Distant Thunder

Vietnam vet Lithgow withdrew from society after he was discharged from the Army in 1970, deserting his wife and son in Illinois. Now living in the woods of Washington state, along with other disaffected vets, Lithgow decides to rejoin civilization after one of his buddies kills himself by walking in front of a train ("kissing a train," the vets call it). Encouraged by his friend Keane, Lithgow takes a job with a logging company and writes to his 18-year-old son, Macchio, saying he wants to get together. While Macchio travels cross-country to meet him, Lithgow gets into a fight with Keane's jealous boy friend, Sheridan, which traumatizes him back into seclusion. Mac...