text: <br /><br />Emilio Estevez takes the wonderful play HOMEFRONT and makes it into an engaging movie.<br /><br />THE WAR AT HOME has an exceptionally strong cast -- all seemingly digging deep into their characters. The acting here is TOP NOTCH!<br /><br />Credit must also go to director Emilio Estevez. The visual transitions between past and present were ultra smooth. The sound effects during the battle scenes were chilling and effectively added to the tension.<br /><br />Remove all of the Viet Nam elements from the story, and still left would be interesting characters wrestling with the good and bad of the full range of family dynamics. (A viewer might see this point more clearly by keeping in mind the "discovering the old photo" scene from the beginning as the rest of the movie is watched).<br /><br />As a movie, I found THE WAR AT HOME to be more direct and to the point than BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY. A fine effort -- almost a 10.<br /><br />