As it starts out, the story of Decoration Day appears to be fairly light stuff, but potentially interesting: our protagonist, a retired judge named Albert Sidney (James Garner), is presented with a minor mystery about why his boyhood friend and fellow war veteran, Gee Penniwell (Bill Cobbs), is refusing a belated Congressional Medal of Honor; at the same time, Albert finds himself drawn into the troubled family life of his godson Billy Wendell (Norm Skaggs).

As far as it goes in this vein, Decoration Day is moderately entertaining fluff. This 1990 made-for-television movie has solid production values and a decent cast; James Garner has an amiable screen presence that would make it pleasant to watch him just putter around the house and reminisce about times gone by. However, somewhere along the line, someone started cranking the Sappiness Production Dial up to "maximum" (or even, as I suspect, a notch into "DANGER – OVERLOAD" range). The story deteriorates into a weep-fest of tragedies in which each minor character seems determined to out-do the others in the amount of undeserved woe in his or her life. Toward the end of the film, it becomes frankly silly.

Now, I'm really not the awful, cynical person that the preceding paragraph might suggest. It's just that there is a difference between evoking sympathy and sorrow in the audience, and shoving it down their throats. The opening scenes, in which we learn that Albert is a widower, are in fact quite sensitive and evocative: the house that Albert putters around in is suddenly made all the more empty by the viewer's knowledge that he is missing his dead wife. These scenes tug lightly and effectively on the viewer's heartstrings, reminding each of us that we too might face the loss of a loved one. In contrast, the later pileup of woes amounts to jerking repeatedly on those same heartstrings; the response isn't to feel overwhelming sympathy, but to recoil from the excessive manipulation.

Though, the truth be told, the overdose of sentimentality isn't the only thing that's a bit off in Decoration Day. The old animosity between Albert and Gee is set up as a fairly important element of the story, but the reason that's given for it in the end seems rather silly. Likewise, a formulaic romance is shoehorned in, rather against the grain.

Decoration Day is saved from being a completely minor piece of fluff by decent acting jobs from Garner and Laurence Fishburne in a secondary role as a high-powered Washington lawyer, and by a certain interest factor in the central story: why would someone choose to refuse a national medal of honor, and what right does anyone have to question that refusal? With respect to this plot thread (as opposed to the sappy tragedy plot threads), Decoration Day does come up with an adequately interesting conclusion.

The DVD

Whatever its artistic merits as a film, Decoration Day has been given a decent treatment in its DVD debut. Especially considering its origins as a television production, the transfer of Decoration Day looks quite good. The colors are strong and vibrant throughout the image, and the image is sharp and nicely free of both noise and all but a hint of edge enhancement. I did notice a handful of print flaws in the form of small speckles and a few minor scratches appearing at times, but it's not a major issue.

Decoration Day is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is on the good side of ordinary. There's nothing special about it, but it gets the job done: the dialogue in this conversation-centric film is always clear and clean. A few flashbacks to World War II would have sounded more impressive with more surround, but they're outnumbered by the dialogue-heavy scenes. The musical score is undeniably sappy and manipulative, but it's kept under a relatively tight rein and underscores the scenes rather than overpowering them.

Extras

The DVD is very basic, offering cast biographies and text production notes. The menus are easily navigable.

Final thoughts

If you caught Decoration Day on television and liked it, this DVD offers a respectable transfer for your collection. It's a light, overly melodramatic piece that's salvaged from obscurity by James Garner's as-always entertaining presence; it might make for a decent rental if you can manage the high sappiness quotient.