The Greatest Beer Run Ever: Zac Efron tells us about the movie and the real case

Efron is a very different hero in this film that presents an epic adventure in the setting of the Vietnam War.

Zac Efron is the protagonist of The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a film that puts a different spin on the history of the Vietnam War, where he does not give life to a soldier or an action hero, but to an ordinary man who made the decision to help his friends in an unexpected and somewhat funny way.

Directed by Peter Farrelly (who found out about the story after someone sent him a link to a short documentary on YouTube) and starring Efron, Bill Murray and Russell Crowe, The Greatest Beer Run Ever isn’t your typical war movie. , it tells the story of a man in the 70s who, after his friends are sent to fight on the other side of the world, decides to go on a journey to bring them a small piece of home to the trenches.

The story focuses on Chickie Donohue , who caught the attention of the entire country when it was revealed that she was going to travel to Vietnam to share some beers with her best friends, and with many men who were living a violent and dangerous time.

The film (which has touches of comedy, drama, and action) arrives this Friday the 30th on Apple TV + and, prior to the premiere, Zac Efron and Peter Farrelly revealed some details about it.

About Chiki Donohue and her story

“I love the brotherhood and camaraderie between Chickie and his friends and how dedicated he was to the men who went to Vietnam to fight for their country, there is something incredible about the lengths he was willing to go to show support for them. And as the film progresses, you can see a very regular man going through an absolute report, which leads him to evolve and grow. He is the eyes and ears of the audience and what is interesting is to see, from a civilian perspective, what would have happened if they were there. Chickie is the perfect man to tell that story,” says Zac Efron.

Farrelly remembers that he grew up during the war, even revealed that he had a neighbor who died in Vietnam, and was a fan of movies like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket, but to make The Greatest Beer Run Ever he wanted to get away from that style, sound and photography. , and what struck him about this story is that it doesn’t show us the point of view of a soldier, but that of a civilian, so, for him, that separates it from the rest.

On collaborating with Farrelly, Efron says: “I had a great experience working with Pete, I think his work just keeps getting better and better, and it’s different. With this particular story there was a lot to navigate, there’s a great character arc, there’s a lot of choreography and stunt work, and I felt blessed to be able to listen and be present for what was going on.”

Efron also says that “ it’s a very unique perspective. I didn’t know the history and didn’t know everything that happened in Vietnam, I feel like it’s still very cloudy and people don’t really know everything, but this exploration comes from a different point of view and presents us with one of the most significant wars in history. American history through the lens of an ordinary guy who shows up to support his friends.”

“Another thing it teaches is that leadership isn’t always right, this was a disaster and we didn’t know it at the time,” Farrelly says . “We Americans thought it was a good war and later found out it wasn’t, so I hope it leads us to realize that nothing good can come out of war.”

The True Story of The Greatest Beer Run Ever

The film is based on the true story of Chickie Donohue , a 26-year-old man from New York who, while in a bar, overheard the owner of the place complaining about the anti-Vietnam War protests, since that could make the men who were fighting feel abandoned.

Listening to him, Chickie thought of a plan to show her friends that many people supported them and were thinking of them, and she was going to show them that by traveling to Vietnam to bring them some beers.

After that, Chickie got a place on an ammunition ship heading to her, and there she set out to find 6 of her friends to share the beers she had been saving for them during the trip. In an interview with CBS News, Chickie said that she thought “it would be impossible. But she had to try, and if she failed, she failed.”

According to CBS, Chickie found the first of her friends as soon as she arrived in Vietnam , and then traveled the territory for 4 months until she found them all, taking helicopter rides, long walks, and treks through dangerous areas. , all so that his friends would know that he had not forgotten them.

During the trip, Chickie was able to witness the horrors of the Vietnam War and the reality of what was happening (they were losing), as well as the effect that all this had on the mental state of the soldiers, but her mission had a side. positive and was that he helped his friends feel appreciated and have a moment of joy in the midst of chaos.