"Patriotism Has Many Faces"
What You Need To Know:
RETURN TO HARDWICK is a documentary about the 93rd Bomb Group that was part of the 8th Air Force in Hardwick, England. The famous Hardwick air base was used during World War II. The 93rd Bomb Group was the first Bomb Squadron to penetrate German airspace in 1943. The movie cuts between old footage, present day interviews and photographs to tell the stories of the brave people in the Group. The families of the fallen veterans, and even some of the veterans themselves, reunite to tell those stories.
Although the beginning starts slow, the old footage from the war, mixed with personal stories from family members and veterans, creates a powerful, compelling story. RETURN TO HARDWICK has a strong moral, patriotic worldview celebrating what the men and women in the 93rd Bomb Group and their families sacrificed and accomplished during World War II. Loving family members and wanting to pay tribute and honor to the veterans are extolled. However, some footage of bombings and sounds of gunshots could scare children. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises discernment for younger viewers for RETURN TO HARDWICK.
Content:
More Detail:
RETURN TO HARDWICK is a documentary about the 93rd Bomb Group that was part of the 8th Air Force in Hardwick, England. The famous air base at Hardwick was used during World War II and is known for being the first Bomb Squadron to penetrate German airspace in 1943. The movie follows the families of the veterans of the group going back to Hardwick for a reunion, where even some of the men who served joined them.
The movie cuts back and forth between old footage, present day interviews and photographs to tell the stories of the brave men and women in the 93rd Bomb Group. The movie begins back when Pearl Harbor was bombed at the beginning of America’s involvement in the war and follows through the rest of the war.
Filmmakers detail certain missions of the Bomb Group more than others, like D-Day in France. The different missions were sometimes connected to different pieces of memorabilia. The memorabilia are seen in a museum in England where artifacts were collected to memorialize the veterans from the war. The museum is curated by the locals since they’re proud of the history of Hardwick and want to keep its memory alive.
During the reunion, some of the family members returned to Hardwick to get answers about what happened to their loved ones, while others wanted to connect with the place, people and history of Hardwick. The family members also detail missions their veterans were a part of and tell the story of what daily life was like while living at the base. Through these stories, the audience gets to know a handful of the veterans.
Released last year but now available on the Internet, RETURN TO HARDWICK shares the history behind the Bomb Group that flew the most missions of any other Group in the 8th Air Force during WW II. Although the beginning starts slow, the old footage from the war, mixed with the personal stories from family members, creates a powerful, compelling story for viewers to follow.
RETURN TO HARDWICK has a strong moral, patriotic worldview that celebrates what the men and women in the 93rd Bomb Group and their families sacrificed and accomplished during World War II. Loving family members and wanting to pay tribute and honor to the veterans are extolled. However, some of the footage of bombings and sounds of gunshots could scare children. For these reasons, MOVIEGUIDE® advises discernment for younger viewers for RETURN TO HARDWICK.