fnorful It is so hard to separate the impact of the Viet Nam War Memorial from the tale behind its conception and execution. The memorial itself is so incredibly moving you can only react with incredulity when reminded how much opposition there was to its message and to its author.People who revel in divisiveness (like Pat Buchanan) are featured among the opposition to this memorial partly on aesthetic and partially on racial grounds (Maya Lin is of Asian, i.e. "gook" heritage, don't you know!).Her journey is well documented from her original entry into the contest (as part of a self-designed course on funereal architecture at Yale) to her part in the public debate.Various historical clips are presented along with current analysis by many of the key players in this effort.Secondary to the memorial itself as a "must see" this movie deserves serious consideration both as a historical documentary and a well-made movie in its own right. Freida Lee Mock's works have impact, are relevant and resonate so well with those who have lived, or want to know more about, the history of the United States in these particular turbulent times.

acs205psu this documentary wasn't too bad. It had a good approach to giving information. I liked the way it showed interviews from the past as well as ones from more recent times to show how Maya Lin has matured since she first designed the war memorial. I also liked the fact that it showed the oppion of other people that were involved, as well as people that were not involved. The time was a little too much for me though. I would have prefered for it to be shorter. Maybe something like a special on a & e or on p b s.

misophist This movie is a wonderful look at a very talented architect and designer. It gives us a glimpse of the young woman who challenged the national powers that be in pushing her vision of the Vietnam War Memorial. This film is much more inspiring than a movie about some kids pursuing their goal of being the best ball bouncer.

Scooter-2 it was not the best documentary of the year. That honor should go to "Hoop Dreams." I don't understand how this amazing film could be so neglected by the Academy.