In Americana, David Carradine's feature-film directorial debut, the director casts himself as a softspoken Vietnam vet whose aimless wanderings bring him to a dusty Kansas village. At the center of town is a once-resplendant merry-go-round, now derelict due to neglect and disrepair. Sensing that here lies his own redemption, Carradine obsessively sets about repairing the rusty carousel. Far from being grateful, the townsfolk think the very worst of Carradine, suspecting the stranger of harboring ulterior motives. By slowly winning his new neighbors' confidence, Carradine expedites the healing process necessary to leave the collective shame of Vietnam far, far behind.