirit, loss and dreams.

Winkler plays the vet whose simple dream of starting a worm farm sends him off to find four other vets (including Ford). Fields is the girl he meets on a bus trip and who goes along with him on his journey.

I can't say too much about the movie; this is one film best left to experience on one's own. But if you can find it, watch it till the very end - and if you can honestly not watch the final scene then hear Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son" and be moved, something is definitely wrong.

The message may not be earth-moving and the way it reaches it may not be original but "Heroes" still stands by one simple truth - nothing is stronger than the human spirit, nor more fragile.

Nine stars. Watch "Heroes" - be moved.

This film is a sincere portrayal of a Vietnam Vet's struggle to regain some innocence and happiness after the war. It also shows that Winkler, and to a lesser extent Ford, have more than one dimension to their acting, which pleasantly surprised me. Ford shows a vulnerability which is not apparent in any other of his films I have seen.

This movie was excellent, at a time when some friends of mine were going into the service. The movie showed compassion, and understanding to a Veteran, I think the plot was good, real determination on the side of Jack, following the dream him and his buddy had. There was a love in the movie that you don't see very often, part way through and to the end. Coming back from a war that was more or less misunderstood, Jack was looked down upon, he only did what he was told and trained to do. For the most part the general public of the time didn't know him or what he stood for, they only saw where he came from, and what he did there. Another movie with the same background was Rambo, only Rambo ended with violence, but there was still mention of a friend in the movie that died, and a dream that couldn't take place. Both movies showed sides of a man, coming back from a place we will never see, eating things we would never eat. I loved the movie Heroes, even after coming back from Nam, Jack still had good morals, he still did what was right. I would love to see the movie come out so we could buy it, either on VHS, or DVD, I definitely would buy it.

The ending song is Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas, not Dust in the Wind. This movie is a testament to America's lost innocence. The Hippie movement during the beginning of the 60's gave way to the realities of war in the late 60's and into the 70's. The daily news shows were filled, not only with scenes of mayhem from Vietnam, but with scenes of violence at anti-war protests, civil, and women's rights demonstrations.

They used Carry on Wayward Son in the commercials and trailers, however, when shown on cable, it is cut. Probably due to licensing problems - which is the usual bugaboo for movies/episodes where songs are replaced.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who remembers the closing scene of this movie as having the song "Carry on Wayward Son" as the music, instead of whatever dreck the edited-for-TV version used. That scene, and this movie, sticks in my mind now almost 30 years later. This movie which starts as a simple comedy gradually transforms into something that offers genuine pathos and commentary about life. You have to see this movie. This movie also features a young Harrison Ford in a small but compelling role.

This movie was, sadly, heavily edited for broadcast and it changed the feeling of the movie in substantial ways. Seek it out in the original movie format and soundtrack and it's quite special.

Just give it a chance and watch it until the end, no fast forwarding. I guarantee you will never listen to that song again without choking up.

There is this scene where they're staying at this motel, and from what I recall a car crashes into the hotel. Haven't seen the movie again in years, so it's all a bit foggy. Anyway I was 14 years old then and it was a huge event that this movie was being filmed in Sylmar, CA. The FONZ was in our neighborhood! Tons of us kids went to see him and meet him and he was totally into it and friendly to everyone. Meanwhile, quietly sitting in her director chair was Sally Field. I loved her as the Flying Nun, and I wanted to talk to her, but I just didn't get an approachable vibe from her. I just kept staring at her, ha ha. I wish I had, maybe we could have had a nice time visiting while everyone else went crazy for Henry Winkler, who by the way was super short. I gotta go rent this movie again!

I was probably the only one of my friends who actually saw this movie when I was a kid. It was touching and well acted. It touched on something that wasn't being talked about a lot in the 1970's, which was the post traumatic shock that veterans were experiencing. Though some people saw the movie as simplistic or even quirky, I thought it was a very compassionate look at the hopelessness that veterans can feel. Some veterans are very disenfranchised when being expected to fit back into society after returning home from war. I found both Henry Winkler and Sally Field's performances to be solid, raw and engaging. It leaves the viewer wanting to understand the characters. Henry Winkler showed a lot more range in this movie than he ever did on his televisions roles. It was also entertaining to see Harrison Ford in a supportive role. I like to watch this movie every couple of years.

I'm glad I read the comments about the the song being different. I raved about the movie, including the wonderful end song, but when I bought the video tape, I was disappointed! I thought maybe I'd gone crazy. Maybe I have a little bit, as I'd thought it was "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. Any idea why the theater played a different song than the VHS tape? Were theater owners given a choice?

Because of this movie, Henry Winkler became one of my favorite actors. I'd always liked Sally Field. I was also attracted to Harrison Ford, my first sighting of him in any movie. I didn't realize until I saw Heroes again, 23 years later, that he was Han Solo! I cry every time I watch the ending. It seemed to bring home to me the agony of the Vietnam War. I was sheltered from the war as I was so young. My parents didn't want to talk about it, and it just made me more curious. Years later, I worked with a woman who'd lost "the love of her life" in Vietnam. She couldn't talk without crying, the pain was still so fresh. Such a tragic time.

"Heroes" is an overlooked, appealing little combination of drama and comedy that deserves to be better known. It details the plight of one Vietnam vet, Jack Dunne (Henry Winkler) as he travels cross country to make his dream of starting a worm farm (!) come true. Among the assorted scrapes in which he finds himself, he end up hopelessly bound to a woman doing her own running, Carol Bell (Sally Field). Nicely written (by James Carabatsos) and directed (by Jeremy Paul Kagan), this is a movie that's just as much about its journey as its destination. It has an episodic nature, but the episodes are so compelling and entertaining that they really pull you in. Among other things, Jack escapes from a V.A. hospital, greatly annoys a bus driver (Val Avery), tangles with thieving thugs in a remote bar / motel, meets up with a reckless, macho old Army buddy, Ken Boyd, played with easygoing charm by Harrison Ford, and races Ken's car when Ken won't do it. Even at an hour and 53 minutes, this time almost flies by, with the actors all making the most out of the material. Wonderful music by Jack Nitzsche and Richard Hazard just adds to the enjoyment, as well as slick cinematography by Frank Stanley. The stars couldn't be better: Winkler shows that there was always much more to him than just Arthur Fonzarelli, and Field is at her most adorable (and sexiest). There are also fine contributions from such players as Olivia Cole (in her first film), Hector Elias, Dennis Burkley, Tony Burton, Michael Cavanaugh, John P. Finnegan, and Betty McGuire. There are even uncredited cameos for John Cassavetes and Stuart Margolin. By the time this has reached its finale, one can't help but feel sorry for the Jack character and be rooting for him to find the peace he desperately needs. Incidentally, it's amusing to note how Field is playing a character running from marriage, when she was doing something similar in "Smokey and the Bandit" from the same year. Eight out of 10.