The Tillman Story (2010)

Pat Tillman never thought of himself as a hero. His choice to leave a multimillion-dollar football contract and join the military wasn't done for any reason other than he felt it was the ... See full summary »

Director:

Amir Bar-Lev

Writers:

Amir Bar-Lev, Mark Monroe

Stars:

Josh Brolin, Pat Tillman, Mary Tillman

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Josh Brolin	...	Narrator (voice)
Pat Tillman	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mary Tillman	...	Herself (as Mary 'Dannie' Tillman)
Russell Baer	...	Himself
Patrick Tillman Sr.	...	Himself
Philip Kensinger	...	Himself
Stan Goff	...	Himself
Jason Parsons	...	Himself
Bryan O'Neal	...	Himself
Marie Tillman	...	Herself
Richard Tillman	...	Himself
Kevin Tillman	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Donald Rumsfeld	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

Pat Tillman never thought of himself as a hero. His choice to leave a multimillion-dollar football contract and join the military wasn't done for any reason other than he felt it was the right thing to do. The fact that the military manipulated his tragic death in the line of duty into a propaganda tool is unfathomable and thoroughly explored in Amir Bar-Lev's riveting and enraging documentary.

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Plot Keywords:

military | death | propaganda | false report | censor | 

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Taglines:

a mystery. a cover up. a crime. one family will risk everything for the truth.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Mystery | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

I'm Pat ___Tillman

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$52,185 (USA) (20 August 2010)

Gross:

$798,940 (USA) (3 December 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Diamond Docs, A&E IndieFilms, Axis Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the closing credits, it is stated that Pat Tillman's mother, Dannie, "now arranges funerals at a Catholic cemetary." The correct spelling is cemetery.

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Quotes

Mary Tillman: He was a human being. And by putting this kind of heroic, saintly quality on him, you're taking away the struggle of being a human being.

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Connections

Referenced in Maltin on Movies: Unknown & Cedar Rapids (2011)

User Reviews

Shattering, powerful, inspiring

I saw the documentary 24 hours ago and I can', for the life of me, shake it out of my brain. The United States of America is an extraordinary Country. We all know that, whether we like to admit it or not. A Country that managed the impossible by growing in spite of its, ethnic, religious and political diversities. Glued together by the Bill of Rights. That's it. So, a story like the Pat Tillman story makes me shiver. When a government is prepared to concoct a lie, regardless of what that lie will do, not just to the family of the fallen soldier, like Pat Tillman's mother says "It's not about my son anymore is about the American people" but in fact to the foundation of America itself. I believed her feelings completely because one things that comes out of the documentary is that the Tillman family is truthful to the core, courageous, inspiring. They should be the poster family for what America is all about. The speeches of Kevin Tillman, Pat's younger brother, at the memorial service and at the Congresional hearing still ring in my ears. And when I recall it I can't stop the tears running down my face.