RESTING PLACE is a fractured mix of two dramas. It begins as a very conventional American race drama, in which Georgia locals refuse to have a black Vietnam Lieutenant buried in their all-white cemetery. It then morphs into a military-set mystery as the circumstances of the Lieutenant's death are revealed to be suspicious.This double narrative robs either story of the time needed to develop itself and makes the conclusion feel rushed and unsatisfying. Major characters, like the Lieutenant's parents (Morgan Freeman and C.C.H. Pounder), are abandoned for much of the film's running time. The split between the Georgia town and the local Army base ensures that neither comes alive.The film begins with a degree of racial subtlety as the local authorities explain their reasons for opposing the burial. Having avoided the racial violence in the South of the late 1960's they don't want to move too far, too fast in this post-Civil Rights Era, for fear of causing it. For once these are concerned citizens, not hate-filled rednecks. The second narrative has promise too. The Lieutenant's death turns out to be the result of a mistake he made that killed some of his men and lost him the trust of his platoon. Consequently in their next firefight he leads but nobody follows, assuring his death. Unfortunately subtlety is thrown out the window as an unconvincing racial subtext is introduced and the Lieutenant's mistake is revealed to have really been made by his radioman (motivated by racism).Handsome production values and some unusually restrained acting from John Lithgow fail to redeem the inability of the screenplay to combine its two stories.

I just saw this movie recently by way of a DVD that I rented. As the "voice of experience" from having previously served in the US Army in the same duty as John Lithgow's character ... I must say that he did one Hell of a good job! I was totally amazed! I usually associate this actor with roles that are "dumb & goofy" ... but he amazed me by performing in a very serious role. The character traits were perfect. The costumes were on target for that period. It was even filmed on location at an army post in Georgia which is where the fictional story was to have taken place. I especially liked the ending when the combined efforts of the men in the (mostly white) Platoon became the force that turned the tide of southern racism and finally allowed a hero to be buried in a place where he originally had NOT been welcome for no other reason than the color of his skin. I grew up in Georgia and even during that same time period of the early 1970s, there were still small communities where the mindset of certain people was still like the 1950s before Civil Rights had taken effect. But overall, I felt that this film was excellent and really did NOT get the attention that it truly deserved when it was first released. Hallmark should replay this once again.---LTC Ralph Mitchell, US Army (ret)

"Resting Place" tells of an Army officer (Lithgow) who accompanies the body of a black Vietnam war hero home for burial only to find the cemetery is segregated and the body is shrouded in mystery. A well cast journeyman TV drama, "Resting Place" is a thoughtful and poignant exploration of one man's search for truth among a too divided civilian population and a too unified military unit. Good stuff with a message for everyone.

As usual, Hallmark Hall of Fame has done an outstanding job of presenting the factual events of the times. Our world is not always a pleasant place, but as these events show, truth and right generally prevail. I like the fact that this experience was an education for all involved, especially John Lithgow's character.