Coming Home

In the late 1960s mood of upheaval and shifting loyalties, Sally Hyde, wife of a Marine captain, finds her perspective shifted when she reconnects with Luke Martin, a former classmate who carries a heavy burden from the war—a paralyzing injury that colors every moment. Their renewed acquaintance deepens into a complicated attraction, forcing Sally to question the promises of marriage and the price of happiness. Luke's vulnerability, born from battlefield scars, and Sally's sense of duty collide as everyday life spins through hospital halls, family obligations, and late night conversations about fear, forgiveness, and second chances. The film probes how love can flourish amid hardship, while war's emotional wreckage reshapes relationships and the idea of home. Its tone blends tenderness with quiet moral weight that lingers.

Released in 1978, Coming Home was directed by Hal Ashby with a screenplay by Nancy Dowd, Robert C. Jones and Waldo Salt. It stands as an example of Ashby blending war era stakes with intimate domestic drama and earned praise.

Worldwide box office gross was $32,653,905 against a modest $3 million budget, making it a profitable release for a character driven war romance. The film found audiences across the U.S. and internationally, reinforcing Hal Ashby's reputation for human centered storytelling.

The film resonated with a late 70s audience seeking honest portrayals of veterans and the women who stand beside them. Jane Fonda's Sally Hyde became a touchstone for discussions about marriage, disability, and healing after conflict, while Luke Martin's quiet resilience shaped how viewers imagined recovery in popular culture discussions.

Critics praised the film for its restraint and emotional honesty, highlighting how it probes duty, desire, and the cost of peace on the home front. The performances anchor a story that refuses easy answers, presenting trauma and longing as forces that test, but rarely break, lasting commitments for audiences everywhere.