Home Of The Brave Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Coming home is the real battle.
The Final Test of Courage is Coming Home
The day after they get the word they'll go home in two weeks, a group of soldiers from Spokane are ambushed in an Iraqi city. Back stateside we follow four of them - a surgeon who saw too much, a teacher who's a single mom and who lost a hand in the ambush, an infantry man whose best friend died that day, and a soldier who keeps reliving the moment he killed a civilian woman. Each of the four has come home changed, each feels dislocation. Group therapy, V.A. services, halting gestures from family and colleagues, and regular flashbacks keep the war front and center in their minds. They're angry, touchy, and explosive: can a warrior find peace back home?
| Samuel L. Jackson | Will Marsh |
| Jessica Biel | Vanessa Price |
| Brian Presley | Tommy Yates |
| Christina Ricci | Sarah Schivino |
| 50 Cent | Jamal Aiken |
| Chad Michael Murray | Jordan Owens |
| Joyce M. Cameron | Grace Owens |
| Victoria Rowell | Penelope Marsh |
| Wes Deitrick | Older Vet |
| Jeffrey Nordling | Cary |
| Jhon Goodwin | Police Sergeant |
| Vyto Ruginis | Hank Yates |
| Sam Jones III | Billy Marsh |
| Nike Imoru | Dr. Barbara Jaric |
| James MacDonald | Ray |
| Irwin Winkler |
5.30 out of 10 (1968 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Thought provoking, gripping and touching
posted on 28 Aug 2009This film is about how soldiers who served in Iraq face life back in their hometown.The striking thing is that this film focuses on the emotional impact on the returning soldiers, and the people around them. The dialogs are raw, truthful and at times politically provocative. The portrayal of post traumatic stress disorder is subtle but palpable, and Jessica Biel's performance of a tough woman to hide her pains of losing her hand is astonishingly well acted.I do not see this as an anti-war vehicle. Rather, it serves as a reminder of how wars affect the soldiers, and then make us think hard whether such a war was necessary in the first place. I am the most impressed by the filmmakers decision on making this movie, as the predominant climate in America is against them.
Something mysterious is going on.
posted on 22 Aug 2009I write the following as a Canadian on June 20 2008. Looking at the voting statistics as an ex-professor of Statistics, I noticed a strange phenomenon. 1-) The voting is spread out between '0' (worst) at 12.1% and '10'(best) at 12.9%, the average being 5.6 This is already an indication that something is wrong. 2-) The strangest discrepancy occurs in the way women voted. There seems to bee a double generational gap here. Women under 18 gave the highest average rating of all categories at 7.6, women aged 45 or more gave the second highest average rating of all at 7.4. But it is the women aged between 30 and 44 who gave the lowest average rating of all, at 4.6. What gives? Is *this* the 'ME' generation? The fact that the women aged 30-44 are the most likely to be rearing children is, to me, *very* worrying. Clearly, there are still unresolved social problems within American society, but I am not an sociologist and hesitate to propose an explanation for this. It does seem, however, that the discrepancy has something to do with the race problem AND with the war in Irag AND that there seems to be an interplay between these two problems. I gave the film a rating of '8'. That is perhaps a bit high, from a strictly cinematic viewpoint. What I liked to most is that the film reminded me of one of my favorite dictums, namely that,"Gratitude is something one gets for services not rendered YET." Take care.
Powerful, Emotional , Personal .......A Beautiful Film
posted on 14 Aug 2009I just Finished watching this film on pay TV and i think it was a very emotional and powerful piece of film making. Its hard reading some of the negative comments on here, particularly to do with the Characters. I personally feel all the actors performed very well in the portrayal of these Soldiers returning home from Iraq.I think many people would be confused with these characters because essentially the characters themselves are confused with who they are and what they have returned too. The film itself seems at times alittle unstructured but this is the point. These characters have returned home from service and are completely unstructured in a very emotional way, being haunted by the memories of Iraq.Many reviews say the war scenes are cheesy and badly down, but this is NOT a War film, it is a drama based around characters that have experience many different emotional and physical scars from war.The pace of this film at times is slow, but this reflects the slowness of the Characters adjusting to their lives, which are not new to them, but have changed due to their experiences.The only negative thing i would draw out of this is that the Cover does not reflect what this movie is about. It make it look like an action war film, which this film certainly is not.Verdict I really enjoyed this film, it was a deeply emotional film to watch and was in my mind simply beautiful. Beautiful characters trying to deal with a life they once new so well, adjusting back into the life they went to protect.If you want to feel something from a movie and particularly from a host of raw characters, i recommend you watch this.9/10
The aftermath of War
posted on 06 Aug 2009Are you kidding? How can you NOT give this movie less than a 9? I think that this movies deals with a lot of truths to the aftermath of war. If you were expecting to see a "war movie" sorry to disappoint, this deals with the most important part of war: the soldiers who fight in it every day and what happens when they come home. As a Iraqi veteran, I could relate to what these people went through, all 4 of them. The guy who can't get the images out of head of the people he couldn't save, and tries to drown it out with alcohol; The guy who just wants to go back to normal life after killing an innocent person in a war where all the enemies look like innocent people; the guy who loses his best friend but still wants to go back and finish what he started in a country where not everyone wants us there; and the single mother who comes home to a son she doesn't know anymore and back to a life which has obviously continued on without her. It's hard on a soldier coming back after something like that and I think that any family who has a soldier should see this movie. As far as the acting, I think it was right on. The music was OK and the dialog was pretty true to that kind of situation. There are a lot of movies out there that try to depict the Iraqi war, but this one is right on. SEE IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!!!
What is it that you thought was correct
posted on 27 Jul 2009in the first 15 minutes of the movie i noticed a total lack of trying to simulate what we really do in the army. it was lack of total respect to those that have served and are serving.the funeral scene really made me mad with the lack of respect for the wearing of the uniform in a film. the haircuts were shady as well as the actual class a uniform. please tell me they someone on this movie was a subject matter expert. you have 50 cent please could have acted better.the whole first 30 minutes really made me sick. wanted me to turn the movie off. it doesn't reflect anything about what a soldier goes through when he/she comes home to.you would be better off actually serving than watching this movie.SSG SB4
Not an action movie and John Wayne is dead
posted on 11 Jul 2009"Home of the Brave" is as fair and balanced as Fox News. The filmmakers don't like war. Neither did the makers of "Apocalypse Now" "The Deer Hunter" or "Mash".This is a more simple (but equally profound) film about returning home after experiencing the unreality and trauma of a questionable war. The screenplay, directing and acting are all strong and this is a polished film that will not be praised by everyone. It is not a lot of fun to watch.John Wayne went to Japan years ago to cheer up the soldiers who had fought in the battle of Okinawa. He was met by a collective "thousand yard stare" and told to go back to Hollywood. If those soldiers had later made a movie about coming home after the war, it would have been something like "Home of the Brave" and it would have been banned -- the filmmakers would have been branded as commies and blacklisted.This movie at least proves we have made some progress. Like it or not, you have to appreciate the fact that the movie is well-intentioned and that our soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere are defending the right to make and distribute such movies (as well as to secure a steady flow of oil for our Hummers).
Home isn't what it used to be.
posted on 19 Jun 2009A war-worn National Guard unit is all but ready to leave Iraq; then one last assignment...a mercy mission to take food and medical supplies to a small town, where things go terribly wrong. A chaotic firefight leaves dead and wounded. The unit returns to Spokane and the soldiers find themselves fighting personal demons as well as a hard time adjusting to home. Dr. Will Marsh(Samuel L. Jackson) saved his share of lives in Iraq, but back home he returns to his doctor duties and his memories cause him to slide deeper into alcoholism. The always confident Vanessa Price(Jessica Biel), returns to depression caused by going back to her coaching position with use of only one hand. Tommy Yates(Brian Presley)returns finding his boss didn't keep his job open at the gun shop and ends up selling tickets at the movie theater. Jamal Aiken(Curtis(50 Cent)Jackson)returns home to a girlfriend that just doesn't feel the same about him sending his life into chaos. Both heartache and heroism emerge from an indifferent homecoming. Also in the cast: Sam Jones III, Christina Ricci and Joyce M. Cameron.
not even close
posted on 05 Jun 2009to all those film students longing to write and direct "the OIF (operation Iraqi freedom) movie" please take notes. this movie didn't even attempt to ask a combat vet what war is like.First is the combat sequence: this is what we call a blocked ambush... not hard to fight through and the armored vehicle that would have been with them would have made a whole wide enough for them to go through.Second the dialog: Soldiers speak in different terms then civilians and we know each other because of it.third, the lack of true emotion in the acting: we are men and women who feel. We laugh and cry just the same as everyone else. Those of us who lose control and do something just stupid are rare and most times not ever truly in control at to begin with.finally the theme: Yes its true most of you will never understand what it like to "over there" or how much it means to be home. And most of you don't really care. But for those who do: know that we hear the rounds and screams more nights then we want to. We see the dead in our dreams. And we never let you know.We are stronger then what this movie made us look. We are harder. We don't whine, or bitch, we just move forward. And we don't want your sympathy.
A recent update of an old theme.
posted on 01 Jun 2009How would soldiers readjust to civilian life once they return from their tour of duty in Iraq? Home of the Brave has a pretty good idea, even if the theme has been played out over time. Some of those films may be more stylish (Dead Presidents) or just plain better (The Deer Hunter), but Home of the Brave succeeds solely on the weight of the first 20 minutes of film and the acting. While other actors are featured, Samuel Jackson runs the show in a scene-stealing moment when Will faces down his son's vice-principal.Soldiers from Iraq return home to Spokane, Washington and face difficulties from the many changes.Tackling a film such as Home of the Brave is a difficult one. Whenever you see a bunch of soldiers at the beginning of a film happy, shooting hoops, excited about returning home to family, you just know that disaster and depression is bound to follow. Heavy handed writing and direction only bring down the film even more as things only go from bad to worse. But that's not to totally discredit a film that holds an excellent action scene at the beginning, and the exceptional conviction from all the actors goes to show how well they could pull off a script when it's weak.
Best movie on Iraq vets, this is the real deal. Jackson should win an Oscar
posted on 16 May 2009Don't believe anything more you hear from friends or the news, until you see this. This is a a a rare opportunity to truly commiserate with the US soldiers who have served in Iraq. It is the most responsible work of art in US cinema, I've seen in a long time. This is the reason I registered to do a review. This is a ten out of ten. It shows the soldiers difficulties in Iraq and at home dealing with their communities that don't really understand, yet think its enough to have a yellow ribbon sticker on their car. I'm recommending this very highly to the people who will never have to face these hardships and should be able to thank our soldiers for what they gave.Sometimes its their sanity, sometimes a limb, sometimes their life...
An excellent film about the battles soldiers face upon returning home from war
posted on 04 May 2009"Coming Home Is The Real Battle" In the last couple of years, there's been quite a number of films made about the still on-going war in Iraq. "American Soldiers", "Battle For Haditha", "Redacted", "Stop-Loss" and this film, "Home of the Brave". Irwin Winkler, the producer of "Rocky" and "Goodfellas", brings us this film which shows us the problems that a group of soldiers face upon returning home from their tour of duty in Iraq, as they find it difficult to adjust to civilian life and their experiences in the war have left them mentally, physically and emotionally scarred.A National Guard unit are told that they are going home in two weeks. Upon hearing this news, they are told that they have been assigned a mission to supply humanitarian aid to a village. They pile up into the Humvees, and set off. While driving through a town, they are blocked-off and are ambushed. A road-side bomb blows up one of the Humvees, and the soldiers from the other Humvees are forced to dismount and chase after the attackers. After this incident, the film takes us to Spokane, Washington, where we see how the characters involved in that fatal ambush are adjusting to normal life. Doctor Will Marsh ( Samuel L. Jackson ), haunted by the injuries he saw inflicted on young soldiers in Iraq, and haunted by those boys that he couldn't save, becomes distant from his wife, young daughter, and teenage son, who is against the war and hates his father for being involved in it. Vanessa Price ( Jessica Biel ) is a single mother and P.E teacher who finds it very difficult to adjust to her new life, as she lost her hand in the ambush when the Humvee she was driving was struck by a detonated roadside bomb. Jamal Aiken ( Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson ) is haunted by his experiences in the war, especially by the ambush, because while he was searching a house, he shot a civilian, who he thought was an insurgent. He becomes very violent around people, and he is very angry with the military for being slow with his discharge papers and his medical benefit which he needs because of the injury which was inflicted to his back when he fell over. Tommy Yates ( Brian Presley ) is haunted by the ambush in which his best friend died in his arms. He returns home to find that he no longer has his job, his girlfriend left him while he was away, and he spends his days working in a cinema and spends his nights driving around and watching The History Channel. He feels compelled to return to Iraq, as not only is he not doing much around Spokane, but he feels that he must return to support his comrades. For all these soldiers, coming home and adjusting, proves to be the real battle."Home of the Brave" is an extremely powerful film about the battles faced by all soldiers upon returning home from any war. Irwin Winkler directs this very well, and all the actors do tremendous jobs. Samel L. Jackson ( Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ) is fantastic as Will Marsh, and we gain a lot of sympathy for his character as he comes home completely traumatised by the things he saw out in Iraq, and he struggles to explain to his wife what is wrong with him, and his son hates him. Jessica Biel ( The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ) is also fantastic as Vanessa Price, and we also gain a lot of sympathy for her as not only does she have to face the physical effects of her time in the war , but she also must face the mental trauma that the war has inflicted on her. A year after he surprised the world with his brilliant debut performance in "Get Rich or Die Trying", 50 Cent provides another brilliant performance, as Jamal Aiken. Brian Presley also provides a brilliant performance, as Tommy Yates. His character also gained my sympathy as he was being pressured by his father into taking the job opportunity of being a cop, but it's far too early for Tommy to do that as he is trying to make sense of his experiences in Iraq. But his father wouldn't understand as he wasn't there, and when Tommy says that he is going to see someone about his problems, his father implies that he is a 'pussy'. Christina Ricci ( Monster ) also makes a small appearance, and she was very good.The war scenes in this film are very well done, in my opinion. The ambush, and the fighting which ensues because of it, was intense and realistic. I also love the scene where Jamal is at a talk in which Iraq veterans discuss their problems, and when Jamal flips at another veteran, a Vietnam veteran who is at the group stands in, and Jamal asks him if he served at Gettysburg. I couldn't stop laughing at that remark.Overall, "Home of the Brave" is an excellent drama about soldiers trying to adjust to civilian life upon returning home from Iraq. All the lead performances are excellent from Samuel L. Jackson, Biel, 50 Cent and Presley. This, without a doubt, is one of the best films made that deals with the return of soldiers from the war, and it's an excellent testimony to those brave men and women and also to the other soldiers who fought in wars such as World War II, Korea and Vietnam and returned home to discover that home just wasn't the same anymore.
If only more were this fortunate
posted on 25 Mar 2009HotB is about three soldiers returning back from a tour in the ongoing war in Iraq and their adjustment issues. In the leads: Samuel Jackson as army surgeon Will Marsh, who feels guilty about his powerlessness to save people and about having become desensitized to their suffering; Jessica Biel as supply runt Vanessa Price, who got her right hand blown off by a roadside bomb, triggered by a kid with a cellphone; Brian Presley as soldier Tommy Yates, who lost his best friend just days before the scheduled return home as a result of the same ambush that occasioned Vanessa's injury.That ambush of what amounts to a humanitarian supply convoy is what loosely connects the characters; as Marsh is the first to tend to Vanessa and she briefly catches a glimpse of Yates as well, before everything goes to the dogs of war.The first segment, in Iraq, portrays some of the pressures of being a soldier, at all levels and in all functions; always having to be on guard, because anything else will kill you. The operative term is 'always'; unrelenting tension and stress, sometimes apparently qualifying as mild, but it never leaves you. For there are people around who hate you and will kill you whenever they can. There are also those who don't hate you and who may even be glad you're there and doing what you're doing, but it's in the nature of things that they will not go out with the same fervor and try to protect you; nor will they speak out in your defense with the same vigor as your opponents. This is, after all, the nature of these things.So, these three come home—plus a few other, more peripheral, figures—and, unlike is the case in other 'soldiers returning home' movies, nothing much actually happens. Which is part of the problem. For the normality of the life of those they are charged to defend—for whatever reason and motivation—is stifling with its normality and the complete lack of appreciation of their situation by those they return home to. So Marsh walks into a home where his son is disgusted not only at the war, but also at his father being a part of it; plus he has trouble sleeping, because he had gotten so used to not getting much sleep. Vanessa has to deal with being a solo divorced mum whose relationship with former boyfriend, Ray (James McDonald), went to the dogs some time ago, and who has to deal with being a one-handed cripple, who can't accept help even from friendly strangers like Cary (Jeffrey Nordling). Tommy has to deal with his father, who's a good guy but a bit dense and simple; a former buddy who's gone mentally AWOL for a number of reasons, and whose rage focuses on his former girlfriend who isn't interested in him anymore; as well as Tommy's own nagging guilt feelings at leaving his fellow soldiers behind to fight, while his own life's become 'safe'—in a manner of speaking.The problems at home would have appeared trivial in comparison to those these three faced while in the warzone. But they're not, because all problems and their magnitude are relative. Still, all of them have this notion that they don't fit, all for apparently different reasons—they all are the same.Irwin Winkler's direction and the script focuses on the ways in which it might be possible to overcome those problems; the manner in which those exposed to the brutalities of war may be redeemed and become, if not 'normal', but at least 'adapted' to life outside a warzone again. In the process the movie is careful to lay open the mood in the US with regards to the Iraq war; both sides of it, and with equal and evenhanded fairness. In the process it avoids making what amounts to a judgment, because that's not what what this movie is all about. It has much more the air of Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, which also focused on soldiers, rather than politics; all the time acknowledging that there were political issues, but they were at another level and sometimes had to be put aside—with the notable exception of a certain, entirely justified, cynicism toward all politicians; as well as all those who basically don't end up having to put themselves in harm's way—except maybe in an election, which hardly compares.The solutions offered by the film are fairly simple, and they have to do with love, understanding, consideration and appreciation; not just as carried out by the professional machinery of organized 'rehabilitation', but by the only ones who can do this in a sustained way: family, friends, neighbors and so on, in an ever-widening circle. And this isn't happening, by and large, though the movie suggests that it might. Sometimes. For the lucky ones. Because, as far as the fate of returned soldiers these days are concerned, all three main protagonists in HotB qualify as 'fortunate'. One would wish that it were more than a few.The editing of this film is interesting and fits with the need to follow the fates of three separate lives without too much discontinuity as the focus shifts from one person to another and another and back again. It's also difficult to tell the passage of time, but once one gets used to it, it flows easily enough. The moving shots in the warzone contrast with the many static ones 'at home'. Short scenes alternate with long ones in deft timing. The pacing is thoughtful and measured. At the end there are more questions unanswered than at the beginning. Which is as it should be.
Home of the brave
posted on 13 Mar 2009In fact I expected to see another patriotic movie about "the heroic, liberating" battles of the American army in Iraq, but I was surprised.I think the movie is extraordinary because of the aspect in which the war is revealed.Not about the victory or lose of battle on the field but losing the battle with yourself with your fears and traumas you cannot overcome for life.I think maybe this film is misunderstood to a significant extent by most people who had never been in the army, because they can never be aware of the shock and stress on the battlefield and the anti-social effect upon you when you are in the army and you don't think about daily problems, but you only struggle to survive and the only hope that keeps you going is one day to get home, see your family, friends, relatives.But in the battlefield when your only dream and hope is to get home, you make it perfect and ideal in your dreams, and of course the next is step is the disappointment and depression when you get back and see that instead of sympathy for your suffers you meet hate, instead of gratitude you meet indifference.And as in life people forget quick, you are also forgotten, as all your friends you left in the desert.Maybe that is the strong point of the movie - the clearly universal human reveal of what war brings along and that the romantic and heroic is left behind the hatred and desperation.You are called no war hero - but war criminal.But it is also not only government, institutions and army guilty about the war, but all society because it elected and supported this government.As some of my colleagues and some boys I don't know from our brigade, that never came home, and for all young men that never lived to see their home again I rate this movie 10.And I think they deserve respect as humans, that went to fight for a cause, that they did not choose to fight for.But better fight for something than live for nothing.The history shall judge if their sacrifice was in vain.
No wonder it disappeared from theaters
posted on 05 Mar 2009First Sam Jackson makes too many movies--his character here is one dimensional and his anger at his gorgeous wife hard to understand. None of the characters in this movie has any plot development and the movie ends with no real point or focus. 50 cent has about 5 scenes in the movie--none of them any good and they could have left him out completely. Jessica Biel wasn't bad and her characters story has the most potential. But she flops around emotionally in this movie and winds up where you don't expect. In the end though her biggest problem is she is just too beautiful to be believable as a soldier serving in Iraq.This movie looks like it was slapped together just to get it out while the War is still going. It's about as good as your typical Lifetime tearjerker--but certainly not worthy of the big screen.
"A" for effort
posted on 01 Mar 2009I first saw the trailer for this movie over a year ago, I was intrigued because there's been scant attention paid to military action since 9/11 in Hollywood. I saw a poster for this movie in the theater, but wasn't sure if I was too busy or it never showed up but I missed it there.Let's just saw I finally watched this movie using "alternative" sources. The film follows four Iraqi vets back in the states and the effects of the war upon them. It's heart was in the right place, but there was too much crammed into a single film. Sam Jackson has a drinking problem after serving as a combat surgeon, Jessica Beil loses a hand to an IED, 50 Cent slowly flips out because of VA issues, and the other guy is on countless meds because of PTSD. Any one of the four would've made an interesting movie in itself, but total there was too much going on with their four lives intermingling through out the movie. Like I said, they tried, but just too much going on.Being in the Army certain things drove me crazy, like any scene with 50 Cent wearing a beret. What was up with that? Obviously they had military folks that helped out with uniforms and the like, but no one knows how to wear a beret? Just take the damn thing off if you cant get it right will you Hollywood? The combat scenes were adequate, not what I'd call "infantry tactics" but believable for the movie.Looking down the road and seeing the spate of anti war films coming this one maybe viewed as being one of the most pro-soldier films, just a pity it was done like this.
Not An Original Film But A Realistic, Powerful Look at Us Soldiers in Iraq
posted on 10 Jan 2009After reading some of the early reviews for the movie on this website, I went into it with some fairly low expectations. However, by the film's end, I had a different take.This story is by no means original in its plot or take. If you're looking for an original war film, look elsewhere. A lot of this movie is very clichéd but that's not to say that it's a bad thing. This movie is mainly an after-the-war film, so those looking for a true war movie need not look here. This film focuses heavily on the psychological aspects of war and the damage war can do to the human psyche.The material in this movie is very realistic. I think the film accurately portrays the struggle of soldiers returning home from Iraq and serves as an eye-opener for people who do not know what it's like to be "over there." Be it as it may, the subject matter is a little slow but very, very sad and powerful at it's core. PTSD seems to be an overlooked area of soldiers returning from war, and I think this movie shines a lot of light on the importance of offering psychological support. I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in the politics of the war or the war in particular. There is some very good material in the movie, the acting was not superb but still well-done nonetheless, and the message isn't biased like one may have expected.If anyone is weary of seeing this movie due to "50 Cent's" role in the film, you really needn't be concerned. 50 Cent's role is fairly limited in the movie and his acting isn't nearly as bad as the reviews would have you believe, though you can tell he has a ways to go when you look at the other polished members of the mostly-veteran cast.
Home of the Brave Movie Review from MoviePulse.net
posted on 06 Jan 2009Varied messages and skewed perspectives abound in this calamity of Iraqi war aftermath victims. Home of the Brave has good intentions and controversial subject matter, but it doesn't translate into an entertaining bit of cinema. Actors such as Samuel L. Jackson who usually churn out admirable performances are left with nothing to work with due to an obnoxious script and meager supporting characters; asinine dialogue carelessly peppers this defenseless cinematic convoy.Home of the Brave revolves around four soldiers who return home after a lengthy tour in Iraq. Will Marsh (Samuel L. Jackson) is a medical captain who is haunted by the lost lives he could not save. Vanessa Price (Jessica Biel) is a military cargo driver who loses her hand in a roadside explosion, and must readjust her life around her scathing injury. Tommy Yates (Brian Presley) is a specialist who deals with the torment of watching his childhood friend die in his arms from an Iraqi insurgent, and Jamal Aiken (Curtis Jackson) must cope with the accidental shooting of an Iraqi woman during the firefight that ensues after their convoy is ambushed. All four soldiers crumble under the hardships of adjusting to their old lifestyles and the dour impact the war has caused.Back in 1946 a little film called The Best Years of Our Lives garnered eight Academy Award nominations and seven wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. Its premise was heartwarming, the acting superb, and the tearjerker moments abundant. War torn veterans return home to discover a changed world that was unsympathetic and ignorant of the atrocities that took place during World War II. Home of the Brave is essentially a remake of that film, replacing WWII with the current Iraqi war. The exception of course, is that Home of the Brave fails to generate even the mildest drama and human emotion evoked from the 1946 classic.The film begins with predictable action reminiscent of the least impressive scenes from Black Hawk Down. Explosions and gunfire rattle the crumbling walls of the Iraqi city. But poor timing and ill-contrived slow motion shots clutter the already bland action. On top of that, the acting is abhorrent. While Samuel L. Jackson and Brian Presley make a decent attempt, they simply don't have much to work with. Curtis Jackson is horribly miscast; his character is pointless, nonsensical and nearly unintelligible. Biel also hands in an uninspiring role with ludicrous dialogue. Her rubbery hand prosthetics are continuously used in unintentionally hilarious scenes with laughable quips which further mock her handicap and the seriousness of losing limbs. Understanding and connection with the characters is never established and therefore the audience is left questioning how they should feel about the situations depicted.The major political themes in the film are also ambiguous and conflicting at times. Marsh defends his son's anti-war mindset even though he willingly participated and supported the war. Nearly the entire film shows the negative aspects of war and the uncompromising and depressing inner conflicts each character suffers with. And yet at the conclusion the mood abruptly circles toward support of the war and those who can no longer live without the pressing sense of camaraderie. Yates is so distraught and uncomfortable in adapting himself into his previous lifestyle that his only choice is to go back to the harsh conflicts in Iraq where he understands the soldiers and their need to fight for what they believe in. Why push the negative outlook, only to resolve with Yates' unexplainable drive to reenlist? Is the film defending the war or criticizing it? Apparently it doesn't know.While veterans and those familiar with the crippling aspects of combat may relate to the characters or situations, unfortunately, like the families of soldiers who stay behind and maintain their normal lives, general audiences won't find anything fulfilling or noteworthy about this movie. The pilfered plot from a far superior film, the absurd dialogue and the mediocre acting all contribute to a generic war film that will certainly be passed up as soon as its one week theatrical run deceases.- Mike Massie
Home (bitter)sweet home
posted on 05 Dec 2008I can see why some people kinda hate this movie. It's a drama that could've been made for TV. It shows American soldiers returning back home and not their victims life and/or point of view. But the movie doesn't try to make a political statement about the war, it does however try (and achieve to a certain extent imho) to show us the tragic (after)life of a soldier. Yes Flags of our Fathers (C. Eastwood) is a better/superior picture in that respect, but that doesn't mean that Home of the Brave isn't at least good! While there is no full attack on/against the war (excuse the pun), certain moments do criticize the events. What really made this movie watchable for me, were the actors. The main actors did a good job conveying their trauma, fear and rage. While that might not be enough for many people, I did like what I saw. I liked the movie and the discussions here show that it affects people (even if it is in a bad way) and they keep talking about it. Although some conversations go to far, this only adds to the attraction/appealing of the movie ... whether you like it or not!
Vanilla-flavored war drama...
posted on 29 Nov 2008Direction, acting, production values... everything here is decent. Yet, this movie is as stale as can be. The primary fault lies on an unoriginal story that refrains from controversy. But there are so many clichés and following of conventions here, that it becomes extremely difficult to care or to enjoy plot developments that are heavy-handed and telegraphed to the audience.And as much as the dramatic scenes at home lack punch, I must say the scenes back on the battlefield felt totally uninspired. Like something you would tack on a b-movie.Some tremendous performances, or a last script brush might have saved the film from being a forgettable one but alas, everybody here seems content to go through the motions. In the end, the fault lies primarily on poor writing and unengaged direction.I applaud Irwin Winkler for attempting to tell a story without relying on Hollywood action and by concentrating on the drama surrounding the characters. Unfortunately, the drama here is not really good and even though movies like Stop-Loss and Lions for Lambs have more distracting plot treads, they nonetheless nail better dramatic moments and have us care about the characters a little more.
Boy, this movie stunk.
posted on 30 Aug 2009Look before you leap. I watched this on the assumption that it was a re-make of the classic 1949 "Home of the Brave." Big mistake. If you want a more honest, emotional, homecoming movie, watch "Coming Home" (1978.) There's lots of war films better than this film--hell, "Halls of Montezuma" (1951) is better than this film. In "Montezuma" you at least get Richard Widmark chewing the scenery and Jack (Dragnet) Webb showing his stuff. As for 50 Cent...well, I hope to God no other producer suddenly decides they need him for name value because HE CAN'T ACT, for the love of Christ! And maybe someday Samuel L. Jackson will stop phoning in his performances, or at least work with a director who can bring out his best.