Stranger Things Season 5 Pays Homage To An Underrated '80s War Movie

"Stranger Things" is loaded with references to beloved movies, particularly those that were released in the 1980s. Given the nature of the story (kids fighting monsters in a small town), the Duffer Brothers' hit Netflix series wears its horror and sci-fi influences on its sleeves. However, there are nods to flicks spanning various genres, including war movies and comedies. Case in point — "Stranger Things" season 5 pays tribute to 1987's "Good Morning, Vietnam," the underrated Barry Levinson-directed classic starring Robin Williams as a radio DJ tasked with entertaining U.S. troops during the titular conflict. That said, the Duffer Brothers' series throws more monsters and mayhem into the mix.

"Stranger Things" season 4 ends with the Upside Down spilling into Hawkins, Indiana, teasing a showdown for the ages between humans and creatures. Unfortunately, it also results in the town being quarantined by the U.S. military in season 5, but it's more entertaining than it sounds. You see, Robin (Maya Hawke) has landed a job as a presenter at the local radio station, where she broadcasts news to the residents of the once-sleepy Hawkins. 

Let's take a second to work out this puzzle. A character with the same forename as Robin Williams? Who has a radio job in a militarized zone? That's a love letter to "Good Morning, Vietnam" if there ever was one. Sure, Robin doesn't perform unorthodox comedy routines or do Elvis impersonations like Williams' character in the movie while she's on the air, but the connections are obvious — and Hawke doesn't deny it.

While Robin's radio job keeps the town informed and entertained, it also proves useful in sending coded messages to her friends — which proves to be helpful, considering that Hawkins is a militarized zone and the army doesn't want anyone interfering in its business. In episode 1, she even plays Diana Ross' "Upside Down" to assist her pals with a mission, which is a fun scene, even if it is a little on the nose. However, the radio scenes were also the most challenging for Maya Hawke to shoot, as she explained in an interview with Lifestyle Asia:

"I have to do a long monologue in the opening of the first episode that pays tribute to Robin Williams in 'Good Morning, Vietnam.' I had to make that monologue sound like a real radio show. That was such a challenge for me to say so much but not be annoying or boring."

The "Good Morning, Vietnam" homage isn't the only tribute to the cinema of yesteryear in "Stranger Things" season 5, but it enhances the story in a meaningful way. With that being said, the "Stranger Things" tribute doesn't even begin to encapsulate the brilliance that is Robin Williams' performance in the '80s war comedy. To understand its majesty, though, one must watch the movie.

"Good Morning, Vietnam" was a box office hit for which Robin Williams won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination. At the same time, the Mitch Markowitz-penned war comedy is arguably overshadowed by some of the other films in Williams' vault — "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Dead Poet's Society," "Jumanji," et al. — as he starred in so many beloved classics.

Be that as it may, "Good Morning, Vietnam" showcases Williams at his best, both as an actor and comedian. Barry Levinson and Markowitz allowed him to improvise a lot of his own dialogue and devise his character, Adrian Cronauer (who was inspired by a real-life radio personality of the same name), which makes sense given that Williams is one of the greatest stand-up comics to ever do it. The end result is a movie that is, unsurprisingly, hilarious. 

Meanwhile, the legendary film critic Roger Ebert praised "Good Morning, Vietnam" as Williams' best acting performance until that point. Ebert believed that it was the first time he showcased authentic human emotion — as opposed to the acting kind — on the screen, noting that it solidified him as one of the greats. According to the film critic, Williams was so used to immersing himself in his characters and stand-up personas that it was hard to get a read on the real human, but "Good Morning, Vietnam" tricked him into letting his guard down.

Even though the tribute is small, it's great to see Williams' performance being acknowledged in a global phenomenon like "Stranger Things." And who knows — maybe it will lead to "Good Morning, Vietnam" resonating with a brand-new generation of fans?

"Stranger Things" is available to stream on Netflix.