Home of the Brave - R

Iraq war vets cope with big issues; not for kids.

Rating: R for war violence and language. Studio: Metro-goldwyn-mayer Pictures Directed By: Irwin Winkler Cast: Jessica Biel, Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson Running Time: 105 minutes Release Date: 05/10/2007 Genre: Drama

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this serious drama deals with difficult issues faced by veterans of the Iraq war, including post-traumatic stress disorder, phantom pain, alcoholism, and lack of stateside resources. War violence -- including shooting and explosions (mortars, grenades, rockets, and disguised bombs) -- results in bloody injuries, deaths, and upset survivors. At home, characters suffer from flashbacks, nightmares, emotional disturbances, and physical disabilities. Family members argue, and characters swear frequently, smoke cigarettes, drink, and take/discuss prescription drugs.

Families can talk about the media's coverage of the war in Iraq. How does the movie's treatment of the issues compare to what you see on television? Do you think one version is more accurate and/or objective than the other? Why and how? How is the media's coverage of the Iraq war different from -- and similar to -- coverage of other wars and conflicts? Families can also discuss how war affects veterans and their families. What issues do the veterans in this movie grapple with once they come home? How do their families struggle to support them? How are these challenges different for men and women, for parents and children?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Cynthia Fuchs

Timely and moving but frustratingly contrived, HOME OF THE BRAVE is like The Best Years of Our Lives for the Iraq war, tackling the difficult issues faced by returning veterans. Opening in Iraq -- where a group of National Guardsmen from Spokane, Wash., is looking forward to going home in two weeks (after their tours have been extended more than once) -- the movie shows the effects of combat and loss on strong young men and women, as well as the toll on their families.

A harrowing battle scene starts things off. A final supply run in Al Hayy leads to an ambush: When Jamal (50 Cent) and his best friend, Jordan (Chad Michael Murray), take off after their attackers, they meet with terrible consequences. Convoy driver Vanessa (Jessica Biel) loses her hand, and medic Will Marsh (Samuel L. Jackson) feels angry and helpless in the face of senseless carnage.

Once the unit goes home, the clichés come fast and furiously, competing with images viewers will likely recognize from the news. The film's too-neat array of traumas includes Jamal being haunted by his own act of violence, Tommy (Brian Presley) by the death of a best friend, and others by guilt, flashbacks, and resentment at the military's lack of understanding and care.

And things don't get much better. When Will's wife, Penelope (Victoria Rowell), asks, "What happened over there?" he accuses her of not really wanting to know. "You don't want to get your hands dirty with the details," he says. As hard as it is for her to understand, it's even harder for him to articulate what he's feeling. A solid patriot who resents his son anti-war protestations, Will takes to self-medicating with alcohol.

At the same time, single mom Vanessa is increasingly distanced from her family and her coworkers. Once a high school track coach, her prosthetic hand now leaves her unable to pick up a ball that rolls on the track -- or even dress her young son.

But Jamal's situation is the most painfully stereotypical. Rejected by his girlfriend and frustrated by the repetitive complaints he hears in group therapy, Jamal tries to reassert his manhood. Since the film leaves Jamal high and dry (his fellow vets get family and friends), he appears angry and alone, stalking his ex or shifting unhappily in his chair at the Veterans' Administration. He's a peculiar figure, part fantastic and part fearsome -- a gangster trained and used up by the military ("I like my gun," he says tearfully during one crisis), then left without any recourse.

Viewers looking for more about the Iraq war might enjoy the F/X TV series Over There (available on DVD). For other movies about veterans returning home, try Coming Home, The Deer Hunter, and the outstanding Born on the Fourth of July.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Kissing in bed precedes a cut to a post-sex couple lying in bed; kissing and caressing between couple (bra visible); nothing explicit.
Violence The film begins in Iraq, during the war. Scenes include urban combat and ambush (a bomb disguised as a dead dog blows up a U.S. convoy, leaving bloodied bodies, and there are shoot-outs, foot and vehicle chases, and explosions). Flashbacks throughout the film repeat scenes of explosions and wounded soldiers, including Vanessa's bloody hand/missing fingers. Several scenes show the aftermath of war injuries, as Vanessa struggles with her prosthetic hand and physical therapy. Some difficult discussions of war experiences (killing others, seeing friends killed). Attempted hostage-taking ends in a police shooting death.
Language Frequent use of "f--k," plus other language -- "s--t," "hell," "damn," "bitch," "p---y," "a--hole." A rude hand gesture is used; a T-shirt reads "Buck Fush."
Message
	Social Behavior Iraq war veterans return home to face an unprepared VA hospital, frustrated and loving families, and a lack of social and economic options.
	Commercialism Amstel light, REI, Sun Chips.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Cigarette smoking (frequent); beer drinking; alcoholism (a veteran is abusive, angry, and miserable); discussion of prescription drugs (for pain, insomnia, and depression).