Vietnam is a five episode mini-series, produced for Australian television and first broadcast in 1987. It stars Nicole Kidman as Megan Goddard, Nicholas Eadie as Phil Goddard and Barry Otto as Douglas Goddard.

Kidman’s character, Megan, is a rebellious teenager living in Canberra during the mid-1960s. The opening episode depicts the Goddard family as news of Australia’s involvement in Vietnam begins to affect their lives. Megan’s older brother, Phil, is conscripted in Australia’s ‘birthday ballot’ and sent to basic training, while Australia’s politicians assure the public that conscripts will not be used in combat roles in Vietnam.

Despite these promises, Australian troops, including Phil and his friend Laurie (Mark Lee), are later sent to Vietnam. Phil is horrified by the realities of combat. He forms a relationship with a Vietnamese woman named Lien but she later joins the Viet Cong and participates in an attack on Australian troops.

As the war escalates and Australia’s commitment to Vietnam increases, it places considerable strain on members of the Goddard family. Phil returns home on leave but struggles to relax or adjust to civilian life. His father Douglas, a high ranking public servant, is given additional work and responsibility because of Australia’s involvement in the war. This contributes to the breakdown of his marriage.

Megan moves in with her boyfriend, Serge, and becomes a prominent figure in the Australian anti-war movement. Serge is conscripted but refuses to enlist, leading to his arrest and imprisonment. Phil and Laurie return home, this time for good, but both are severely affected by their war service. Phil becomes isolated and struggles to reconnect with his family. He eventually confronts his sister Megan on talkback radio, forcing her to question her assumptions about the soldiers returning from service in Vietnam.

Vietnam provides a sweeping depiction of Australia in the late 1960s. It uses verbatim news reports and political speeches to convey the information (or misinformation) given to Australians about the war in Vietnam. It hints at the traumatic experiences of Australian soldiers who served in Vietnam. It also shows how the Vietnam War changed social attitudes in suburban Australia, particularly the evolution and growth of the anti-war movement.

Vietnam is not without its faults but remains the best of very few film depictions of Australian domestic life during the Vietnam War.

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