Home of the Brave

Plot synopsis:
Shortly after learning their unit will soon return home, American soldiers Lt. Col. William Marsh (Samuel L. Jackson), SGT Vanessa Price (Jessica Biel), SPC Tommy Yates (Brian Presley), SPC Jamal Aiken (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) and PVT Jordan Owens (Chad Michael Murray) are sent on a final humanitarian mission to bring medical supplies to a remote Iraqi village. On the way they are caught in an ambush by insurgents. The forward vehicles of the convoy are trapped in the narrow street where they are forced to fight the attackers. The rear vehicles manage to escape the initial barrage by taking a side-street, only to be met with an improvised explosive device hidden in the carcass of a dead dog. SGT Price, the driver, is seriously wounded, having been somewhat protected from the blast by her front seat passenger who is killed instantly. While pursuing the young boys who left the bomb along with other attackers, a soldier in their team is shot and killed. When Aiken, Yates and Owens head out to shoot down the attackers, Aiken trips on loose bricks from a broken wall and injures his back, so Yates and Owens continue on alone to find the shooters in a graveyard.
Wounded in the leg, Yates falls behind as Owens races after the shooter, thinking he knows the shooter's position. But the shooter has moved, and Owens is shot from behind. The shooter escapes before Yates can move forward to attack. Yates comes upon Owens, who is bleeding profusely from his wounds, but it is too late. Owens dies in Yates's arms.
At a field hospital, a mortar attack injures multiple personnel and destroys many vehicles. The medical staff is struggling to address the urgent care required of the wounded and dying as mortars rain down upon the compound. A young soldier carries his squad-mate into the trauma care ward. When the doctor (Samuel L. Jackson), turns to address another soldier's wounds, the man draws a Beretta side arm and threatens to shoot Dr. Marsh if he doesn't take care of the dying soldier right away. Another squad-mate comes up and pulls the threatening soldier away.
Price and Aiken are each transported via medevac helicopter to a field hospital, where Price loses her right hand to amputation. Aiken survives his wounds, and returns to the unit when they rotate back to the states. Price is remanded to a formal hospital for physical therapy and fitting for a non-functioning rubber hand.
Upon returning home, each of the main characters struggles to deal with their transition back to civilian life. Price struggles with day-to-day things, like learning to unbutton her clothing with only one hand while trying to resume her job as a crippled P.E. teacher and a one-handed basketball coach. Tommy struggles with employment, having lost his job at a gun shop during his deployment. His father pushes him towards the police academy, but Tommy, witnessing the self-destruction of Jamal who had become frustrated and angry at being denied VA benefits for his back injury and the rejection of a girlfriend, walks out of the academy's entrance exam.
Dr. Marsh begins to slip into self-destructive behavior as his son, angry about the senselessness of the war and what it's done to his family, gets into trouble at school. Drunk on Thanksgiving Day, Marsh brings home three yard workers for dinner to the dismay of his wife and family and afterwards his wife catches him in his study with a loaded pistol, implying that he was contemplating suicide. He agrees to go to therapy for PTSD, where he reveals that he doesn't feel any emotion over the soldiers that died, but as a doctor he believes he should. The conflict had slowly eaten away at him until he couldn't control it anymore.
Jamal is shot and killed by the police at the small fast-food diner where his girlfriend worked; a result of him taking her and her co-workers hostage when he brought a pistol to the diner to force her to talk to him. The doctor's wife reaffirms her love for him and that she will help him through his counseling. Price finds new love in another coach at her school, whom she had rejected when she had first returned because she was still trying to transition back to her life. Tommy, after an emotional outburst at his father's shop, decides to re-enlist.
As the movie ends, Marsh's son is happily playing in a soccer match at the school where Price teaches. She introduces her new boyfriend to Dr. Marsh's wife and confirms dinner plans with them. The scene changes to show Tommy going through basic training again, then continuing to patrol the streets of Iraq so that other soldiers won't have to go through what he's been through.
Prior to the credits, a quote of Niccolò Machiavelli appears briefly: "Wars will begin where you will, but they do not end where you please."

Tags: thought-provoking, violence, boring, action, flashback

Review:
It is, without question, an important, thought- and emotion-provoking film, certain to be controversial.Regardless of its merits, "Home" is brave, worthwhile, even admirable in its pioneering coverage of 150,000 soldiers "over there," and roughly the same number of returnees, who are trying to return in fact, not only in name.This story of a group of National Guard soldiers from Spokane serving in Iraq and returning home is a schizophrenic experience: you are watching scenes straight out of last night's TV news, and yet feel as if you were back in the 1940s, in the era of "The Best Years of Our Lives" war movies, and the 1970s "Born on the Fourth of July" type Vietnam veteran sagas.Given the subject, it's to Winkler's credit that "Home of the Brave" (a confusing title choice, considering the many movies with that name) remains firmly neutral about the current debate central to all politics.
After suspenseful (and depressing) Iraqi war scenes, shot in Morocco by Tony Pierce-Roberts, in a remarkably focused way that allows rare visual clarity in the midst of combat confusion, the film shifts to Spokane.There, we follow - among many others - the lives of a combat surgeon (Samuel L.
Feeding off of the topical debates over the war in iraq, the script is ridden with clichés and feels like a Lifetime Movie gone wrong.
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.
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.
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.
Quite a few members of the convoy are injured or killed and one of the vehicles gets hit with an IED before the convoy is able to escape to safety.This all takes place in the first 20 minutes of the movie, and the rest of the movie is what happens when the group returns stateside, and the effects of this one incident on each of them.What makes this film noteworthy is that it sheds light on an issue that isn't commonly addressed in films about war, and more particularly the war in Iraq: namely, the difficulties that National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers face upon returning home from an overseas tour.There is just no way to relate to what happens in war, the unimaginable horror and sheer brutality and cruelty of it, but yet somehow there is an expectation that these citizen-soldiers can somehow just come home and magically reintegrate back into their former lives as if nothing ever happened.The movie shows so beautifully how it is probably often not possible for this to happen because people who have lived through these kinds of experiences are changed forever.
At the end of the movie, one of the characters comes to the conclusion that the only place where he even feels "normal" anymore is back in Iraq, and he re-enlists for another tour, choosing the comfort of hell over the agony of pretending everything is okay.War IS hell, there's no denying it, and our amazing heroes in the Armed Forces have been living with this for years now, thankfully with steady backing and support from the rest of the country.
The film is made in a very proactive way, i hope people will learn from this movie, the pain, of all whom live, die and suffer from war.
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.
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..
But this makes vets appear to be crazy people, virtually out of control, which is absurd and which doesn't engender the kind of respect for their sacrifice and for the honor they deserve for serving their country -- and in fact for returning here and being positive contributors to society, in the wide majority.In all, this movie is too cliché and what you would expect from those who seem to oppose only wars their chosen political parties don't start or often try to blame on someone else.
I just wanted to see it because of the actors (Samuel L Jackson, Jessica Biel, Chad Michael Murray and 50 cent).You should know one thing before considering of seeing this movie; This is not a war movie, It's a drama.
This movie is about 4 persons life after the war of Iraq, how they deal with their problems after the war, and how bad the society treats the ex-soldiers.
Now, granted i only saw about parts of this film (as it is, my father had it on, and i was in the basement working on a project), from what i did see, it was just so grating.Perhaps this movie was directed towards certain people so they can have something to watch, and feel better about themselves, or perhaps it was directed towards the normal viewer so they can better understand the plight of the soldiers.Whatever, and whoever it was directed towards was irrelevant.
Despite strong actors in Biel and Jackson there is very little acting going on here, seems like a badly made episode of outer-limits if they let a lobotomised martian make a gulf war 2 movie.
Oh it must be terrible to be a soldier and have to actually kill or get killed by people This film is the worst waste of time ever the acting is shoddy and the characters are out of a scriptwriters dream, you have the angry white guy who doesn't get on with his father , the young black man who ens up with a gun , the alcoholic professional and of course the maimed woman Don't go to see this and save your money and time you've been warned....I don't understand how a movie can be pitched and filmed and the whole while the actors director producers etc all know its going straight to the bargain bin at the local wal mart.Samuel l Jackson plays the same angry black man that he has played all through his career.
Next time a movie like this is made, please consult with some REAL soldiers first and stop making us look so bad.
And I liked how it connected everyone for the remainder of the movie, which follows 4 separate veterans and their very different stories as they struggle to readjust to life after returning home from a lengthy tour in Iraq.I was impressed with Jessica Biel here for the first time ever and Samuel L Jackson, damn I had forgotten that the man can actually act, its been so long since I've seen him be anything other than Samuel Mother F'n Jackson, he did a great job.
Thats one of the rare action sequence of the movie and all the rest is a drama about how they have to readjust to there previous lives...Now i will give that to the writers and people involved, the story is not bad, and for the kind of person that do enjoy these types of movies, I'm sure this one is a good one.
Winkler has good intentions with this film, he doesn't try to send a political anti-war message or anything like that but rather focuses on the pain the soldiers have to face when they return home and how difficult adapting can become for them.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters in this film and was disappointed with Winkler's direction.The story follows a group of soldiers in the Iraq War who are pleased to receive the news that their tour of duty is coming to an end in two weeks.
Rowell stood out, ably playing one of the most-unsung heroes of the war, the military wife.Beware, though: after an initial burst of action in the beginning, the pace slows down a great deal, and the movie's focus turns more to character development and examining Veterans' problems, rather than to plot development and resolution.
The most difficult part of facing war is not the actual war itself, but rather how one must come to terms and deal with the images that haunt them--all while attempting to live a normal life amongst friends and family that will never truly understand the trauma that he/she experienced.The central theme of the film is not centered on combat, but rather the effects that combat and post-traumatic stress (a.k.a.
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.
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.
The opening sequence which takes place in Iraq is almost a joke, as at times It felt like it was in East LA, now I don't know where they filmed it, but that's not a good way to start off a film.
After a tour of duty in Iraq a group of soldiers come home and find that life isn't what it used to be.Well acted TV movie bumped up with language and violence, this is a movie with its heart in the right place but with a script that uses short hand and cliché to get its point across.
While I can't add anything to my summary, it requires 10 lines to submit a rating so I have to add more comment.This movie is a major distortion of the Iraq war.It is depressing, bringing out the worst part of any war, and is not representative of what our brave troops do, or what the vast majority of them live with when they return to our country.It is a cliché.It offers the worst of what the Vietnam War offered viewed through the Communist propaganda of that time, pretending to be about a war against the Iraqi people.It is a battle against anti-freedom Sadam supporters and the terrorists that attacked our country.
Thank you but I can make up my own mind!If this was the first film ever made about soldiers returning home from a war and their struggle to fit back into society then it would still be awful, the fact that it's been done countless times before but with much more success makes this a complete stinker and probably a little insulting."I was there....." Yeah it's that bad!.
The scene in the vice-principal's office is well played, and there are a couple of insightful moments, but everything looks too familiar, as if the film has been cobbled together as a kind of homage to the best of previous 'coming home' movies.While no one questions the bravery and dedication of the troops from all countries in places like Afghanistan and Iraq – and there is no suggestion that this film is anything other than a genuine attempt by the makers to depict how it feels to find yourself a stranger in your own land with emotions you can't control or understand – you can't really hope to create a successful film if you're not prepared to allow it to embrace the bigger picture.
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.
That's creepy,such as the girl commenting that so many people here in the States go on with their everyday lives and not once thinking about our servicemen and women in the war zone.That thought has been always with me since I returned.This movie is not about the acting,it's about the message.Watching this film brought tears to my eyes because I understand how our troops feel and the ordeals they faced.I know what it's like to lose fellow soldiers on the battlefield (It's like losing a family member),you become so close to one another there.I'm glad this film does not promote the war or against it,and it also says that us servicemen and women are not bloodthirsty killers,but just ordinary people changed by a traumatic experience..
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.
Poor Tommy Yates (Brian Presley), one of the heroes of the Iraq war drama Home of the Brave, has fallen so far after his return home that the best job he can get is (shudder) working the box office at a movie theatre.
I probably have a different point of view than most reviews, being an actual Iraq War veteran.This movie is quite terrible from the start.
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.
If the movie is about the challenges that soldiers face coming home from a very real war, a more careful hand is required.
"Wars begin where you will, but they do not end where you please." Nice quote, but this is from the same guy who said "Before all else, be armed," "It is better to be feared than loved," and "the end justifies the means." It sounds like I'm making a petty point, but it's illustrative of the lack of depth that this movie has.***SPOILERS END***I know enough people who have been to Iraq and back (or who are still over there) to feel insulted on their behalf.
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..
This movie shows you about the war in Iraq today and is shows it as great as I expected it starts out in the war over in Iraq and moves to the people who survived that were main characters in the movie and tells you how the life is over there its hell and it lets you know as much as it can about what is happening to our soldiers there and when they come home and how you will never be the same again.
There've been several movies that highlight the difficulties soldiers go through when they come back home after whatever war they fought in.