Cease Fire

A Vietnam veteran comes home fifteen years after the war, married with children, but the trauma of combat haunts him. He struggles to adjust, out of work and adrift in a life that feels far from the battlefield. The home that should comfort him only amplifies the memories that won’t fade.

Tim and Luke, two veterans, search for a new job as the country grapples with their reentry. Luke is separated and clinging to the hope of reuniting with his wife, while Tim remains haunted by past horrors. The uncertainty of civilian life weighs on both of them.

One night Tim spots what he believes to be an enemy sneaking through his own home, knife in hand. His young son wakes up and sees his father moving through the shadows, terrified and unsure what is happening. The boy wets himself as the moment blurs between nightmare and reality.

Paula turns to a Women's group hoping to find answers for Tim’s unraveling mind. Tim reluctantly attends a Men's group but speaks little, unable to openly confront the memories tearing at him. The couple’s attempts to seek support highlight how war has fractured their family.

Luke arrives with a sense of renewed hope, excited that he and his wife might get back together. The possibility of normal life outside the war gives him a glimmer of happiness. Yet the shadow of past betrayals and the strain of separation threaten to derail that dream.

That same optimism is crushed when Luke is served with divorce papers, turning his tentative reconciliation into a painful crisis. He clings to the idea of moving forward, while the reality of separation gnaws at him. Tim tries to be supportive, even as his own trauma deepen.

Luke sits with a gun in his hand in his small apartment, awaiting the next move. The unit at the Wire is about to be overrun, and Tim learns with horror that his friend has been killed. He rushes toward the fight, but the moment is already sealed by the chaos.

At Luke’s funeral Tim meets Luke's wife and son, sharing the weight of loss. Paula tries to reach him but he’s lost in memories, his mind tangled with Vietnam. The gathering forces Tim to confront what his friend’s death means for his own life.

After the funeral Tim’s world starts to crumble: he snaps during a confrontation, screaming at Paula and withdrawing into memories of the war. The family’s attempt to stay connected only heightens the tension as the past bleeds into the present. Paula fights to pull him back toward his children.

The next day Tim goes to the Veterans administration to talk about his Vietnam experience. The session marks a turning point as he begins to articulate what happened and what he’s been through, a necessary step toward healing. The exchange is tense but hopeful, hinting at a path forward.

In the therapy session, Tim recounts a patrol with three others and Badman, searching for a POW camp. They discover a well filled with the bodies of 26 Americans, their hands bound and faces pale with fear. Rats feast on rotting flesh as the horror of that moment lingers in Tim’s memory.

The unit is ambushed by mortars and machine gun fire, forcing a desperate retreat. Rafer is killed and the team fights for survival, running toward a waiting Huey as mortars close in. The chaos of war pushes Tim to the edge as fear and loyalty collide.

A rescue Huey finally hovers above the ground, and Tim fights to get Gil and then Badman onto the chopper. Badman crawls toward the aircraft as Tim begs the crew to delay lifting off, but the mortars overwhelm them. The chopper takes off, leaving Badman to a cruel fate.

Back in the present, Tim is haunted by the loss of Badman and his inability to save him, while Paula clings to hope for their family. She embraces him, begging him to come back, and for a moment, the family’s love seems to pierce the darkness. Tim allows himself to lean on Paula, aware that healing will be a long road.