In the fall of 1977, Universal Pictures released a comedic drama featuring three performers that were in the exact right point in their career to really capture the audience’s attention. Heroes starred Henry Winkler, who was right in the middle of his iconic stint as The Fonz on Happy Days, but was looking to stretch his acting chops. Opposite Winkler was the dazzling Sally Field, who had made an impression on television shows like The Flying Nun and had earlier that summer given a star-making performance in Smokey & The Bandit. Then you had arguably the hottest star of the time, Harrison Ford, who had just hit the big time with Star Wars, although he filmed this film prior to that one. Similar to Mark Hamill in Corvette Summer, audiences were anxious to catch whatever he was cooking up next. Although the film has not had the most enduring legacy, it was a box office hit at the time, if not a critical one. Over forty years later, it is time to revisit it to see what this gathering of talented individuals brought to the world.
In Heroes, Winkler plays Jack Dunne, a veteran of the Vietnam War with PTSD and a big dream he is looking to realize. Jack has been a resident of a New York City psychiatric ward for some time, and he has been known to attempt escapes on occasion. Jack wants to head out to Eureka, California to meet up with an old war buddy and start up a worm farm. After reluctantly collecting seed money from some of his fellow patients, Jack makes a break for it that finally sticks. While trying to catch a bus out of town, he gets entangled with the beautiful young Carol (Sally Field), a woman who is set to get married imminently but is feeling unsure about her decision. Winkler plays Jack with a bit of an unhinged mania that can be fun in short bursts, but would likely wear down even the most patient person after a while. Carol is thoroughly annoyed by Jack at first, but her guard starts to be worn down after a spell as he reveals a bit more nuance to his character. It is the burgeoning relationship between these two that delivers the heart of the movie.
Through a series of escalating events, the pair get thrown off the bus and chart a course to Eureka on their own. Along the way, they receive help from another old war buddy, Ken Boyd (Harrison Ford), a hapless stock car driver in Missouri trying to suppress his demons. Ford makes the most out of his screen time, using his trademark charm to barely mask the trauma he is trying to bury. Similar to Jack, Ken can be a bit exuberant, but you can tell he is in a slightly different place with his PTSD. Ford may not have the largest role in the film, but his inclusion is essential to reminding the audience that Jack is not just a kooky individual, but someone who is very much struggling. The remainder of the movie plays out in fairly straightforward, enjoyable road trip fashion. The relationship deepens and misunderstandings ensue, but you know you are always on track to a purpose. That is, until you finally reach you destination and the film throws you for a bit of a loop. Similar to Jack himself, the film has a light exterior that it shows to the world, but just underneath is some pain ready to see the light.
As a whole, Heroes has a powerful idea for a story it wants to tell, but does not quite get to where it needs to be to fully succeed. It is hard to pinpoint where exactly it comes up short, but it seems to be wrapped up somewhere in the abrupt ending. The movie either needed a little more time to sit with the final development, or it needed some more breadcrumbs along the way to make it more impactful. As it stands, the film is an enjoyable trip through America with two people you enjoy seeing grow closer. It is not uproarious enough to be an essential comedy, and they do not thread the needle enough to make it an important drama. You could make the case that the chemistry between Winkler and Fields is enough to satisfy those looking for a romance, but even those fans might find certain developments to be too dark. I quite enjoyed the experience of watching Heroes, but I can understand where it fails at being something that might still be widely remembered after all these years. It is a film that is worth a watch if you are fan of the talent involved and you go in with middling expectations.
Video Quality
Heroes gets a pretty wonderful upgrade on Blu-Ray courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment with a 1080p master in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The transfer is sourced from an incredibly solid older master provided by Universal Pictures that provides natural film grain with only the occasional evidence that you are watching something from an aged source. This disc wonderfully represents the picturesque settings that pop up along the journey. There are some nuanced, vibrant colors that make the film pop in a visually exciting way. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up some fairly deep black levels. The disc experiences an extremely minimal of black crush, but nothing overly problematic. The presentation shows off some excellent details in most instances, but there are moments of softness present in some shots. Mill Creek Entertainment has provided a top notch transfer for a film that definitely deserved a high definition presentation.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that perfectly captures the intention of the film. The dialogue holds up really well, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the score or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the rain drenched scenes to the whispering wind of the open road. The track avoids any instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. In the past, the use of Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son” during the final scene has been replaced due to music clearance issues, but this track restores the song as intended. This is a track that represents the film in a loving manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
There are no special features on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Heroes is an enjoyable film that never quite makes the case for being considered a great film. The cast are all doing some wonderful work here, but the script is just uneven enough to keep it from being a classic. Mill Creek Entertainment has provided a very strong A/V presentation that should please those who never expected to see a high definition release. If you have affection for the talented involved, it is worth checking out for the relatively low price point of the new Blu-Ray. Recommended
Heroes is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Mill Creek Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.