TEAM MOVIE THOP
It's common practice for Hollywood to stretch the truth of true stories for cinematic or sensational purposes when adapting them for the big screen
Even though Zac Efron's new movie, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, seems impossible to be true, the actual story behind it is all too plausible
A New Yorker named John "Chickie" Donohue travelled to Vietnam in 1967 and brought beers to friends and neighbours fighting in the war on the front lines
He returned to New York five months later with an incredible story to tell, one that was first detailed in a memoir he co-wrote with J.T. Molloy in 2020, called The Greatest Beer Run Ever
According to Efron, 34, who plays Donohue in the film, it's another unbelievable real-life experience. It's a lovely story about human nature, love, and an atrocious historical period
The director has even more difficulty believing it happened. "But he's a character, so it's his story. He's the most important character to me," he says
He decided then that he was the man for the job since he served in the Marine Corps and worked as a merchant mariner
His next move was to seek employment on a cargo ship, pack a duffel bag full of beers, and embark on one of the most unlikely goodwill missions of all time
Using family letters and photos passed down to him, Donohue found his friends in the Qui Nhon Harbor after eight weeks on the boat
After visiting three different guys in Vietnam for the first two days, Donohue recalls having only six men on his list
Our experience in Vietnam was made much easier by having him there. It showed us that it is a concern of people back home
During Donohue's journey, he encountered corruption among government and international officials, hitched his way onto military helicopters, and fought firefights
Inwood's favourite bar was the first place he went to when he returned to his neighbourhood: It was where he shared his incredible story with his friends