| Decoration Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | Decoration Day byJohn William Corrington |
| Written by | Robert W. Lenski |
| Directed by | Robert Markowitz |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Patrick Williams |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Marian Rees |
| Producer | Anne Hopkins |
| Cinematography | Neil Roach |
| Editor | Harvey Rosenstock |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Budget | $3.8 million[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | December 2, 1990 (1990-12-02) |
Decoration Day is an Americandramatelevision film that premiered onNBC on December 2, 1990, as part of theHallmark Hall of Fame anthology series. It is directed byRobert Markowitz and written byRobert W. Lenski, based on the novella of the same name byJohn William Corrington. The film starsJames Garner,Judith Ivey,Bill Cobbs,Ruby Dee, andLaurence Fishburne. It follows Albert Sidney Finch, a retiredGeorgia judge deciding to help his boyhood friend, a blackWorld War II veteran from whom Finch has been estranged for 30 years.[2]
The film won twoGolden Globe Awards, forBest Miniseries or Television Film andBest Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for Garner. It also earned sixPrimetime Emmy Award nominations, includingOutstanding Drama/Comedy Special and Miniseries, with Dee winningOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special for her performance as Rowena, Finch's longtime housekeeper.
James Garner plays a retired judge and recluse who comes out of "hiding" to investigate when his childhood friend (Bill Cobbs) refuses to accept aMedal of Honor awarded decades ago inWorld War II. His reason is kept in confidence and Garner's character files a motion to deny the ceremony. Meanwhile, the personal lives of the other characters have issues of their own to work out. In the end of things Cobbs' character is told of something he didn't know about and the two romantic side stories resolve in a positive fashion.
John J. O'Connor ofThe New York Times wrote: "Directed with all deliberate thoughtfulness by Robert Markowitz,Decoration Day proceeds without fireworks, taking its time and carefully revealing its gentle insights into memory, friendship, race relations and the simple fact that time passes and things change. Surrounded by an impeccable supporting cast, Mr. Garner brings to television still another uncommonly fine performance."[2]Ken Tucker ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film an A−, saying it "starts out like the ultimateHallmark Hall of Fame, a video greeting card designed to warm your heart. But very quickly it becomes something better than that." Tucker also called it a "shrewdly conceived drama."[3]Tom Shales ofThe Washington Post describedDecoration Day as a "dreary tear-jerker," and opined that it "serves up a powerful load of mush, much mushier than it is powerful." Shales also wrote: "Director Robert Markowitz succeeds at making the slow pace work for the story and the bucolic Georgia setting, but he can't do much about the script's tiring talkiness. When the words get to be too much, he sends Garner off to the lake to ponder the meaning of it all."[4] Ray Loynd of theLos Angeles Times stated that the film "certainly unfurls theHallmark banner: an intelligent script, a measured rather than aggressive tone, and the affirmation of loyalty, heroism and, in this case, the restorative powers of memory (fluidly captured in flashbacks, including German war scenes)."[5]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 48th Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Decoration Day | Won | [6] |
| Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film | James Garner | Won | |||
| 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and Miniseries | Joyce Corrington, Dick Gallegly, Anne Hopkins, Marian Rees | Nominated | [7] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | James Garner | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Ruby Dee | Won | |||
| Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special | Robert Markowitz | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Special | Robert W. Lenski | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) | Patrick Williams | Nominated | |||
| 7th Artios Awards | Movie of the Week Casting | Marsha Kleinman | Nominated | [8] |