The idea is absurd - a Vietnam veteran who feels that Vietnam vets have been poorly treated by the country they served decides to single-handedly take control of New Yorks Central Park by force of arms as a social protest.
But the vet is dyeing of cancer (courtesy of agent orange exposure during the war) and commits suicide before he can complete his plan. So instead, he leaves a long letter to his war buddy Mitch (Tommy Lee Jones), asking him to complete the plan in his place.
At first, Mitch thinks the plan is as crazy as... well, as it is. But after a series of disappointing encounters with his ex-wife, his landlord, and some snotty NYPD cops, he gets angry enough to complete the plan and take over Central Park, keeping everyone out with explosive booby traps and gunfire (blanks at first) for 48 hours until Veteran's Day.
The city administration is understandably upset by this action, and after a police assault to capture Mitch fails, they hire a pair of mercenaries to simply kill him.
Complicating matters is an overly ambitious TV reporter (Helen Shaver) who sneaks into the park on her own to try for an interview, and a Swat team leader (Yaphet Koto) who sympathizes with Mitch but wants him out of the park as much as the administration.
This movie has it all - action, suspense, drama, a few unsuspected twists, and an ending that leaves you feeling both happy and sad at the same time.
Originally made for HBO in 1985, this excellent action flick has unfortunately never been released on DVD. But with so much TV being released on DVD these days, I have hope that one day soon I will be able to add The Park Is Mine to my DVD collection.
But the vet is dyeing of cancer (courtesy of agent orange exposure during the war) and commits suicide before he can complete his plan. So instead, he leaves a long letter to his war buddy Mitch (Tommy Lee Jones), asking him to complete the plan in his place.
At first, Mitch thinks the plan is as crazy as... well, as it is. But after a series of disappointing encounters with his ex-wife, his landlord, and some snotty NYPD cops, he gets angry enough to complete the plan and take over Central Park, keeping everyone out with explosive booby traps and gunfire (blanks at first) for 48 hours until Veteran's Day.
The city administration is understandably upset by this action, and after a police assault to capture Mitch fails, they hire a pair of mercenaries to simply kill him.
Complicating matters is an overly ambitious TV reporter (Helen Shaver) who sneaks into the park on her own to try for an interview, and a Swat team leader (Yaphet Koto) who sympathizes with Mitch but wants him out of the park as much as the administration.
This movie has it all - action, suspense, drama, a few unsuspected twists, and an ending that leaves you feeling both happy and sad at the same time.
Originally made for HBO in 1985, this excellent action flick has unfortunately never been released on DVD. But with so much TV being released on DVD these days, I have hope that one day soon I will be able to add The Park Is Mine to my DVD collection.