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MOVIE:
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
WHERE TO WATCH:
OUR RATING:
4/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
To show support for his neighbourhood friends serving in Vietnam, Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) decides to do something totally outrageous: travel to the frontline by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favourite can of American beer.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
If the film weren't based on actual events, I would have thought the premise to be absolutely absurd. But, as Mark Twain said, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." For that reason, The Greatest Beer Run Ever rarely moves far away from the real facts of a story so far-fetched you wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't for the photographic proof.
John "Chickie" Donohue, portrayed by Zac Efron, got on a ship to Vietnam in 1967 to hand his friends a beer to show them support. He believed media coverage and anti-war protests at the time were "too negative" and demoralising for the men on the frontline. So, he decided to pack a bag filled with beer, board a merchant ship, and head over there personally to pat his friends on the back and give them a cold one (which wasn't cold anymore by the time he got there).
Chickie knew very little about the reality of the war. Blinded by patriotism and filled with naivety, the 27-year-old at the time was in for a seismic shock when he arrived on Vietnam soil. He soon learned that war was more than just physical acts of violence, but also involved dangerous manipulation of the truth and mind games to fit political agendas.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the real Chickie is quoted as saying, "I was a staunch supporter of the war, but when I got there, I saw things that just weren't right."
His blissful ignorance, a healthy helping of pure dumb luck, and some sort of guardian angel saw him travel through, and survive, some of the most dangerous terrains during the height of the conflict. Wearing a checked madras shirt, jeans, and a cap with a duffel bag flung over his shoulder, the young civilian managed to board military flights, get helicopter rides, and army escorts that helped him get where he needed to be in a time when only armed forces were able to travel across the war-torn country.
Chickie looked like a tourist in a sea of soldiers in uniforms; weirdly, this counted in his favour. At the time, many believed that "tourist" was a code word for CIA agents. This confusion led to him being treated extra special and gave him access to areas no civilian should ever have been able to enter. Every time he explained he was in Vietnam to "hand over a beer to a friend", it was interpreted as secret code. The more he denied being a CIA agent, the more people believed he was one. No CIA agent would ever admit to being undercover, right? And so, Chickie managed to do the unthinkable and worm his way into a deadly war to hand out some beers.
Efron delivers a stellar performance as the good-hearted, but slightly dim-witted Chickie. His character's growth from an innocent bystander to a man exposed to the horrors of war is crafted beautifully and develops perfectly with the film's pace. The 34-year-old star shines in a role that's a far departure from his college jock and shirtless hunk repertoire. It's a pure delight to see him hit the film's most quirky moments right on the head, while also delivering the heartfelt devastation of the realities of war. It would not be the same film without Efron's star power.
Also look out for some top-notch appearances by Hollywood heavyweights, Bill Murray (as bar owner The Colonel) and Russel Crowe (as journalist Arthur Coates), in minor, but impactful roles.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever is filled with heartfelt moments that highlight the best and worst of humanity. It's an unbelievable story that starts with a silly conversation and ends with a life-changing journey.
