“Homecoming” Is a Show On Amazon Prime You Have To Watch

“Homecoming” (Amazon)

How on earth did I let so many weeks go by without watching “Homecoming” on Amazon Prime. I am a Julia Roberts fan from the get go and this is Julia Roberts in her acting prime. She is the focus of this ten episode series and she is the main reason to involve yourself with this series. If you have not watched this amazing show do so as quickly as you finish reading this review.

The film focuses on Heidi Bergman (Roberts) who is a counselor with “Homecoming”, a government project set up to re-acclimate military war veterans on their return to the States. The facility is located in Florida and houses the veterans there too. Bergman is tasked with counseling the returnees and make their transition to civilian life easier.

Heidi is a dedicated employee and throws herself into her work. She obeys every dictate handed down by her immediate supervisor Colin Belfast (Bobby Cannavale). She believes in the program and believes what she is doing is good for these service members.

She is particularly encouraged by the progress she is making with Walter Cruz (Stephen James). He has had a rough time in Afghanistan but thanks to counseling and other aspects of the program appears to be making real progress. Heidi and Walter develop a real bond.

But this is not a linear telling of this story. The series jumps forward a few months and we see Heidi living at home with her mother (Sissy Spacek) and working as a waitress at a local restaurant. When she is contacted by Department of Defense investigator Thomas Carrasco (Shea Wigham), she states she has only vague memories of ever having worked at Homecoming and she has no knowledge of Walter Cruz.

This program delivers suspense in the way Alfred Hitchcock and Brian De Palma used to deliver it in their best movies. On the surface it appears an average woman has somehow been placed in jeopardy by the circumstances of her job, and the friendships she has made. Something ominous has occurred in her life and now her physical well being as well as her sanity are being questioned.

This is Roberts’ best role in ages or maybe even during her career. As Heidi she downplays her Julia Roberts looks as well as that famous Julia Roberts laugh. She underplays everything about this character and it is totally effective. Then when James comes on the scene and these two characters have such immediate chemistry, the show’s entertainment content goes off like a rocket.

Cannavale is also strong in his role and Wigham is even better in his. The only person who disappoints is Spacek who is a bit miscast. Aside from that glitch the supporting cast all the way down the line do excellent work and Roberts is supported with talent and clarity.

It has already been announced there will be a second season of “Homecoming. I look forward to the next season but I felt completely satisfied with the completeness of this first one. This is a show that delivers on its talent and its script. You will race through the ten episodes in nothing flat. It is absolutely that compelling.

“Homecoming” is available on Amazon Prime now.

Jackie K Cooper

www.jackiekcooper.com