Taking Chance, 2009

Taking Chance, 2009
Director: Ross Katz
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Tom Aldredge


Taking Chance in short: Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. Stage: Home theatre

Preps: just another one waiting in the line. Taking chance is a promising title..


Reality: Well, the title turns out to market something completely else. Taking a chance as a phrase would be something completely else as Taking mr. Chance home. Which is what movie is all about. Or dare I say the mainstream of the movie. In my opinion (and it changes a bit every now and then, when I think about this, the movie could easily be antimarketing for the war that is happening in Iraq. And the termination / or everlasting question: wtf are the americans doing there? From political perspective, I cannot be the judge. But you have thousands of people, wasting time and governmental money just for some of them to turn out dead. And then be escorted in a fine coffin (the red line of this piece) with a fancy soldier, that is pretending to give a damn and giving the belongings of the deceised to his family.
No true virtues are in this act, being loyal to one's mind is for sure under question here. Is being normal and demanding a family or a happy life without one so bad? THe people feeling really bad for not serving the country in this endless dispute with the Iraquis, this is lame for sure. Noone should feel bad for not wanting to be a part of the war. I am against all wars in all the countries and I feel they just feed the political hunger in some countries or some people, on the other hand they exploit civilians and make them serve. The brave decision makers of course sit in their offices, and are not the ones having their head on the market.

The movie, furthermore, increases the amount of negativism in me towards the drama being pulled off for one person. I am not aware of the number of casualties in this war, but if they really pull off a drama like that and pull out patriotism all the time (all the generations in the family serving, one in Vietnam, the other in Iraq).. well, this is sad, pathetic, depressive.. and expensive. For all the parties involved. So in one sense, the movie shows some kind of weird tribute that I am not sure all the soldiers were treated this nice way. And in the end.. what does a nice coffin bring? nothing. You should instead live a nice life, not a war.


My personal rating: 2,0 (for the contribution to the identification of wars being stupid and male-stupidity- driven. I have several friends that are also in the army. They will personalize with this completely, I am sure. But for me.. a waste of time. Like wars.)


Taking Chance on IMDB