Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
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Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Plot
Using a project initiated by the National Endowment of the Arts as a launching point to explore the wartime experiences of those who have fought on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan, filmmaker Richard E. Robbins offers a humanizing study of the soldiers who have suffered through the de-humanization of war. As letters from the soldiers are read by such actors as Aaron Eckhart, Robert Duvall, Beau Bridges, and Josh Lucas, the writings emerge as an honest examination of resounding personal effects that war can have on the men and women of America's armed forces. Over the course of the NEA project, over 1600 pieces of writing including poetry, fiction, and essays were collected - some uplifting, others devastating. The one constant factor in every letter, however, was an unguarded veracity that rings true with undeniable intensity. In using archival news footage and animated still photographs, Robbins strives to avoid the pitfalls of unwieldy reenactments and keep the viewer focused on the written word. Additional conversations with such renowned authors as Tobias Wolff, Tom O'Brien, and James Salter offer additional depth and analysis by presenting a broad look at the prevalent themes of war literature. ~ Jason Buchanan, RoviCast
Beau Bridges; Blair Underwood; Robert Duvall; Joe Haldeman; James Salter; Josh Lucas; Aaron Eckhart; Justin Kirk; Christopher Gorham; Tobias Wolff; Anthony Swofford; John Krasinski; Brian Marshall Turner; Jack Lewis; Han Sangjoon; Ed Hrivnak; John McCary; Mike Strobl; Colby Buzzell; Tim O'Brien; Yusef Komunyakaa; Paul Fussell; Richard CurreyCredit
Talleah Bridges - Associate Producer, Adam Hyman - Co-producer, Kristin Lesko - Co-producer, Richard E. Robbins - Director, Gillian McCarthy - Editor, Tom Yellin - Executive Producer, Ben Decter - Composer (Music Score), Jason Ellson - Cinematographer, Richard E. Robbins - Producer, Sam Londe - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard E. Robbins - Screenwriter, Megan Parlen - Production Coordinator, David Tecson - Visual Effects, David Tecson - Title Design| Operation Homecoming USA: Welcome Home (2005 Film), Operation Haylift (1950 Film) | |
| Operation Imani: Ideas for Sustainable African Development (2009 Film), Operation Inchon (1981 Film) |
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Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
| Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience | |
|---|---|
 Film cover |
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| Directed by | Richard E. Robbins |
| Produced by | Richard E. Robbins Tom Yellin |
| Music by | Ben Decter |
| Distributed by | The Documentary Group |
| Release date(s) | February 9, 2007 |
| Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Richard E. Robbins, which portrays the lives and experiences of American combat soldiers who have been to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
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Contents
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Production
The film is based on a collection of writings by veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan wars, combined with news footage and photographs.[1][2] These writings include journals, letters, poetry and essays, which were gathered by National Endowment for the Arts and previously published by Random House.[3] The text is read by actors Beau Bridges, Robert Duvall, Aaron Eckhart, Chris Gorham, Justin Kirk, John Krasinski, Josh Lucas, and Blair Underwood,[3] and poet Brian Turner. The film also consists of commentaries and interviews with literary authors such as Tobias Wolff, Tim O'Brien, Anthony Swofford, Paul Fussell and James Salter.[2]
Release
In 2007, the film was given theatrical release in the United States on September 9 and aired on Public Broadcasting Service's "America at the Crossroads" series.[4]
Reception
Box office
The film grossed 4,500 US dollars in its opening weekend and ranked 76 for the weekend, and went on to gross a total of 6,700 US dollars domestically.[5]
Critical reaction
The documentary was given mostly positive reviews by critics. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 71 out of 100, based on 9 reviews, presenting "generally favorable reviews"[6] The film was considered "eloquent and moving", and was rated A- by Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, who added that the documentary brought the viewers "closer to the emotions (principally boredom and terror) of the soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan than perhaps any previous examination."[7] Janice Page of The Boston Globe also agreed that "no [other] work has brought viewers deeper inside the psychology of war"[2] Los Angeles Times's Mark Olsen, however, gave a more critical review, commenting that the film "do more of a disservice to the writings than aid in any greater understanding of their emotional meaning."[1] The film received a rating of 2.5/4 stars by New York Post 's reviewer Kyle Smith, whose criticism was that the film didn't keep the exact original text, leading to the writings being "dramatized".[8]
Nominations and awards
The documentary received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 80th Academy Awards.,[9] as well as a nomination for Best Feature Documentary films of the year by the International Documentary Association.[10] Operation homecoming also received the Special Jury Award for "Innovative Documentary Storytelling" at Florida Film Festival in 2007.[11]
For this documentary, director Richard E. Robbins was nominated for the 2007 Directors Guild of America Awards.[12]
References
- ^ a b 'Operation Homecoming' from Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c Documentary gives voice to soldiers' war experiences from The Boston Globe
- ^ a b The Hemingway Effect, From Recent Battlefields from New York Times Retrieved on March 15, 2008
- ^ Operation homecoming from Pbs.org Retrieved on March 13, 2008
- ^ Operation homecoming from Box Office Mojo
- ^ "Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/operationhomecoming?q=Operation%20Homecoming:%20Writing%20the%20Wartime%20Experience. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ^ Review from Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on March 12, 2008
- ^ SALUTE TO WAR CORRESPONDENCE from New York Post. Retrieved on March 12, 2008
- ^ Feature Documentary Film Nomination from Oscar.com. Retrieved on March 12, 2008
- ^ Awards from International Documentary Association. Retrieved on March 9, 2008
- ^ FFF - Florida Film Festival 2007
- ^ ยป Directors Guild of America Awards - 2008 - Alternative Film Guide
External links
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