Last Letters Home - to watch or not to watch

[haddsie]

I was listening to a segment on NPR about this movie on HBO tonight (US only of course) called Last Letters Home. Basically the last letters from US soldiers who were killed in Iraq are read by their recipients. I heard a couple of excerpts and they were really heartbreaking. I was even crying when they were just talking about one of the letters - not even reading it. (Yes, I'm a big baby, but I'm a girl so I don't have to hide it. )

During the segment, some people were calling in and accusing the movie of being purely manipulative and anti-war. The filmmaker, Bill Couturie, was insisting that it is not about manipulation or politics, that it is meant to honor heroes and remind people that this war is not just about how much money it's costing the US or about Democrats or Republicans, but about a LOT of human loss. BTW, he also won a best documentary Oscar for his film Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.

What do you think - unimaginitive manipulation or worthwhile documentary? Will you watch it?

FYI, for those who don't have HBO, apparently in most of the big markets, HBO is "flipping the switch" and allowing basic cable to broadcast it. It's on at 9pm. And it is the film version of a book by the same name.

 

[J.]

I'd watch it if I had HBO.

Why do people think any film/doc/show/article/picture describing the US losses in the war are anti-war or anti-American? If these people are so pro-war, maybe their families should go fight. Or do these people think they are using paintball guns over there?

 

[haddsie]

I'd watch it if I had HBO.

Read the bottom of my post, they're broadcasting it on basic cable too somehow.

 

[haddsie]

Why do people think any film/doc/show/article/picture describing the US losses in the war are anti-war or anti-American? If these people are so pro-war, maybe their families should go fight. Or do these people think they are using paintball guns over there?

I think because it confuses them and makes them wonder if their hero George Bush really is doing the right thing. They'd rather just be told that it's not OK to question war because it makes you un-American and unpatriotic and then they can be happy and go pray for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

 

[J.]

whoops, cool, but what station?

I think something like this would be very interesting. DOes anyone else know any soldiers over there? Two of my fraternity bros are Navy SEALs, and a bunch more were in the Marine reserves, so I'm always kind of worried I'm going to read that they died over there.

 

[haddsie]

whoops, cool, but what station?

I think something like this would be very interesting. DOes anyone else know any soldiers over there? Two of my fraternity bros are Navy SEALs, and a bunch more were in the Marine reserves, so I'm always kind of worried I'm going to read that they died over there.

You have to check with your local cable co. because I think it's still on HBO, but they're just allowing HBO to be shown on regular cable for that one show. This is not happening in a lot of markets, but not all.

I know a couple of ppl from my other forum. One mom who missed most of her daughter's first year of life because she was deployed in Iraq, but she made it home OK. Another woman's husband is there for 2 yrs. voluntarily doing comms. stuff. He's supposedly far from the fighting though and went purely for financial reasons.

 

[NAD]

<-- not of the cable having

Why do people think any film/doc/show/article/picture describing the US losses in the war are anti-war or anti-American? If these people are so pro-war, maybe their families should go fight. Or do these people think they are using paintball guns over there?

Yeah, I hate that accusation. Those people don't like to admit that war is anything but unarmed US soldiers passing out flowers and liberty.

 

[JayKeeley]

The Nazi's were just following orders!!! Oh no, soldiers can't say "no"!!!

 

[lizard]

I'm not going to watch it because it would bother me too much.

 

[lurch70]

other people's misery is always comforting to Americans ... but i will skip this

 

[J.]

other people's misery is always comforting to Americans

Isn't that the sad truth. How else do you explain the Reality Show phenomenon?