Taking Chance (2009) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Ross Katz

Writers:

Ross Katz (writer)
Michael Strobl (writer)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Title Appears In Writing | Witness

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 11 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 11

8:30 PM

HBO

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	LtCol Mike Strobl
Tom Aldredge	...	Charlie Fitts
Nicholas Art	...	Nate Strobl (as Nicholas Reese Art)
Blanche Baker	...	Chris Phelps
Tom Bloom	...	Navy Chaplain
Guy Boyd	...	Gary Hargrove
James Castanien	...	Robert Orndoff
Gordon Clapp	...	Tom Garrett
Mike Colter	...	MGySgt Demetry
Henry Coy	...	Marine Driver (as GySgt Henry Coy)
Joel de la Fuente	...	Ticketing Agent
Liza Colón-Zayas	...	Ticketing Agent
Ann Dowd	...	Gretchen
Tate Ellington	...	A.V. Scott
Noah Fleiss	...	Army Sergeant

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bozeman, Montana, USA

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

This film, like "Bernard and Doris" and Kenneth Branagh's version of "As You Like It", bypassed movie theatres in the U.S. and went straight to HBO, even though it was not actually made for television.

Goofs:

Continuity: The coffin is loaded into a Northwest Airlines MD-80 in Philadelphia, but the plane shown landing in Minneapolis is a Boeing 747. When it's time to unload the coffin in Minneapolis, the plane is again an MD-80. The next day, the coffin is loaded into an MD-80 for the flight to Billings, Montana, but the plane that lands in Billings is a NWA Airbus A319. Again, when the coffin is unloaded in the cargo area at the Billings airport for the trip by hearse to Wyoming, it is removed from an MD-80. NWA does operate all three aircraft types, but they were not shown consistently in the movie.

Quotes:

Korean War Vet: You are his witness now. Without a witness, they just disappear.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience (2007)

Emotional, Moving, Apolitical

I saw this movie at a Sundance in the Schools presentation in Ogden,UT. To give you an idea of the power of this film, 600 + high school students were totally silent during this film and erupted in applause at the end. A vivid demonstration of the impact of this tribute to the sacrifice of a 19 years old Marine PFC killed in Iraq. A true story the based on Chance Phelps who was only 1 - 1/2 years out of high school himself. The director, cinematographer, and producer were there to field questions from the students. In response to a question the Director Katz stated he tried to keep this effort apolitical as a tribute to all who have been killed in Iraq and to focus on the respect and dignity afforded the KIA soldiers on their journey home. This is one of the better movies I've seen dealing with the emotional toll of wars on the families and comrades left behind.