'The Tillman Story'

'The Tillman Story' (R) (3 1/2 stars)

"The Tillman Story" is a powerful and well done documentary that made me angry. It should make others angry also at our government, our military and the media. Pat Tillman was a hard hitting and talented football player who started his college career at Arizona State. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals pro football team and was going to be rewarded with a lucrative contract extension. He turned down the offer and enlisted in the military after 9/11 happened. This was something that shocked a lot of people but Tillman thought it was his duty to fight for his country. Tillman first went to Iraq and then after his first tour he was then taken to Afghanistan. During a battle Tillman was shot and killed and the media and the military called him a hero when he saved other soldier's lives during an ambush. He was shot and killed and the government wanted to honor him as a hero at his funeral. Pat Tillman's family and mother really wanted a private funeral and knew that Pat wouldn't want this government funeral because he was a private person. We get to know Pat through his family and friends and after a half hour we know that we really like Pat Tillman. He is funny, charming, humble and had a good heart. His mother was strong and his family was decent and just normal. When news came out that Pat's death was an accident and a case of friendly fire the government and military tried to cover it up. At this point after the family explains the deception and how the government and military covered the accident up I got really angry.

What you have here is a military that takes a normal soldier and treats him above every other soldier just because he was a sports star. Then when they find out the death was an accident they try to cover it up because nothing like this should happen and people shouldn't find out about it. This documentary made me angry and also choked me up mostly because Pat's family are decent and good people that were being lied to and manipulated by a military that can only be seen in a positive light. Something like what happened to Pat shouldn't be reported by the media or told to the public. Not only is the military culpable for this twisted view but the media can't even do the right thing. They are great at reporting a hero's death but when it is found out that Pat's death was a bad accident they seem to bury the lead. The movie does a great job at making us like and care about Pat and his family. It also does a powerful job at digging into the lies and deceit that our government gave to the Tillman's. This deceit is even seen to go all the way up to our military generals and even our President. Don't even get me started on how our worst president ever and his arrogant military had screwed up the war in Iraq. That is not the point of this movie though for I see this movie as simply trying to get to the bottom of this tragedy. The filmmakers just want justice for a simply good man and his strong and loving family. That the government and military couldn't have the balls to do what they could to ease this family's pain is a travesty. It is an indictment of our government that to me they come off as sniveling cowards when all they needed to do was listen, care and help the family find the truth. This is a strong and powerful movie that needed to be told and is told well.

P.S. It is also a travesty that this movie received an R rating for only a few F words. A PG-13 would suffice because now younger movie goers can't see a movie that they should see especially kids who want to fight for their country. Don't get me started on an indictment of the ratings system either for it is a joke also.