Product Description

Based on the autobiography by Senator John McCain and Mark Salter, Faith of My Fathers chronicles the younger years of Senator McCain's life. Beginning as a hotshot Navy pilot through his five years of captivity as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, the film captures how his experiences helped shape the man that he has become.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53319 in DVD
• Brand: HATOSY,SHAWN
• Released on: 2005-08-30
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.com
"It's all about character," Jack McCain says to son John on his first day at Annapolis Naval Academy. Based on John McCain's autobiography, A&E’s Faith of Our Fathers traces the senator's character-building journey from pilot to POW to war hero. Shawn Hatosy (Soldier's Girl) is John and Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff) is his four-star admiral father. The story begins in 1967 when the younger man is shot down over North Vietnam, tortured, and hospitalized--only to be tortured again. Then it flashes back to 1953 as he takes his initial steps towards a military career and life with first wife Carol (Erin Cottrell). The made-for-TV movie continues to alternate between Annapolis and Vietnam's Hanoi Hilton. The story ends after McCain is released in 1973. Although his part often feels underwritten, Hatosy shines as a man who, like his father before him, would not betray his country at any cost. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Faith of My Fathers: Unrealistic Portrayal of Vietnam
Arizona Senator John McCain enjoys his present day life as an influential member of the congress, leading debates on important issues and influencing legislation. He often gets into conflicts over some of his stands, but none of these can compare to the conflict McCain experienced back in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It was during this time that McCain spent several years as a Vietnam prisoner of war. This event is the subject of this movie, which is based on McCain's book of the same name.

In this film, McCain is portrayed briefly during his teenage years but the majority of the movie's time is spent either in Vietnam (inside the prison) or at McCain's military school, the U.S. Naval Academy. The movie begins by showing McCain (who is played by actor Shawn Hatosy) operating a fighter plane over Vietnam. He is shot down and has to parachute to safety; landing in water where some local Vietnamese come to his rescue and then promptly turn him over to the proper authorities. The film then alternates back and forth between scenes in the prison and flashbacks to scenes in the Naval Academy.

There is some violence in this film, but it is nothing compared to what was actually experienced. And herein lies the main problem I have with this film. The director made this movie in a very toned- down fashion so that it would be mild enough to get past the censors and be shown on television. In order to accomplish this, he had to eliminate scenes of brutal violence; profanity; and tough talk. Because of this, the movie seems very unrealistic. If you have read McCain's book by the same name, then you know that the conditions and the treatment McCain and others like him endured were horrifying. None of this comes through in this movie. It comes across as a little rough and unpleasant, but nowhere near the awful, inhumane experience that it really was.

Another problem I have with this film (which stems from the first problem) is the attitude of actor Shawn Hatosy and others who play the POW's. Hatosy's McCain character seems very bland, and rarely does he voice any concern over the nightmare he is living through. You can tell he and the others are not happy, but about the only dialogue you get is when McCain and another prisoner talk through the walls, between cells, by placing a cup to the wall. There is no intelligent dialogue, discussion of escape, feelings about the war or the captors, or anything else. This, again, makes the film seem a little unrealistic.

This movie is 90 minutes in length and it needed to be another half hour (or more) longer to give the McCain story the attention and respect it deserves. McCain's story, as told in his book, would make for a great, dramatic, and powerful Hollywood motion picture about the atrocities of war. But the way it is presented in this film, his experience seems more like a bad day on the job than the horrifying experience that it really was.

McCain, and the viewing public, deserved better.

The story about true Heroes
John McCain is a hero, along with all those who served our nation during the Vietnam war. I appreciate the fact that someone wanted to make a movie about the courage and strength of the POWs. There were some interesting and thought provoking scenes to be sure. But I wish there had been more attention to detail since they were dealing with a true story. The casting and directing were good, except for the main role. The actor who portrayed John McCain was not given much to work with.. mainly facial expressions when in pain or worried, and some smart aleck remarks now and then to liven the character up. The biggest problem was that he looked and acted like a kid amongst all the older, strong men in the camp. John McCain was 31 at the time, not 20, and certainly not clueless. If you haven't read the book by the same title you will find the movie inspiring and will greatly admire the men who endured such hardships and returned with honor. This is just one of those cases where it's an excellent movie, but it's quite frustrating if you know the real story (truth is definitely better than fiction here). I really appreciate the intent, but wish they would have followed the book more closely... that would have rated 5 stars plus.

mini bio for John McCain
This movie was a very short made for cable movie, quick overview of what happened to John McCain during his tour in Vietnam. I am sure if the movie was longer it would have more details of John McCains experiences, this movie is more like an appetizer, makes you want to research more about the POW experience. The movie 'Hanoi Hilton' is much more detailed and shows the hardship these pilots had to endure.