The Yellow Birds (2017)

Two young soldiers, Bartle (21) and Murph (18) navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.

Director:

Alexandre Moors

Writers:

David Lowery (screenplay by), R.F.I. Porto (screenplay by)

Stars:

Alden Ehrenreich, Daniel Jose Molina, Mikey Collins

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alden Ehrenreich	...	Brandon Bartle
Daniel Jose Molina	...	Manolo Vasquez
Mikey Collins	...	Virgil Whitaker
Tye Sheridan	...	Daniel Murphy
Carrie Wampler	...	Jenny Smith
Carter Redwood	...	Lenny Crockett
Jack Huston	...	Sergeant Sterling
Olivia Crocicchia	...	Tess
Toni Collette	...	Amy Bartle
Gershwyn Eustache Jnr	...	Lt. Seth Barlow
Lee Tergesen	...	Jim Murphy
Ray Fearon	...	Colonel
Tom Bates	...	Embedded Journalist
Jennifer Aniston	...	Maureen Murphy
Renée Willett	...	Claire

Storyline

"Yellow Birds" follows John Bartle and the difficulties he faces in keeping his humanity, his urge to survive and his friend Murph alive during the war in Iraq, as well as his life and struggles with his memories of the war after he comes back to Virginia.

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Plot Keywords:

u.s. soldier | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Based on the best-selling novel.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for war violence, some grisly images, sexual material, and language throughout

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the novel "The Yellow Birds" by Kevin Powers.

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Goofs

This war is shown to be in Iraq, but all the Arab characters were clearly talking with the Moroccan dialect which is significantly different from the Iraqi dialect.

User Reviews

From Novel to Film, Hit's all the Right Spots

This is a strong and compelling adaptation of Kevin Power novel involving the Iraq War. It has driven and poetic moments, and versatile and strong acting, but does have the almost jumpy feel to it as we go back and forth from real time to different engagements in the film. . The strength of Director Alexandre Moore elicits centered performances from his cast, including strong support by Aniston as a desperate mother, Collette as an exasperated one, and Huston as a veteran leader who defies the easy dramatic classifications of "good" and "bad." The strength and passion of the film lies with the two leads who are outstanding. Sheridan (Mud, Joe, Ready Player One) is a soulful actor who deftly conveys Murph's naïveté and eventual break and crisis. He's instantly sympathetic. Ehrenreich, who has swung hard from impressive work (Hail, Caesar) to less so (Solo: A Star Wars Story) is focused and settled as the damaged young man at the story's center. His Bartle is a true everyman -- without direction, not a star soldier, not a failure. The difference in him before and after he reaches his personal breaking point is clear; the sometimes-poetic narration seems to come from somewhere that didn't exist until it was unearthed by his experiences.

The levity of the film comes from the emotional and compelling performances. War pictures come across many ways and mostly with action and eye popping cinematography. This film comes at you in a completely different way and tells the story of what men and women see, feel and think in times of battle. Many are fearful, scared and become soulless to the graphic scenes they see. I like the film and feel it deserves many accolades. A superb story and perfectly captures the feel of war. A solid 8 out of 10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Yellow Birds

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$57,946

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinelou Films, Story Mining & Supply Co., Echo Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 110 min

Color:

Color