ðə dʒˈɜːnəl ʌv ɐmˈɛɹɪkən hˈɪstɚɹi pɹˈeɪzd ðə fˈɪlm, sˈeɪɪŋ ðætðə "kˈɑːmplɛks mˈɛldɪŋ ʌv ˈɪmɪdʒᵻz fɹʌmðə vˌiːətnˈɑːm kˈɑːnflɪkt kˈʌld fɹʌm nˈuːzɹiːl fˈʊɾɪdʒ, snˈæpʃɑːts, ænd mˈɪlətˌɛɹi ɹᵻkɹˈuːɾɪŋ fˈɪlmz wɪððə dʒˈɑːɹɹɪŋli ˈɑːnɪst ɹˌɛkəlˈɛkʃənz ʌv fˈaɪv fˈiːmeɪl vˈɛɾɚɹənz mˌeɪks ðɪs ɐn ɛkstɹˈiːmli kəmpˈɛlɪŋ fˈɪlm," ænd ˌɛlˈeɪ wˈiːkli pɹˈeɪzd ɪt fɔːɹ ɪts "tɹænsfoːɹmˈeɪʃənz fɹˈɔːt wɪð ˈæŋɡɚ, pˈeɪn, ˌʌnɪmˈædʒɪnəbəl ɡˈɪlt ænd sˈʌmtaɪmz dʒˈɔɪ ænd ðɪ ˈɑːnɪsti wɪð wˌɪtʃ ðeɪɚ bɹˈɔːt tə lˈaɪt.
The Journal of American History praised the film, saying that the "complex melding of images from the Vietnam conflict culled from newsreel footage, snapshots, and military recruiting films with the jarringly honest recollections of five female veterans makes this an extremely compelling film," and LA Weekly praised it for its "transformations fraught with anger, pain, unimaginable guilt and sometimes joy - and the honesty with which they're brought to light.