THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ~ Rated R – 1 hr. 48 mins.
Starring Miles Teller, Amy Schumer, Haley Bennett, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze, Omar J Dorsey, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Jason Warner Smith
Based on the book by Pulitzer prize winning journalist David Finkel, and brought to life by Writer (American Sniper) and Director Jason Hall, we meet soldier Adam Schuman (Miles Teller), returning from the Iraqi war, along with comrade Solo (Beulah Koale), and a few more of his platoon, trying to acclimate back into civilian society…
As the war has taken its toll on these soldiers both physically, and mentally too, Schuman finds that even starting over with his beautiful wife Saskia (Haley Bennett), and their adorable young children, isn’t stopping the flashbacks, or the anguish he still feels from the lives he couldn’t save along the way…
When Solo seems to be on an even worse collision course in dealing with the aftermath of war than Schuman, Schuman decides that its time for them both seek out help at the local Veterans administration, who they are in hopes will direct them to the specialists they need…to set their minds free…
But the bureaucracy of this federal institution seems to go on forever, getting neither of them any closer to the help both they, and their families need…
As the flashbacks and anger seem to boil over more and more with each passing day, Solo has found a substance that will ease his mind, but that comes with a very heavy price, and apparently a new way of life, that he never thought he would become a part of…
As Schuman sets forth to seek out a fellow comrade that he feels he affected negatively along the way, and Solo finds himself on a collision course with his new chosen “way of life”, it seems that our valiant serviceman are falling deeper and deeper into despair…as they continue to wait for the treatment they both so desperately need…but somehow within our system…isn’t coming to their aid near fast enough…
I give THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE a rating of MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN ~ Academy Award Nominated Writer and First-time Director Jason Hall has managed to create an incredibly moving film, that not only conveys the true-life torment and turmoil that our veterans face while at war, but the even bigger battles that they seem to face, once they have returned home. Teller gives an outstanding performance as Schuman, giving us a glimpse into the pain and agony of returning home from war ~ trying to start over ~ but not really knowing how to get there with all the aftermath that comes with PTSD. Koale also gives an incredibly touching and oh’ so real performance too as Solo, giving us an ever deeper view into the pain and struggle of those afflicted with PTSD, and how it not only affects the soldier, but ultimately their families as well. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE also brings to light some of the issues that our soldiers face in getting the help they desperately need, and the red-tape that seems to go on forever within our Veterans Administration. I’m hoping that these biographical images that Hall has created can exemplify what our servicemen endure for the freedoms we all get to experience, while appealing to our Administration to fix the problems that exist, in getting our soldiers the help they not only need, but deserve! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE Is one of those films THAT EVERYONE SHOULD EXPERIENCE, as it brings an increased vision and awareness to those of us who have never served, while showing our veterans, active military, and their families too, that Hall has given “their stories” a voice, allowing for a glimpse into the pain that is endured by our veterans, and their families, along with the pain that they continue to endure, at the hands of our own government’s bureaucracy…
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 