The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
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A man journeys into the heart of the Vietnam War to deliver beer to his friends.
The story
In 1967, Marine Corps veteran John "Chickie" Donohue is a slacking merchant seaman living in New York City. After learning that a close friend has gone missing in action during the Vietnam War, Chickie and his friend Red discuss ways to lift the spirits of those serving overseas. Chickie decides to take a risk and deliver a stash of beer to his friends in South Vietnam. He sails to Saigon with a duffle bag of Pab11 cans, navigating through various military zones and dangerous territories to reach his comrades, all while trying to stay out of harm's way in a conflict that is increasingly becoming personal.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1967, New York resident John "Chickie" Donohue decides to deliver beer to his friends fighting in the Vietnam War. He sails to Saigon with a duffle bag of Pabst Blue Ribbon. He travels through various bases, including Da Nang, where he joins a squad to face fire from the Viet Cong. After a harrowing journey through the jungle and a flight to Pleiku, he reaches Saigon. Amidst the chaos of the Tet Offensive, he navigates the city, witnessing the violence of the war firsthand. He eventually makes it home to New York, where he reflects on the war and his friends' survival. The film concludes by showing the real-life 'Boys Today'—the actual friends who survived the war and eventually settled into their lives in New York.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Farrelly
- Writers
- Peter Farrelly · screenplay; Brian Currie · screenplay; Pete Jones · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Zac Efron; Russell Crowe
- Genres
- biographical; war; comedy; drama
- Themes
- friendship; war; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- comedy; drama
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; war; true story
- Source material / true-story basis
- book of the same name by John "Chickie" Donohue and Joanna Molloy
- Content notes
- war
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was noted as a poignant reminder of the shared experience of the Vietnam generation by some, while others found it to be a flat and flavorless adaptation of the source material.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 43% · scale: percentage · review count: 118; Metacritic · score: 39 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Humanitas Prize · Comedy Feature Film · 2023 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film is based on a 2015 short documentary.; The film was shot on location in Thailand and New Jersey.; The film was the tenth most popular TV show or movie on streaming in the United States in its first week.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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