The War At Home

Post-traumatic stress disorder hadn’t been identified in 1972, so when a spiritually broken Vietnam vet (Emilio Estevez) returns home to a little Texas town, well-meaning but dense Dad (Martin Sheen) and pathetic, poignant Mom (Kathy Bates) struggle to make everything peachy-keen while their son is being ravaged by flashbacks. No one wins or recovers. While The War At Home sometimes veers toward Long Day’s Journey Into Texas melodrama — and Estevez directs with an actor’s generosity when a ruthless eye is needed — it does have heart and powerful performances. B+