Modern Texas is the setting for Proud Men about an estranged father and son played by Charlton Heston and Peter Strauss respectively. Strauss has been living in Paris, now married to Maria Mayanzet and the father of Greg Kupiec who speaks a lot more French than English due to where he was raised. But the young man has a fondness for American westerns and he's going to meet his grandfather finally.

But not under the best of circumstances. Heston has one of those undisclosed illnesses that will eventually take him, but he's got an undetermined amount of time left.

Why Strauss left is that he deserted during the Vietnam War depressed over what he saw and what he had to do on one occasion. It would have put anyone over the edge. But Heston who is World War II veteran didn't want to hear anything and indeed never did. And in his small Texas town where he owns the local Ponderosa a whole lot of the good old boys feel the same way.

Father and son get reacquainted and Heston and his wife Nan Martin finally get to meet their daughter-in-law and grandson. If only Heston and Strauss can meet each other halfway and get past some deep hurts.

Proud Men is a nice family drama with whole cast portraying some real people in situations that the times created. Good entertainment and good performances all around.

Good portrayal of the generation gap as a father and son become alienated over patriotism and duty. When the son returns home after several years, the animosity is still there and they begin quarreling all over again. Plus, many of the town's residents are against the son because they feel he is a traitor. Violence breaks out as emotions flare and the father and son must learn to accept each other before they become irreparably separated.

Heartwarming Made-For-TV modern time story of an old staunchly conservative cattle rancher (Charlton Heston) who is reunited with the son he disowned (Peter Strauss) after his boy deserted the Vietnam war. The two haven't seen each other for fifteen years and Strauss has been living in France, but is persuaded to come home to the Texas ranch by his mother (Nan Martin) when he learns that his dad is dying of an undisclosed illness. Father and son are both stubborn men, and their reunion as they attempt to come to terms is both emotional and involving. Strauss attempts to explain his reasons for desertion, an act that has also made him an outcast in the eyes of most of the local townsfolk. All the performances here are first rate, especially by Heston, Strauss, and Martin, and make up for the rather familiar nature of the story. *** out of ****