Taking Chance - Spoilers

[Padme]

It's currently playing on HBO.

Synopis: Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (Bacon), a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming.


Anyone else watched this yet?

[solicitr]

Yes. Very moving. HBO puts out another excellent film.

And (remarkably) one which is not hostile to the Armed Forces.

[Padme]

I found it totally unbiased (left or right) and very moving. In fact it's been a long time since I cried that many times during any film. Kevin Bacon did an excellent job, excellent, and I was surprised by that.

There wasn't hardly any real anti-war or pro-war in it, there was a tad here and there, but the most part it shows the human experience of it all, not the political experience.

From the Sundance Film Festival

You might presume that yet another film about the war in Iraq couldn't possibly reveal anything new; and that, regardless, you can anticipate its message from what is almost always a cleanly defined ideological point of view: Left or Right, pro- or antiwar, pro-administration or opposed. But you would be wrong. Taking Chance is, without question, one of the most powerful and vital films ever made about Iraq—or, for that matter, the military—and yet its potency comes not from melodramatic or political statements but simply from its reality and execution.The true story of a Marine who volunteers to escort the remains of a 19-year-old killed in Iraq to his family in a small Wyoming town, the film is based on a journal by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl. It is in every sense a personal narrative, beautifully presented by first-time filmmaker Ross Katz—who was heretofore an accomplished producer and now makes a remarkable debut as a director. Fueled by an outstanding performance by Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance is about respect, about death and sadness, about honor and the military fraternity, and about the American community during a time of tragedy. It is an extraordinary film from any perspective

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here's the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtmiLdzzgGE


It is not an easy movie to watch by any means, there is no blood or guts, or sex or even much cussing. But it is very hard to watch.

[sauronsfinger]

Excellent film - for HBO - or by any standard. Like Padme. I lost count of the number of lump-in-the-throat moments or having to wipe away tears from my eyes. It was a an extremely well done film.

It is difficult for me to believe that it was the first film directed by Ross Katz. He did a truly outstanding job. Kevin Bacon was very good.

Everything in the film was lovingly photographed.

I was struck by the line at the cemetary "if there were more men like Chance Phelps there would not need to be a Marine Corps". That was one powerful line. The montage of actual clips of the real Chance at the end was also very powerful.

[Padme]

I agree.

The scene where his dad put his Nam metals on the casket also was a very lump in the throat moment.