History Film / GoodMorningVietnam

* MeaningfulName: Sgt. Maj. '''Dick'''erson, Cronauer's bullying superior.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The real Adrian Cronauer says the movie is inaccurate. In truth, pretty much everything except the basic details was fabricated. For example, instead of being the staunch liberal, antiwar, anti-military Creator/RobinWilliams (despite being in a volunteer-only branch), he describes himself as a "lifelong card-carrying Republican" and was a vice-chairman of the 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign, was sent home when his tour ended and states that much of what Williams did would have gotten him court-martialled in a heartbeat. He was also a Sergeant, not an Airman First Class.

Ironic in that Vietnamese is actually one of the only South Asian cuisines (due to the century-long imperial presence of France) that ''doesn't'' use high spice levels for flavoring.

-->'''Cronauer:''' I'M IN ARTILLERY!

-->'''Cronauer:''' ANYTHING, JUST PLAY IT LOUD, OK?!

Robin Williams got nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward (and won a UsefulNotes/{{Golden Globe|Award}}) for Best Actor for this film.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/good_morning_vietnam_145556163_large.jpg]]

Robin Williams got nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward (and won a Golden Globe) for Best Actor for this film.

* HateSink: Dickerson, so very, very much. There's absolutely nothing redeeming about him despite serving in the military. Taylor even lampshades it when reassigning him as punishment for his vindictiveness. This portrayal is partly because of the residual disdain in that period for [[ArmiesAreEvil "Regular Army"]] (i.e. The Military in general) since the Vietnam war. This disdain wasn't fully purged until the [[TheSixties Baby Boomers]] finally grew up and we had a war we could be [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar "proud of"]]. At about that time very short haircuts and shaving one's head suddenly became cool. This movie is more balanced on that topic than most movies from that time, but even it occasionally slips an anti-military dig or two.

* BarBrawl: Instigated when Cronauer takes very justifiable offense at two soldiers using racist slurs about Tuan, then pushing him to the floor. Adrian gets in a headbutt on one of the rednecks and knocks him down! Then another turns out like a PunchPunchPunchUhOh complete with OhCrap, but fortunately, Cronauer's fellow radio personnel back him up. The commotion earns him a dressing down at the hands of Dickerson.

A 1987 comedy-drama directed by Barry Levinson and starring Creator/RobinWilliams.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: General Taylor is a pretty nice guy and is willing to give Cronauer rather a lot of latitude compared to the rest of the brass. AS he sees it, Croanuer keeps the morale of the troops up, so Taylor doesn't really care if he bends or even breaks the rules a bit to do so.

* NoSenseOfHumor: Hauk thinks he has one but doesn't. Dickerson recognizes humor and disapproves of it.

* NoSenseOfHumor: Hauck thinks he has one but doesn't. Dickerson recognizes humor and disapproves of it.

** Marty pulls a rather epic double-facepalm at Lt. Hawk's....err jokes.

!! ''"GOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, TV TROPES!"'':

* BarBrawl: Instigated when Cronauer takes very justifiable offense at two soldiers using racist slurs about Tuan, then pushing him to the floor. Adrian gets in a headbutt on one of the rednecks and knocks him down! Then another, which turns out like a PunchPunchPunchUhOh complete with OhCrap, goes out like a light, but fortunately, his fellow radio personnel backs him up. Earns him a dressing down at the hands of Dickerson.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Cronauer is kicked out of the Air Force for his unwitting friendship with a Viet Cong guerrilla. Despite his obvious shock and sadness, he does have a few more hours with his beloved English class playing softball with what look like mangoes and bamboo, he gets to say goodbye to Trinh and leaves a comedic farewell message for Garlick to broadcast the next morning. Also, Dickerson gets transferred to Guam because his superiors are fed up with his pettiness.]]

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: General Taylor is a pretty nice guy and is willing to give Cronauer rather a lot of latitude compared to the rest of the brass.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The real Adrian Cronauer says the movie is inaccurate. In truth, pretty much everything except the basic details was fabricated. For example, instead of being the staunch liberal, antiwar, anti-military Creator/RobinWilliams ([[CriticalResearchFailure despite being in a volunteer-only branch]]), he describes himself as a "lifelong card-carrying Republican" and was a vice-chairman of the 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign, was sent home when his tour ended and states that much of what Williams did would have gotten him court-martialled in a heartbeat. He was also a Sergeant, not an Airman First Class.

* HarmlessVillain: Hauk spends the film as little more of an annoyance. He berates Cronauer for his taste in both humor and musical programming but nobody takes him seriously.

* TakeThat: Hauk asks who they can get for entertainment, and wants to know why Creator/BobHope won't come, to which Garlick replies, "He doesn't play police actions, only wars. Bob likes a big room, sir!"

* CouldSayItBut: Cronauer broadcasts an unapproved news report in this fashion and is yanked off the air because of it.

* DontCallMeSir: Sgt. Maj. Dickerson is particularly insistent on this point, taking excessive pride in his non-commissioned status. Ironic, considering the times he tries to pull rank on Cronauer.

* {{Facepalm}}: Marty pulls a rather epic double-facepalm at Lt. Hawk's....err jokes.

** Ironic in that Vietnamese is actually one of the only South Asian cuisines (due to the century-long imperial presence of France) that ''doesn't'' use high spice levels for flavoring.

-->'''Adrian Cronauer:''' Excuse me, sir. Seeing as how the V.P. is such a V.I.P., shouldn't we keep the P.C. on the Q.T.? 'Cause if it leaks to the V.C. he could end up M.I.A., and then we'd all be put out in K.P.[[labelnote:Translation]]Seeing as the Vice President is a Very Important Person, shouldn't we keep the Press Conference on the Quiet? Cause if it leaks to the Viet Cong he could end up Missing In Action, and then we'd all be put on Kitchen Patrol. Incidentally, he was referring in that context to then ''former'' Vice-President UsefulNotes/RichardNixon.[[/labelnote]]
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Cronauer is kicked out of the Air Force for his unwitting friendship with a Viet Cong guerrilla. Despite his obvious shock and sadness, he does have a few more hours with his beloved English class playing softball with what look like mangoes and bamboo, he gets to say goodbye to Trinh, and leaves a comedic farewell message for Garlick to broadcast the next morning. Also, Dickerson gets transferred to Guam because his superiors are fed up with his pettiness.]]
* BarBrawl: Instigated when Cronauer takes very justifiable offense at two soldiers using racist slurs about Tuan, then pushing him to the floor. Adrian gets in a headbutt on one of the rednecks and knocks him down! Then another, which turns out like a PunchPunchPunchUhOh complete with OhCrap, goes out like a light, but fortunately, his fellow radio personnel back him up. Earns him a dressing down at the hands of Dickerson.

* ButtMonkey: Lieutenant Hauk seems to exist for no other reason than to be disrespected by his subordinates, laughed at, mocked, ridiculed and to make a joke out of his bad humor.

** [[spoiler:Cronauer was firsthand witness to the destruction of Jimmy Wah's and the death of at least one serviceman, so we can understand his need to report on it.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Cronauer:''' (of the blood on his shirt) Where do you think THIS came from, shaving?! It's the truth, I'd like to report the truth; it'd be a nice change of pace!]]

* EvilAllAlong: It's revealed that [[spoiler:Tuan, aka Phan Duc Tho, is a VC terrorist. Bomber of, among other places, Jimmy Wah's.]]

* MoodWhiplash: The movie starts off very funny and irreverent, as Cronauer adjusts (or doesn't) to life in South Vietnam with characteristic hilarity. Then [[spoiler:he's almost blown up by a Viet Cong bomb, and finds out that the Vietnamese kid he'd become friendly with is actually a Viet Cong guerrilla trying to kill as many Americans as he can. Cronauer eventually becomes horribly disillusioned with the whole situation.]] [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Needless to say]], the movie ends on a bit of a {{downer|Ending}}.

* NoSenseOfHumor: Hauck thinks he has one, but doesn't. Dickerson recognizes humor, and disapproves of it.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: General Taylor is a pretty nice guy and is willing to give Cronauer rather a lot of latitude compared to to the rest of the brass.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The real Adrian Cronauer says the movie is inaccurate. In truth, pretty much everything except the basic details was fabricated. For example, instead of being the staunch liberal, antiwar, anti-military Creator/RobinWilliams ([[CriticalResearchFailure despite being in a volunteer-only branch]]), he describes himself as a "lifelong card-carrying Republican" and was a vice-chairman of the 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign, was sent home when his tour ended, and states that much of what Williams did would have gotten him court-martialled in a heartbeat. He was also a Sergeant, not an Airman First Class.

--> '''General Taylor''': God dammit that's funny.

* BarBrawl: Instigated when Cronauer takes very justifiable offense at two soldiers using racist slurs about Tuan, then pushing him to the floor. Adrian gets in a headbutt on one of the rednecks and knocks him down! Then another, which turns out like a PunchPunchPunchUhOh complete with OhCrap, goes out like a light, but fortunately his fellow radio personnel back him up. Earns him a dressing down at the hands of Dickerson.

* HateSink: Dickerson, so very, very much. There's absolutely nothing redeeming about him despite serving in the military. Taylor even lampshades it when reassigning him as punishment for his vindictiveness. This portrayal is partly because of the residual disdain in that period for [[ArmiesAreEvil "Regular Army"]] (i.e. The Military in general) since the Vietnam war. This disdain wasn't fully purged until the [[TheSixties Baby Boomers]] finally grew up and we had a war we could be [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar "proud of"]]. At about that time very short haircuts and shaving ones head suddenly became cool. This movie is more balanced on that topic than most movies from that time, but even it occasionally slips an anti-military dig or two.

* HollywoodHistory: The real Adrian Cronauer readily admits he was nowhere near as funny or outrageous as Williams (of course, who could be?). Most of the movie, in fact, is fabricated. Cronauer just played rock music with no commentary, and was sent home when his tour was over.