Taking Chance

By: Megan Arnall

To quote the Great Mark Hofmeyer, “You would really have to be a jerk to hate this movie.”  I couldn’t agree more.  So maybe I watched this movie the night that it premiered on HBO (this is an HBO original film) and just maybe I have seen it several times since but I’m not biased.  I am simply convinced in the quiet power of this movie.  

 

Emotional, educational, hopeful and American to the core.  Taking Chance was the most-watched HBO original movie in the past five years, over two million viewers watched its premiere.  Critics attribute this success to the movie being apolitical. The critics make that sound like a bad thing, honestly I am tired of movies and Hollywood trying to shove their political opinions in my face.  TC focuses on how great Americans can be.  The way that people from all different ages, races, professions, military or not come together for support when one of our people falls is depicted in a stunning and intimate way.

 

What I really appreciate about this story is that it is about discovery not implied sadness. The story comes from the point of view of a man who didn’t really realize what he was getting himself into when he took on the responsibility of taking a fallen young soldier home.  As the story goes along, you are discovering that what Lieutenant Colonel Mike Strobl is much bigger than him.This is a relatively short film, take 80 minutes out of your week to appreciate a beautifully shot, understatedly acted tribute to the character of the American people. I hope you feel great about the people around you after watching this.

Fact:

• Strobl lived these experiences and wrote the essay that would become this movie.  When watching the special features on the dvd, you see that exact quotes from Chance’s friends are woven into the film.