Home of the Brave (2006)

Director:

Irwin Winkler

Writers (WGA):

Mark Friedman (screenplay)
Mark Friedman (story) ...

Release Date:

1 March 2007 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

Coming home is the real battle.

Plot:

Three soldiers struggle to readjust to life at home after returning home from a lengthy tour in Iraq.

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Voice Over Narration | Family Dinner | M A S H | Comradery

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson	...	Will Marsh
Jessica Biel	...	Vanessa Price
Brian Presley	...	Tommy Yates
50 Cent	...	Jamal Aiken (as Curtis Jackson)
Christina Ricci	...	Sarah Schivino
Chad Michael Murray	...	Jordan Owens
Victoria Rowell	...	Penelope Marsh
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Cary (as Jeff Nordling)
Vyto Ruginis	...	Hank Yates
Sam Jones III	...	Billy Marsh
James MacDonald	...	Ray
Sandra Nelson	...	V.A. Hospital Doctor
Jack Serino	...	Pvt. Shar
Brendan Wayne	...	Spc. Pendilla
Mohamed Zinathlah	...	Amad Kamal

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence and language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | Morocco

Language:

English | Spanish | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Morocco

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the one soldier decides to re-enlist, as he is saying goodbye to his parents and getting into the taxi, the cover he puts on is an older style Navy/Marine Corps 8-point cover.

Quotes:

Police Sergeant: Been in there for about an hour. Kept asking for you.

Movie Connections:

References "Band of Brothers" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Try Not to Remember

The War Inside

The War Inside, November 6, 2007 By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) HOME OF THE BRAVE is one of those films that is difficult to critique: the message of how war permanently alters the minds and bodies of soldiers and their families is a meaningful one and one about which we need to be reminded. Irwin Winkler has made some good films (DeLovely, Life as a House, Guilty by Suspicion), but in this film he seems to be working against the script by Mark Friedman which has a tendency to oversimplify emotions and thus loses its impact.

The film begins in Iraq where each of the main characters is at least tangentially connected. Dr. Will Marsh (Samuel L. Jackson) is in a truck driven by Vanessa (Jessica Biel) and accompanied by soldiers Tommy (Brian Presley) and Jamal (50 Cent AKA Curtis Jackson) when a roadside bomb explodes, maiming the hand of Vanessa, killing Tommy's best friend, making Jamal witness unnecessary civilian deaths, and placing Will in an impotent position as a doctor. Flash forward to Spokane, Washington where each of these four wounded people try to piece their lives together in a world that loathes the Iraq war (not at all unlike the treatment of soldiers returning from the unpopular Vietnam debacle), trying to make sense of it all.

The problem with the good idea for a movie lies in the too traditional plot lines. The actors (especially Presley and Biel) give it their all, but credibility enters and the smoke rises and we are left with a misplaced patriotism. The message is strong: the delivery of it is shaky. Grady Harp