****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This 2006 film starring Samuel L Jackson, Jessica Biel, Brian Presley and Curtis Jackson deserves more media coverage than it got!Though it never really identified the unit these four characters were in--I suspect they were supposed to National Guard members from the same area. The film showed them in Iraq relaxing, working, playing ball, etc before being told they have to go out on a mission two weeks before they are headed home.What was supposed to be a humanitarian mission turned into an ambush. Several soldiers wounded and killed. Two best friends separated forever. A female driver seriously wounded by an RPG. A doctor who sees far too many wounded military and civilian men, women and children.After they were attacked there are time skips taking each soldier back home. From there the soldiers each faced their own problems. Pain, alcohol and PTSD were all shown in this film. The way the VA helped or hindered each person was also shown.Jessica Biel portrayed a young single mother who was a coach at a high school before going to Iraq. She came home minus a hand and her struggles to overcome this loss was for me the forefront of the movie. However I would have liked her character to have been covered more though she did begin to pick up her life with the help of another coach.Whether or not this was supposed to be a true story or just a compilation of so many soldiers and the things they endured during and following their time at war remains to be seen. I can only say that this is a must see film for all.Of course perhaps now might not be the time for films about current wars. I don't know but I still believe this one should have received more coverage.
