RKS 2025 Film: “Jimmy in Saigon”: Who Jimmy Really Was

The McDowell family loses 24-year-old son Jimmy in Vietnam in 1972. His cause of death is not entirely clear to younger brother Peter McDowell fudged with shame and mystery. Despite a June 1972 telegram arriving to advise the family of his death is the cause of death on the death certificate the truth? The content of telegram seems never to have been openly shared amongst the family. Jimmy died as a civilian and not as a soldier.

Filmmaker brother Peter McDowell was 5 when Jimmy died and sets off on a journey of discovery throughout the United States, France and Vietnam to determine not only the cause of death but to discover who is older brother was.

On film discussions with family and friends do not reveal any glaring oddities pertaining to Jimmy’s childhood painting a picture of an ordinary suburban Illinois boy with some quirks here and there. We learn early on however that Peter is gay. Peter’s gayness is seemingly an awkward part of the documentary but assumes more relevance as the film progresses and his journey just might also be a discovery of himself.

Jimmy was drafted and completes a tour of duty in Vietnam in a clerical position but expresses a strong desire to return which he does in early 1971 “to express hedonistic pleasures like never before” and “lead a pleasantly decadent pseudo colonial lifestyle”. He works at a few jobs barely making ends meet and lives in a poor part of Saigon with a Vietnamese family in comfortable surroundings, In his homebound letters he hints at a relationship with the family’s daughter Ly Ly and becomes the best of friends with her brother Dung.

It is fair to say Peter’s journey to “shine a light on the situation” is successful. There are hints throughout the film of Jimmy’s drug use and sexuality suggesting Jimmy’s true character. Peter’s journey is fascinating as morsels are extracted piecemeal through conversations with Jimmy’s friends and acquaintances the true nature of brother Jimmy and his most likely cause of death.

Watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9CbPHZC5g4

Theatrical release in New York on 25April2025 and 8May2025 in Los Angeles followed by a 13May2025 VOD release.

Directed and written by Peter McDowell.

RKS 2025 Film Rating 76/100.