Faith of My Fathers (film)

Plot

John McCain flies a bombing mission from a carrier over Hanoi, North Vietnam. Despite a warning buzzer for incoming missiles, he stays with the bomb drop and is hit by a missile. He lands in water and is pulled ashore by an angry mob, then taken prisoner. When asked for information, he gives the names of the Green Bay Packers instead of his squadron. Flashbacks show his father recounting how his submarine escaped destruction in World War II and telling McCain not to worry about grades, as his father and grandfather rose to admiral despite poor school performance. In prison, McCain witnesses other prisoners tortured and sees a couple who appear to cooperate. Offered early release because his father commands U.S. forces in the Pacific, he refuses and suffers. During a stepped-up bombing campaign, prisoners sing "Silent Night"; negotiations lead to their release and a trip home.

Reception

The film drew 3.7 million viewers on its initial airing and became A&E's highest-rated program in over a year. Reviews were mixed: Variety called it an "earnest adaptation" and "a stark, by-the-numbers account of the horrors POWs endured in Vietnam"; The Washington Post deemed it "serviceable" but lacking the nuance of McCain's memoir; The New York Times said it lacked complexity and texture but was "a respectful, moving view of a veteran's effort to pay respects to his family and fellow P.O.W.'s." Faith of My Fathers received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for art direction, cinematography, and editing, winning none, and was also nominated for the American Society of Cinematographers Awards of 2005.

Sony Pictures Television released it to DVD on August 30, 2005; a commercial DVD release followed in June 2008, and the film was used as a contribution reward by McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.