I'm not often moved by movies. There are plenty of good ones out there, but it's not very often you come across one that reaches into the depths of your soul and awakens something in you.
It's happened once before for me when I saw Eat, Pray, Love. I was in college at the time, and the movie touched on so many things I was dealing with myself. Identity crisis, religious crisis, trying to find my way in this great big world. It meant and still means a lot to me. (Note: I read the book right before seeing the movie. It moved me first, but the movie fell right in line. I still re-read the book from time to time.)
This afternoon the hubby and I watched American Sniper. It's been out for a little while now. We've heard the high praises, and I wanted to get a look for myself. I have not read the autobiography the book was based on.
Let me first say thank you to all the men and women who have served this great country. Many of them have seen and done things most of us could never imagine nor handle ourselves. Thank you for what you do.
I vaguely knew the story of Chris Kyle before I watched the movie. I knew of his status with the Navy Seals and of his tragic, untimely, and incredibly unfortunate death. But this movie put a whole new light on things.
Looking at it purely for its qualities as a movie, it's unbelievably well done. I'm not a movie critic and don't claim to be, but I can appreciate good cinematic quality when I see it.
But this movie is so much more than that. It sheds light on what our service men and women go through that many of us never see. Yes there are plenty of "war movies" out there, and others have been incredibly made too. But to me, this one just seems so personal. Maybe that's because Chris Kyle had a hand in it, as it's based on his autobiography.
Of course, Hollywood always embellishes a little. We all know that. But what is true for many are the struggles that military families deal with, and the true tragedy within the film: the mental struggles that so many deal with--PTSD, depression, flashbacks, and just trying to cope with what has been seen and done that most of us can't relate to.
The end of the movie was beautifully done (in my opinion). Chris Kyle did not have to and should not have died the way he did. People have called it ironic, tragic, heartbreaking, and all the other words that follow death. But the end of this movie showed the crowds of people who gathered, thousands of them, to show their respects for this fallen American soldier. He didn't fall in battle. He saved lives. He fought for his country, and he was heralded as a true American hero, rightfully so. He fought on the battlefields, and he fought his own demons afterwards. People lined the streets to say thank you, but Chris Kyle never saw that.
The images of people lined up as his casket passed by, the images from his memorial service, and the thought of what his family must have been feeling in those moments overwhelmed me. It seemed to affect every person inside the packed theater. When the film ended it seemed no one knew what to do. We stood up, hundreds of us, and filed out draped in complete silence, some of us still wiping away tears.
This was a movie, yes. This was a movie made to sell tickets and make money. But this was a movie that addressed what our soldiers go through and the true tragedy of life and death that followed Chris Kyle.
This movie showed us that regardless of your politics, regardless of your race or religion, we can all recognize heroes when we see them.
This movie was a reminder of the people who are willing to lay down their lives to fight for all of us.
This movie was a chance for all of us to stop and say THANK YOU.
It's happened once before for me when I saw Eat, Pray, Love. I was in college at the time, and the movie touched on so many things I was dealing with myself. Identity crisis, religious crisis, trying to find my way in this great big world. It meant and still means a lot to me. (Note: I read the book right before seeing the movie. It moved me first, but the movie fell right in line. I still re-read the book from time to time.)
This afternoon the hubby and I watched American Sniper. It's been out for a little while now. We've heard the high praises, and I wanted to get a look for myself. I have not read the autobiography the book was based on.
Let me first say thank you to all the men and women who have served this great country. Many of them have seen and done things most of us could never imagine nor handle ourselves. Thank you for what you do.
I vaguely knew the story of Chris Kyle before I watched the movie. I knew of his status with the Navy Seals and of his tragic, untimely, and incredibly unfortunate death. But this movie put a whole new light on things.
Looking at it purely for its qualities as a movie, it's unbelievably well done. I'm not a movie critic and don't claim to be, but I can appreciate good cinematic quality when I see it.
But this movie is so much more than that. It sheds light on what our service men and women go through that many of us never see. Yes there are plenty of "war movies" out there, and others have been incredibly made too. But to me, this one just seems so personal. Maybe that's because Chris Kyle had a hand in it, as it's based on his autobiography.
Of course, Hollywood always embellishes a little. We all know that. But what is true for many are the struggles that military families deal with, and the true tragedy within the film: the mental struggles that so many deal with--PTSD, depression, flashbacks, and just trying to cope with what has been seen and done that most of us can't relate to.
The end of the movie was beautifully done (in my opinion). Chris Kyle did not have to and should not have died the way he did. People have called it ironic, tragic, heartbreaking, and all the other words that follow death. But the end of this movie showed the crowds of people who gathered, thousands of them, to show their respects for this fallen American soldier. He didn't fall in battle. He saved lives. He fought for his country, and he was heralded as a true American hero, rightfully so. He fought on the battlefields, and he fought his own demons afterwards. People lined the streets to say thank you, but Chris Kyle never saw that.
The images of people lined up as his casket passed by, the images from his memorial service, and the thought of what his family must have been feeling in those moments overwhelmed me. It seemed to affect every person inside the packed theater. When the film ended it seemed no one knew what to do. We stood up, hundreds of us, and filed out draped in complete silence, some of us still wiping away tears.
This was a movie, yes. This was a movie made to sell tickets and make money. But this was a movie that addressed what our soldiers go through and the true tragedy of life and death that followed Chris Kyle.
This movie showed us that regardless of your politics, regardless of your race or religion, we can all recognize heroes when we see them.
This movie was a reminder of the people who are willing to lay down their lives to fight for all of us.
This movie was a chance for all of us to stop and say THANK YOU.