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Posted: |
Feb 23, 2009 - 12:11 PM
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By: |
Ron Pulliam
(Member)
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I saw this tremendously moving HBO film Saturday night. It is a true story.
Kevin Bacon stars as Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl who works a desk job in Quantico VA. He is a "Desert Storm" veteran but he has not put in for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He's content returning home each day to his wife and children.
And yet...he feels a sense of missing his "moment" as a Marine. And it is this sense of needing to be a part of the Iraq/Afghanistan conflict that compels him to request an assignment that is becoming more and more frequent -- escort duty for a fallen Marine.
PFC Chance Phelps, only 19 years old, is the fallen Marine and Mike Strobl is assigned to get Phelps from the mortuary in Dover, Delaware, to Phelps' final resting place in Dubois, Wyoming.
While it is Phelps whose presence is always sensed, Bacon is the film's central figure -- stoic and a bit taken aback at what he encounters at every turn. The emotional guts of this film come from the supporting players: The woman who cleans Phelps' body, the Marines who prepare Phelps' uniform and ribbons before the man is placed in his casket, the people who move the Marine's remains from warehouse to aircraft to hearse and all the people that Strobl meets in the course of "taking Chance" back home. At every turn, Strobl is there watching over Chance Phelps...and so, too, are everyday Americans, doing their regular jobs, including this one task -- transporting the remains of a fallen Marine and trying to express, in the best way they can, their grief over this young man and their gratitude to the officer serving as escort. It is the many layers of reaction Bacon has to them that makes his portrayal really great...and greatly real.
Bacon is the "real deal" as a Marine throughout this film, IMO. It is what people say to him, how they say it and his genuinely "real" reactions to their words and actions that move the viewer. And, of course, it's Bacon who, bit by bit, begins to let us inside his head and feel what he is feeling. In effect, "taking Chance" to his final duty station is as cathartic for the viewer as it is for his escort.
The supporting cast is wonderful and filled with recognizable faces, such as Tom Wopat (as Phelps' father) and Gordon Clapp, et.al. Most of their names were unknown to me. I'll not forget their performances, though.
The underscore is by Marcelo Zarvos. I was so moved that I do not recall "noticing" it during the film, but its theme was beautifully played during the end credits.
I cannot recommend this HBO film highly enough to each of you. Check your HBO listings for an air time and check it out
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Based on this recommendation from Ron Pulliam I ordered a copy of this. It arrived yesterday, but I probably won't get a chance to look at it until the weekend -- getting some uninterrupted TV viewing time can be a challenge around here! Montana Dave's review on the other board makes me doubly sure the purchase was a good move. And then there's Kevin Bacon - one of my favorites to begin with. Can't wait to take a look at this one.
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