I will be talking about many parts of the HBO film below, and there may be some spoilers, so if you haven't seen it yet, do not go below the fold. If you haven't seen it, continue and want to know what I'm talking about, here is the trailer.
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Taking Chance is the first war movie I've seen that didn't show one battle or one shot fired in anger. It is also one of the best war movies I've ever seen.
The film follows the journey of Marine Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (Kevin Bacon) as he escorts the remains of Pfc. Chance Phelps home to his family. The script is based off of a journal the real-life Strobl penned as he accompanied Phelps from Dover Air Force Base to his final resting place in Wyoming.
What immediately stood out to me, from the beginning, is how this is a process happening every day here, and yet we have never seen it. We never see the huge cargo planes that carry the flag-draped caskets opening, nor the meticulous care given to each fallen man and woman. It is truly eyeopening to watch how they care for the remains, washing away as much of the carnage as is possible. In Phelps' case, his remains were not suitable for viewing, and yet they made sure he looked the best he could, his uniform perfect.
We watch as Strobl takes the utmost care to show Phelps the honor he deserves at each transfer point, as if it's the most important mission he'd ever embarked upon. What we also see is how Phelps, even in death, touches ordinary Americans, from the NWA pilot who makes sure he knows the name of the soldier he's carrying in the cargo hold because he remembers every one he's carried, to a baggage handler in Minnesota who offers up some bedding so Strobl can sleep next to the casket in a warehouse instead of leaving Phelps alone at night.
In all honesty, this is the sort of film I think every American needs to see. It's the kind of film that should be shown in every school. In its own way, it's shown me a truer account of the consequences of war than the news-media has in the almost six years we've been in Iraq.
For anyone who's seen Taking Chance, I'd love to hear your responses in the comments.