In Good Morning, Vietnam, Robin Williams stars as Adrian Cronauer, an airman disc jockey who is brought from Crete to Saigon in 1965 to boost troop morale. His morning program on the Armed Forces Network is an inventive mix of outrageous comic routines, controversial political humor, and raucous rock music. While many at the station celebrate this breath of fresh air, his immediate superiors, including a straight-laced lieutenant and an uptight sergeant major, are angered by his unconvential and unpredictable behavior.
Robin Williams is hysterically funny as this rebellious soul whose fast and frantic routines win the thunderous approval of the U.S. troops. Written by Mitch Markowitz and directed by Barry Levinson, Good Morning, Vietnam captures the peculiar tensions and misunderstandings of the war. Adrian's pursuit of a beautiful Vietnamese girl and his friendship with her brother eventually get him in deep trouble. The disc jockey's most radical deeds stem not from his antics on the radio, but from his stout-hearted refusal to categorize all Vietnamese people as the enemy. This ethical dimension of Good Morning, Vietnam lifts it a cut above other military comedies.