Movies begin at 2pm at the Visalia Branch Library in the Purple Room.
September 13 - Glory
A gripping historical film about the first black volunteer regiment in the Civil War and their white commander. Based on the novel by Lincoln Kirstein.
September 27 - Letters From Iwo Jima
The United States and Japanese armies met on Iwo Jima. Decades later, hundreds of letters are unearthed from that stark island's soil. The letters give faces and voices to the men who fought there, as well as the extraordinary general who led them. Leading the defense is Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of the island itself, Gen. Kuribayashi's unprecedented tactics transform what was predicted to be a quick and bloody defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Based on the book "Picture letters from Commander in Chief" by Tadamichi Kuribayashi and book editor Tsuyoko Yoshido.
October 11 - Gran Torino
Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Walt is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy old man, who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors. He is a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. When his neighbor, Thao, a young Hmong teenager, becomes pressured by his gang member cousin to steal Walt's Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao's family, Walt is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood.
October 25 - In Country
This film captures the horror of battle-- and the disillusionment of a soldier who thought war meant glory and discovers it also means both pain and fear. Based on the book by Bobbie Ann Mason.
November 8 - Born on the Fourth of July
Based on the true story of Ron Kovic, a young man who volunteered for the Vietnam War, was wounded, and returned paralyzed from the mid-chest down. He later became a new voice for those disenchanted with the war.
November 22 - Jarhead
Follows Marine enlistee Swoff through basic training and active duty in the Middle East during the Gulf War.Based on the book by Anthony Swofford.
War Comes Home is an initiative sponsored by Cal Humanities focused on the veteran experience, aiming to increase public understanding and empathy for those who have served, as well as to spark a public conversation on how best we can support the process of reincorporating our veterans into the fabric of civilian life.
To anchor the read, on the recommendation of an advisory group of librarians, scholars, book professionals, journalists, and veterans advocates, we have selected Karl Marlantes' What It Is Like to Go to War. Marlantes is a Vietnam veteran, a Rhodes Scholar, and the author of the New York Times best-selling novel Matterhorn. His newest book has received much reader and critical acclaim since publication in 2011, and has frequently been cited by veterans as the work that best expresses their experience. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it “ought to be mandatory reading by potential infantry recruits and by residents of any nation that sends its kids—Marlantes’s word—into combat.”
The Tulare County Library will have several events in conjunction with this program. The events include collecting of oral histories from local veterans, book discussions of Marlantes’ book and a talk by the Author, an expert panel about veterans’ issues, a fun day for military personnel and veterans and their families, a film series and job searching computer classes for veterans.
To anchor the read, on the recommendation of an advisory group of librarians, scholars, book professionals, journalists, and veterans advocates, we have selected Karl Marlantes' What It Is Like to Go to War. Marlantes is a Vietnam veteran, a Rhodes Scholar, and the author of the New York Times best-selling novel Matterhorn. His newest book has received much reader and critical acclaim since publication in 2011, and has frequently been cited by veterans as the work that best expresses their experience. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it “ought to be mandatory reading by potential infantry recruits and by residents of any nation that sends its kids—Marlantes’s word—into combat.”
The Tulare County Library will have several events in conjunction with this program. The events include collecting of oral histories from local veterans, book discussions of Marlantes’ book and a talk by the Author, an expert panel about veterans’ issues, a fun day for military personnel and veterans and their families, a film series and job searching computer classes for veterans.