Birdy

In Alan Parker's adaptation of William Wharton's acclaimed novel, the title character is a Vietnam vet hospitalized for postwar trauma. Lying in a state of amentia, Birdy fantasizes about birds in flight, an obsession that has haunted him since childhood. Now this fascination acts as a barrier to reality and the pain of his years in Vietnam. After doctors’ efforts fail to cure him, his childhood friend Al--also a discharged soldier nursing wounds from the war--is brought in to try to coax Birdy out of his hallucinations. "Birdy“, told largely in stark, lyrical flashbacks from Al's point of view, is both a heartrending examination of the psychological consequences of war and an ode to the spiritually rejuvenating powers of friendship and imagination. Parker provides innovative direction, most notably in the film's stunning, controversial ending.