Product Details

• Actors: Jonathan Brandis, Charlie Finn, Jay R. Ferguson, Meredith Monroe, Matt Salinger
• Directors: Jay Craven
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Allumination
• DVD Release Date: December 9, 2003
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000E6FNH
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,691 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "The Year That Trembled" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A flawless ensemble cast brings to life this powerful 1970s coming-of-age drama, war chronicle and unconventional love story set in the shadow of Kent State's turbulent events. Written and directed by Jay Craven and based on the novel by Scott Lax, this "intimate, subtly riveting, and richly reminiscent" (Portland Press Herald) masterpiece follows a group of young people caught up in events that will transform their lives in ways they cannot imagine. Punctuated by authentic period footage, a soundtrack that includes 17 songs from the era, "lush cinematography and stellar performances" (Cleveland Plain Dealer), The Year That Trembled is a haunting portrait of a time when passions ignited a nation and choices became a matter of life and death.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must see" the translates well to what's happening today, December 13, 2003

By	"taschroth" (Chagrin Falls, OH United States) - See all my reviews

The writer's passions show through in this great novel's screenplay adaptation. It is great to see that literary artists are still out there writing from the heart, not trying to create something strictly for salability to Hollywood and the public.

If you want a "thinking person's" movie you will be satisfied. This can be as deep as you want it to be and those who can remember that time will surely have old feelings stirred and the current generation will get insight into what their parents felt and how controversial a time it was.

Made me take stock in my own life and served as a reminder of how precious life is and how valuable friendship can and should be! Make it a part of your library and flag it for annual viewing! Check out the original Novel as well!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The way it kinda was, December 20, 2003

By A Customer

War protests, Vietnam, Kent State. This Indie film tries to capture the time through actual footage of the events taking place and through the eyes of young men facing the scariest rite of reaching manhood - the draft - and almost succeeds. Deduct points for the whole thing being too clean and pretty. It wasn't either.
The acting ranges from awful to outstanding, but the stiffness of the younger cast members improves as the movie progresses, especially in scenes with veterans like Fred Willard, Martin Mull and Henry Gibson onscreen to steady them down. Marian Hinkle is quite good as the teacher who is fired for her anti-war sentiments. Even better, is Jonathan M. Woodward as her husband, a decent guy who is systematically betrayed by his government, his employer and his wife. Although not one of the stars, Woodward's performance carries the film, and it is a mystery why his name doesn't appear on the front cover of the DVD at all. Bill Raymond is also excellent as a bitter disabled vet who offers practical, if not legal, advice to the young men, and it's a shame he isn't seen more.
Biggest letdown comes when the life-shattering effects of dodging the draft are reduced to a happy ride to Canada on a motor scooter and the decent guy pays the price for doing the right thing, but since sympathy in the film lies with the dodgers and not the men who did their service, this is not surprising.
The DVD has no extra features, and no commentary, which is unfortunate, because you really will wonder what they were thinking when they shot certain scenes.

Remember it's a low-budget, independent film, so don't expect too much - see it for its great moments, forgive it for its flaws.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Made me a tad Weepy!, March 17, 2006

By	Holly Shivel (Huntington, WV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a Jonathan Brandis fan since the days his face adorned the cover of BOP and Tiger Beat magazines. I followed his career with glee and taped every episode of SeaQuest in order to see his baby blues peeking at me from the depts of my tv. And when I found out that he had ended his life I was both heart-broken and outraged.

So when I happened across this movie, I jumped at the chance to buy one of the last films he appeared in. And I wasn't disappointed in the least. I enjoyed seeing "Andy" from Dawson's Creek and "Knox" from Angel, as well.

The trials and tribulations of college-aged kids, trying to grow-up yet still being controlled by the adults around them was enough to make me thankful my childhood was spent without too much home threats of war.

I recommend this flick to any and all who :
1. Love Jonathan Brandis (a line in the movie will break your heart, though: "I could just die right now..." Cuz - ya know - he's not living...)
2. dig a love triangle as complicated as Bermuda's, and
3. oppose War and all it has to "offer."