In 2003—three decades after a tour of duty in Vietnam—soft-spoken New Hampshire family man Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) surprises hard-drinking ex-Marine Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) when he shows up at his bar in Norfolk, Virginia. Together they visit their formerly wild comrade-in-arms Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) at the church where he now serves as pastor—and Doc reveals that his son, a Marine, has been killed in Iraq. He asks his two old friends to accompany him on a road trip to attend the young man’s burial at Arlington Cemetery.

When the vets arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the remains have been sent, they meet Lance Corporal Charlie Washington (J. Quinton Johnson), who casts doubt on the official story of how Larry Jr. died. Stunned by the news, Doc decides to bury his son near the family home in Portsmouth instead. The four men escort the casket on a northbound train, debating the existence of God, reminiscing about their time in Vietnam and revealing dark secrets that still haunt them.

This thoughtful and moving road movie from celebrated director Richard Linklater (Waking Life, DFF24) brims with humor, melancholy and regret as it examines the lasting effect of choices made in the crucible of war.

Sponsored by Your Hometown Toyota Stores