The Messenger (I) (2009)

An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.

Director:

Oren Moverman

Writers:

Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman

Stars:

Ben Foster, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Foster	...	Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery
Jena Malone	...	Kelly
Eamonn Walker	...	Colonel Stuart Dorsett
Woody Harrelson	...	Captain Tony Stone
Yaya Alafia	...	Monica Washington (as Yaya Dacosta)
Portia	...	Mrs. Burrell
Lisa Joyce	...	Emily
Steve Buscemi	...	Dale Martin
Peter Francis James	...	Dr. Grosso
Samantha Morton	...	Olivia Pitterson
Paul Diomede	...	Motorcycle Cop
Jahmir Duran-Abreau	...	Matt Pitterson
Gaius Charles	...	Recruiter Brown
Brendan Sexton III	...	Recruiter Olson
Brian Adam DeJesus	...	Teenager #1 (as Brian DeJesus)

Storyline

While on a recent deployment to Iraq, US Army Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery is injured when an improvised explosive device goes off within close proximity to him. He is back in the States recovering from the more serious of those injuries, including one to his eye and leg. He has resumed a sexual relationship with his long time girlfriend Kelly, despite the fact that she is now engaged to another man who Will knows. With the few months Will has left in his enlistment, the army assigns him to the Casualty Notification Team in his area. Not having a background in counseling, psychology or grief management, he is unsure if he is well suited to this job. He is partnered with a career soldier, Captain Tony Stone, who teaches Will the precise protocol involved in the job. Tony tells Will, who quickly learns by on the job experience, that this job has its own dangers. As Will learns to adapt to the range of emotions of the next of kin, he is unprepared for the reaction of Olivia Pitterson, ...

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Plot Keywords:

recovering alcoholic | sergeant | captain | casualty notification team | ethical dilemma | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 February 2010 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

El mensajero

Filming Locations:

Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$44,523 (USA) (13 November 2009)

Gross:

$1,108,684 (USA) (7 May 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oscilloscope Laboratories, Omnilab Media, Sherazade Film Development

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min 105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Oren Moverman had wanted to have a scene with Will and Tony singing a song but couldn't decide which song to sing, and settled on Home on the Range after hearing the song being played from an ice cream truck while scouting locations. This is then paid homage to after Will's first notification when he's sitting in Will's car and an ice cream truck passes by playing Home on the Range.

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Goofs

(at around 1 min) Capt. Tony Stewart and SSGT Will Montgomery enter the house and sit on the couch without removing their caps.

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Quotes

Olivia Pitterson: Did you ever loose anybody?
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery: Yeah. Friends, over there. My father, during peace time, drunk driver.
Olivia Pitterson: Did they catch him?
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery: No, my father was the drunk driver.

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Connections

Featured in The Hour: Episode #7.130 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
(1969)
Written by Robbie Robertson
Performed by The Band
Published by WB Music Corp. o/b/o itself and Canaan Music Inc.
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

The Messenger sticks with you

I'm normally pretty hesitant about watching movies that have to do with war, but I'm glad that I chose to watch The Messenger. The movie took a completely different stance than what I'm used to when watching a movie about war. I never really thought about the people that had to deliver the message about a loved one that died in the military, and the way the story is told made me really care for the characters and feel for Harrelson's and Foster's characters and the important job that they have to perform. I would never want to have to do their job, but I truly respect the people that have to perform that job on a daily basis.

Harrelson, Foster and Samantha Morton put on really powerful performances that I honestly believed. And the rest of the cast did a fine job, as well. The emotion was so intense that I could feel it, and I easily got sucked into the story. It was a powerful movie that really made me think about the hardships in a sincere and thoughtful way. Overall, I enjoyed the film and I will continue recommending it to all my friends because I think everybody should watch it at least once. The story sticks with you long after you finish watching the movie.