On April 22, 2004, a vehicular breakdown in Afghanistan led to Pat Tillman's unit being divided into two parts and ultimately led to his death by friendly fire. But learning the truth about Pat's death was no easy feat. The family's initial shock, followed by gratitude for the services and support of the military, soon gave way to a series of disappointments and a determination to learn the truth. Amir Bar-Lev's film focuses on the amazing Tillman family and their struggle to learn what caused the death of their brother and son. The Tillmans never tried to gloss over the reality of who Pat Tillman was: a remarkably handsome, risk-taking, athletic and amiable guy that could out-curse and out-play the best of them. He was a solid brother and a loyal family member who loved his country enough to head to war and leave behind a beautiful wife and a lucrative NFL career. His story sounded like the makings of a legend, and that is just what the military tried to do: turn the accidental death of a patriot into propaganda for something else altogether.
Amir Bar-Lev's Documentary Highlights the Tillman Family's Devotion to the Truth
The Tillman Story profiles the courage of a bereaved family and in particular, the passion and devotion of one mother, Dannie Tillman, in her attempts to stop the exploitation of her son's death for political purposes. This story looks beyond the myths of heroism, the problems inherent in a confusing war, issues of friendly fire, and the true cost of war for the young that are lost as well as their families. The film looks at sinister motives in using a famous recruit to seduce more young men and women into an unpopular and unsavory war in a distant land, a war that has caused a nation to become divided, to become increasingly indebted, to become dependent on only a relatively few families' sacrifices.
The Tillman Story Reveals Character Flaws in a Nation engaged in an Unpopular War
Amir Bar-Lev, who has previously worked on films like Trouble The Waters about Hurricane Katrina, used a lot of still films and old clips of Pat Tillman, interviews with his family and friends, and testimonials from others who were there when Pat was killed. The calculated way in which the military withheld information from the family, deliberately destroyed crucial evidence, and fed lies to the family that he was killed by the Taliban – all offer troubling information about how exploitation of one man in the field took place. It is difficult to witness the falsity of speeches and the manipulation of a grieving family as evidenced in Bar-Lev's film. The viewer is asked to reflect on what heroism is and what kind of price a nation has any right to extract from the families of the fallen. A thoughtful film.
- 98 minutes
- Movie Site
- Rated R
- 2010
Barbara DeGrande - Barbara DeGrande is a writer, film critic, and blogger, with years of experience as a program developer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in ...
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