I write this having just finished watching the movie Taking Chance, because I know myself and if I don’t write it now, the subject matter will be too intense for me to bring myself to revisit it later. I’m exhausted. I knew this movie was one that I should maybe wait until hubby is home to watch, but in many ways I’m glad I watched it now. I love my husband dearly, but he has an amazing knack for ruining movies with off-color jokes… especially if I’m crying. I know he does it to ease the tension, but I’m a wallower… if I’m going to feel something I want to really feel it.
I must say that this is one of the more respectful and poignant war/military movies I’ve ever seen. It felt more like a documentary with actors and a soundtrack… and I mean that in the best of ways. I felt like I was going on the journey with Kevin Bacon’s character, which is a testament to the depth of KB’s acting skills. He was a perfect fit for this part. I wrote down at one point during the movie, “The quietness of KB’s character lent to the respect and reverence.” But it wasn’t just his portrayal, but every single person in the film did an outstanding job. Somewhere there’s a casting director that deserves an award for this one.
As a military wife whose husband is currently deployed, this movie touched me in a very real way. You cannot help but put yourself in the place of this family and wonder what it would be like if that were you. It’s morbid, but I guarantee that all wives who have been around the military for a significant amount of time have replayed some of those scenarios in their head more than once. We can’t help it. But this movie captured that raw emotion so beautifully that you feel honored to have been a part of it at the end. There were a couple times when I had to pause the movie and collect myself before I could move on.
It’s funny though, I think that while it was difficult to watch with my husband still deployed to the Middle East, it was better to have watched it without him here than it would have been with him sitting next to me. My husband has served on the Military Funeral Honors Team in our state for several years, and has buried probably over a thousand veterans. Over that time, he’s become somewhat callous. And I can’t say I blame him. I think in that position, as in many situations in the military, you have to make jokes about it so it doesn’t seem so real and you don’t have to think as much. Had hubby been here watching it, he would’ve joked about the way the casket was held, or critiqued the way they folded the flag (his favorite thing to pick apart), and it would have driven me crazy. As it was, I could almost here him in my head and I chuckled at wildly inappropriate times… luckily I was alone in my house.
I could really go on and on about this movie, but I don’t want to bore you to tears. You can save them to go in the tissues you’ll need to have handy when you watch this film. I still have a crumpled wad of torn up, soggy tissue next to me now. Trust me, you’ll need it.
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