A Gay Marine's crisis of conscience while serving in Iraq.A Gay Marine's crisis of conscience while serving in Iraq.A Gay Marine's crisis of conscience while serving in Iraq.
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Featured review
A must see.
This film is a composite of interviews with Jeff Key, family and friends, home video and a nicely worked in narrative from a presentation of Key's own one man show. The film follows the stage presentation in the theater with stage narration over footage shot in Iraq interspersed with interviews and stills with family, friends and Key, himself. The director does a fine job of presentation given that he is working from Key's thoughtful material. The material flows smoothly and the editing is tight, never lingering too long in any one of its visual forms.
About the story: Yes, OK, so he's gay. But this isn't the usual "coming out" story. Key has no ax to grind, no blame to place, and does no whining or posturing. He chronicles his journey of becoming a Marine and beyond openly and without rancor. Key wants to be a Marine based on values that are deep within him and he spends a considerable amount of time discussing them. This is that story, of how he reconciles his heritage, orientation and his family's values and acts with courage and honor. But ultimately he does question and draws his own conclusions; about us as a nation at war, about himself and ultimately through him, the question of how we all should act as Americans in the face of his revelations.
This should be required viewing-a perfect civics lesson. It is touching, heartfelt and is a devastating comment on the disconnect between the a citizen's observation of reality on one side and the glossy picture painted with the rhetoric of legislative and executive branches on the other. The fact that Key is dealing with being gay along the way is almost a red herring; his observations ring true on so many levels. I am sure that there are many who should see this film who won't just because the word "gay" appears in the title. And maybe those are the very ones who need to.
About the story: Yes, OK, so he's gay. But this isn't the usual "coming out" story. Key has no ax to grind, no blame to place, and does no whining or posturing. He chronicles his journey of becoming a Marine and beyond openly and without rancor. Key wants to be a Marine based on values that are deep within him and he spends a considerable amount of time discussing them. This is that story, of how he reconciles his heritage, orientation and his family's values and acts with courage and honor. But ultimately he does question and draws his own conclusions; about us as a nation at war, about himself and ultimately through him, the question of how we all should act as Americans in the face of his revelations.
This should be required viewing-a perfect civics lesson. It is touching, heartfelt and is a devastating comment on the disconnect between the a citizen's observation of reality on one side and the glossy picture painted with the rhetoric of legislative and executive branches on the other. The fact that Key is dealing with being gay along the way is almost a red herring; his observations ring true on so many levels. I am sure that there are many who should see this film who won't just because the word "gay" appears in the title. And maybe those are the very ones who need to.
helpful•131
- RJM3
- Jun 27, 2007
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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