In 1977, as Happy Days dominated television with its glossy nostalgia and Henry Winkler’s leather-jacketed Fonzie at the cultural forefront, the actor took a career leap that surprised many: he starred in the Vietnam War drama Heroes. Far removed from the jukebox charm of Milwaukee’s suburbs, Winkler attempted to redefine himself as a serious film actor. But could the shadow of Fonzie be too long to escape?
In Heroes, Jack Dunne, a Vietnam veteran, escapes a VA mental health facility with aspirations of establishing a worm farm in California with his fellow service members. He makes friends with a speed-loving stock car racer (a pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford) and the socially awkward Carol (Sally Field) along the way. Although the idea seems charmingly odd, the way it was handled, especially when it came to PTSD, was far from ideal.
Jack’s trauma is often portrayed through slapstick humor and exaggerated eccentricity, culminating in a bizarre reenactment of war in the middle of town. Instead of a raw portrayal of a veteran’s pain, we get lines like “Because I’m supposed to be CrAzY!” — a moment that feels more sitcom than serious cinema.
Critics weren’t kind. Vincent Canby of The New York Times criticized Winkler’s performance as “aggressively cute,” suggesting it leaned more on TV tropes than genuine emotion. The challenge of shaking off a character as iconic as Fonzie proved daunting. At the time, television actors transitioning to film were still often seen as second-tier, and Winkler’s performance didn’t quite escape that bias.
Still, despite critical disapproval, Heroes found commercial success. It grossed well and earned Winkler a BAFTA nomination and a Golden Globe nod — a sign that audiences were curious about seeing “The Fonz” in a different light. But when compared to later Vietnam dramas like The Deer Hunter or Born on the Fourth of July, Heroes feels like a half-hearted experiment rather than a bold reinvention.
Winkler, in interviews like one on The Merv Griffin Show, insisted that “not a piece of the Fonz” lived in Jack Dunne. He even shared advice from Bette Davis, who quoted Charles Laughton: “Every time you make a film, if you don’t put your neck on the block, then don’t make the film.” And he did just that — but sometimes, risks don’t always pay off the way we hope.
Decades later, Heroes remains a curious footnote in Winkler’s storied career. It was a film born of ambition, misfired tone, and a desire to evolve — a reminder that breaking typecasting takes more than just stepping into a new costume. It takes the right story, the right tone, and, above all, the right time.
