Plot
A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.

Release Year: 2008

Rating: 6.5/10 (11,455 voted)

Critic's Score: 61/100

Director: Kimberly Peirce

Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Storyline
Decorated Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. He tries to resume the life he left behind. Then, against Brandon's will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq, which upends his world. The conflict tests everything he believes in: the bond of family, the loyalty of friendship, the limits of love and the value of honor.

Writers: Mark Richard, Kimberly Peirce

Cast:
Ryan Phillippe - Brandon King
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Tommy Burgess
Rob Brown - Isaac 'Eyeball' Butler
Channing Tatum - Steve Shriver
Victor Rasuk - Rico Rodriguez
Terry Quay - Al 'Preacher' Colson
Matthew Scott Wilcox - Harvey
Connett Brewer - Curtis (as Connett M. Brewer)
Timothy Olyphant - Lt. Col. Boot Miller
Josef Sommer - Senator Orton Worrell
Linda Emond - Ida King
Ciarán Hinds - Roy King
Mamie Gummer - Jeanie
Abbie Cornish - Michelle
Alex Frost - Shorty

Taglines: The bravest place to stand is by each other's side.

Official Website: Official site |

Release Date: 28 March 2008

Filming Locations: Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $4,555,117 (USA) (30 March 2008) (1291 Screens)

Gross: $10,911,750 (USA) (15 June 2008)

Runtime: 112 min

Trivia:
Mark Richard estimated that there were no less than 65 drafts of the script.

Goofs:
Factual errors: The RPG-7, used in the opening fight, shoots a rocket with a booster charge at an initial velocity of 150 m/s. This comes with a cracking sound stronger than a rifle shot and a smoke and fire jet from the back of the pipe to counter the recoil. At a safe 15-20 m from the operator, the rocket engine ignites and further accelerates the rocket to almost the speed of sound. There is no time to react with anything more than a startle response, let alone shout orders and run for cover.

Quotes:
[from trailer]
Passport Issuer: Here's your new ID. If you go, you're gone for good.

not a balanced portrayal.

Rating:

I'm a sergeant in the army and have served 2 tours in Iraq and am preparing to go a third time in December. This film was irresponsible and not balanced in it's portrayal. First off every single soldier has an 8 year commitment. However long your initial enlistment is (3,4 years etc) you then serve the remainder of your time as part of the IRR (indivdual ready reserve). Moreover every single soldier knows about stop loss. It wouldn't have been portrayed the way it was in the movie. He would have known about it ahead of time. They don't tell you the day you get out and make it a surprise. Especially as an E6 a staff sergeant. The combat scene was not realistic. Soldiers guarding a checkpoint WOULD NEVER leave it to chase a vehicle. That is general order no 1 every soldier is taught that from day 1 of basic training. Furthermore the portrayal of PTSD was not wholly accurate. The army has programs in place to treat it. The character played by Joseph Gordon Levitt would not have gotten a bad conduct discharge for breaking a window. He would have received punishment under the uniform code of military justice. For a bad conduct discharge there would have to be a pattern of behavior over a period of time and then every effort would be made to rehabilitate that soldier. The discharge would only come after that had occurred. Finally the scenes of the authorities chasing Ryan Phillipe is BS. The army does not pursue you if you go AWOl. For short awols the soldiers usually receive punishment under UCMJ. For long awols over 30 days the army drops them from the rolls and stops their pay and benefits. If you attempt to get a federal job your name is entered into a database as a deserter. Lastly the final scene is total nonsense. Assuming he was awol less than 30 days he would have been demoted at least 1 grade. He would not have kept his current rank. The soldier was portrayed as a coward. Bottom line. I know personally soldiers in my unit 1 in my squad who have been stop lossed and although they may complain EVERY one of them will do their duty honorably. This movie claims to be pro soldier but it does not portray our soldiers in an honest way and that is dishonoring the memory of all of our soldiers both alive and dead who have served and are still serving over there. Also in response to adx2-1's comment he is right about the policy. 90 days before deployment and 90 days after the unit returns to home station. And under the current dwell time policy it would have been at least a year before he returned. Although it is never stated how long it is suggested that it is less than a year.

Comments: