Coming Home (1978) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A military wife and a wounded veteran form a transformative relationship amid the lasting personal costs of the Vietnam War.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Life Apart from the Base

Bob deploys to Vietnam, and Sally adjusts to his absence. She finds independence in a new apartment and begins volunteering at the VA hospital.

Key Events

• Bob Deploys to Vietnam — Bob leaves for Vietnam, viewing deployment partly as a career opportunity. Characters: Sally Hyde, Capt. Bob Hyde Location: California
• Sally Finds Independence — Initially dreading being alone, Sally gradually feels liberated. Characters: Sally Hyde Location: California
• A New Apartment — Sally moves away from the base and settles into an apartment by the beach. Characters: Sally Hyde Location: Apartment by the beach
• Sally Volunteers at VA — Partly inspired by Vi, Sally begins volunteering at a veterans hospital. Characters: Sally Hyde, Vi Munson Location: VA hospital

A Meeting at the Hospital

Sally encounters the consequences of the war through Vi and Bill, then reconnects with Luke, a wounded former classmate. Their repeated contact begins to change both of them.

Key Events

• Bill's Trauma Is Revealed — Vi's brother Bill lives at the hospital with severe emotional problems after Vietnam. Characters: Vi Munson, Bill Munson Location: VA hospital
• Sally Reconnects with Luke — Sally meets Luke, her former high-school classmate, who is recuperating from war injuries. Characters: Sally Hyde, Luke Martin Location: VA hospital
• Luke Opposes the War — Luke's pain and anger accompany his opposition to the war. Characters: Luke Martin Location: VA hospital
• Sally and Luke Grow Closer — Repeated contact develops into a relationship between Sally and Luke. Characters: Sally Hyde, Luke Martin Location: VA hospital

Love and Loss

Luke leaves the hospital and rebuilds his life while he and Sally grow closer. Bill's suicide devastates Luke and leads him to protest outside a recruitment center.

Key Events

• Luke Leaves the Hospital — Luke is released from the hospital and begins rebuilding his life using a wheelchair. Characters: Luke Martin Location: VA hospital
• Beach Days Together — Sally and Luke share happy times at the beach as their relationship deepens. Characters: Sally Hyde, Luke Martin Location: Beach
• Bill Dies by Suicide — Traumatized by war, Bill kills himself by injecting air into his veins. Characters: Bill Munson, Luke Martin Location: VA hospital
• Luke Protests Recruitment — Driven by Bill's death, Luke chains himself to the gates to discourage enlistment. Characters: Luke Martin Location: Recruitment center gates

An Affair Under a Deadline

Sally and Luke become lovers, even as they recognize that Bob's return will force a decision. Bob returns wounded and psychologically affected by combat.

Key Events

• Sally and Luke Become Lovers — Sally and Luke make love while confronting Luke's paraplegia. Characters: Sally Hyde, Luke Martin Location: Unspecified
• They Expect Bob's Return — Sally does not seek a divorce, and she and Luke know their affair will end when Bob returns. Characters: Sally Hyde, Luke Martin, Capt. Bob Hyde Location: California
• Bob Returns Wounded — Bob returns early, claiming he accidentally wounded himself in the leg. Characters: Capt. Bob Hyde, Sally Hyde Location: California
• Bob's Trauma Emerges — Bob is suffering from post-traumatic stress related to what he saw in combat. Characters: Capt. Bob Hyde Location: California

The Final Confrontation

Bob discovers the affair and confronts Sally and Luke with a loaded rifle before turning away. He leaves his uniform and wedding ring on the beach and swims into the ocean to die.

Key Events

• The Affair Is Discovered — Bob learns of Sally's affair with Luke through Army Intelligence, which had been watching Luke. Characters: Capt. Bob Hyde, Sally Hyde, Luke Martin Location: California
• Sally Tries to Reconcile — Sally and Luke agree that she should try to patch things up with Bob. Characters: Sally Hyde, Luke Martin, Capt. Bob Hyde Location: California
• Bob Confronts the Lovers — Bob confronts Sally and Luke with a loaded rifle but ultimately turns away. Characters: Capt. Bob Hyde, Sally Hyde, Luke Martin Location: Unspecified
• Bob Enters the Ocean — Bob leaves his uniform on the beach, removes his wedding ring, and swims into the ocean to kill himself. Characters: Capt. Bob Hyde Location: Ocean

Story Breakdown

• Bob's Deployment — Bob leaves for Vietnam, changing Sally's daily life and opening a period of separation.
  • Career-Minded Departure — Bob sees deployment partly as a career opportunity.
  • Sally Alone — Sally initially dreads being left behind, then begins to feel liberated.
• Sally's New Independence — Away from the base, Sally establishes a new life and decides to volunteer.
  • Beachside Apartment — Sally moves into a new apartment by the beach.
  • Hospital Volunteering — Vi's influence partly inspires Sally to volunteer at the VA hospital.
• Veterans' Wounds — The hospital brings Sally into contact with veterans whose lives have been damaged by war.
  • Bill's Trauma — Vi's brother Bill returns from Vietnam with grave emotional problems.
  • Luke's Injury — Luke returns wounded and is recuperating from injuries that left him paraplegic.
• Sally and Luke — Sally's renewed connection with Luke grows into love and changes her outlook.
  • Former Classmates — Sally meets Luke, a former high-school classmate, at the hospital.
  • A Growing Affair — Their relationship deepens after Luke leaves the hospital.
• Protest and Grief — Bill's death turns Luke's opposition to war into a public act of protest.
  • Bill's Suicide — Traumatized by his wartime experiences, Bill dies by suicide.
  • Recruitment Gates — Luke chains himself to a recruitment center's gates in an attempt to stop others from enlisting.
• Bob's Return — Bob comes home wounded and affected by combat, while Sally and Luke face the end they anticipated.
  • A Wounded Return — Bob returns early and says he accidentally wounded himself in the leg.
  • Combat Trauma — Bob suffers from post-traumatic stress related to what he witnessed in combat.
• The Affair Exposed — Bob learns of Sally and Luke's relationship, setting off the final confrontation.
  • Army Intelligence — Army Intelligence has been spying on Luke since his recruitment-center protest.
  • Attempted Reconciliation — Sally and Luke agree she should try to patch things up with Bob.
• Bob's Final Choice — After confronting the lovers, Bob abandons his symbols of military and marital identity and enters the ocean.
  • Loaded Rifle — Bob confronts Sally and Luke with a loaded rifle but ultimately turns away.
  • Ocean Departure — Bob leaves his uniform and wedding ring on the beach and swims out to commit suicide.

Directed by

Hal Ashby

Key Cast

• Jane Fonda — Sally Hyde
• Jon Voight — Luke Martin
• Bruce Dern — Capt. Bob Hyde
• Penelope Milford — Vi Munson
• Robert Carradine — Bill Munson