Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- restrained
- quiet evening
- character drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the sensitive adaptation and understated performances while finding the film familiar within the Vietnam-veteran drama tradition.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joseph and David struggle with guilt, isolation, and damaged intimacy after surviving Vietnam together.
Joseph's relationship with Martha intensifies his complicated bond with her brother David.
The film uses quiet character moments and an intimate scale to explore the veterans' postwar lives.
The veterans' unresolved history emerges through Martha's household and their attempts at everyday normality.
Films like Jacknife, and why
The Deer Hunter
shared intimate postwar trauma, damaged veterans, and restrained character-driven drama
Coming Home
shared Vietnam veteran reintegration, psychological wounds, and melancholy realism
The Accidental Tourist
shared quiet interpersonal conflict, veteran alienation, and emotionally bruised performances
Movie Details
- Director
- David Hugh Jones
- Release Date
- 1989-10-05
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (142)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Kathy Baker
- Ed Harris
- Ivar Brogger
- Jordan Lund
- Charles S. Dutton
- Bruce Ramsay
- Jessalyn Gilsig
- Josh Pais
- Gabrielle Carteris
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Jacknife about?
- Two Vietnam veterans confront old guilt and complicated loyalty when one begins a romance with the other's sister.
- What is Jacknife like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Jacknife as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Jacknife violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Jacknife as mild.
- What did critics think of Jacknife?
- Critics broadly praised the sensitive adaptation and understated performances while finding the film familiar within the Vietnam-veteran drama tradition.
- Which films are like Jacknife?
- Films with a similar feel include The Deer Hunter, Coming Home, and The Accidental Tourist.
- How long is Jacknife?
- Jacknife runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Jacknife?
- In United States, Jacknife is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
