thedrifter
02-09-09, 02:55 PM
HBO Film Honors Marine's Aid to Family
February 09, 2009
by Bryan Mitchell
He may not have been able to endure the sand fleas of Parris Island or San Diego's "Grim Reaper," but actor Kevin Bacon has proven yet again he knows how to play a Marine.
"I'm good at a lot of things, but I couldn't have made it [through boot camp]. I don't think I would have made it very far," Bacon said at a recent news conference. "To me, that's what's great about being an actor. I get to walk in somebody else's shoes."
Bacon, who has twice previously portrayed a Marine, may have delivered his most memorable performance in uniform as Lt. Col. Michael Strobl in the HBO original film, Taking Chance.
The film is based on Strobl's experience escorting the remains of Pfc. Chance Phelps from Dover, Del., to the subdued vistas of Phillips' hometown in rural Wyoming. Phelps, 19, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines when he was killed on April 9, 2004, in Iraq's Anbar province.
The film premiers Saturday Feb. 21.
Strobl, now retired from the Marine Corps, wrote the story about the trip and helped pen the screenplay. The former Marine's skill as a writer is demonstrated in the opening paragraph of his original story.
"Chance Phelps was wearing his Saint Christopher medal when he was killed on Good Friday," Strobl wrote. "Eight days later, I handed the medallion to his mother. I didn't know Chance before he died. Today, I miss him."
From there, an emotionally powerful story follows of how ordinary Americans react to Strobl and the flag-draped casket as they make their way across the country.
"What ultimately struck me to the point that I was moved to write the story in the first place -- and that's the decency of every American," Strobl said.
Strobl, who was assigned to Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., saw Phelps' death notice on Defense Department press release. He noticed they had the same hometown -- listed in DoD records as Clifton, Colo. -- and volunteered to escort Phelps' remains home.
"That's what I experienced on the trip and I wanted to personally remember that, and I hope that when other military families see the movie they'll be reminded how much goodness there is out there and how much people really care," Strobl added.
Bacon and Strobl recently spoke to ************* about making the film, the story behind Strobl's odyssey and how the director went to great lengths to ensure the film was accurate in its portrayal of the Marine Corps and the escorting process.
Bacon – who played Marine Capt. Jack Ross in A Few Good Men and Marine Lt. Col. Jack Brennan in Frost/Nixon -- said this role may be one of the most culturally significant of his career.
"Once in a while you do something where you feel as though there's a little bit more weight to it," Bacon said. "So when you come home from the work in the course of shooting it there's something, you know, slightly different than just doing a regular movie. You know it just feels a little more important."
Both Strobl and Bacon stressed it's not a film about the controversial war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 Americans.
"This story is not about Iraq," Strobl said. "It's about America."
Bacon was attracted to the film by its unique story and what he termed its "universality."
"It was a story that I hadn't really seen before. I thought what the character was going through was a great challenge for an actor. It was a very internalized conflict," Bacon said.
"This film could take place during Vietnam, Korea or next year in Afghanistan. It's not an Iraq movie. It says more about war and America than it does in the actual time we are living in."
Strobl acknowledged the film took a few liberties to compress time but said it remains astonishingly close to his actual experience.
"Everything that's in there it either happened that way or it captures the spirit, you know, or the effect of what had happened to me during the week that I escorted Chance," Strobl said.
Bacon said playing the part was made easier by studying Strobl's mannerisms and personal nuances. Strobl said Bacon was especially adroit at capturing the frustration of being a cubicle Marine at Quantico, Va., in a time of war.
"I think all Marines that are, you know, state side and are going home every night they probably feel a little bit guilty when … so many of the guys that I knew, so many of the guys that all Marines know were over there," Strobl said.
"I do intellectually understand and believe that all of the jobs are important whether they are in you know Virginia or in Iraq, but …at that point I had known Marines that were over there or had already been back and were starting to think about their next tour and, you know, I wasn't in that situation. So yeah, there was a little bit of conflict."
During research for the film, both Bacon and Strobl spent time with the Phelps family.
"It's amazing to think about the kind of pain they've had to live with. It's almost kind of unthinkable," Bacon said. "They have a certain strength, grace and elegance about them that is really inspirational."
And Strobl recently watched the film with the Phelps family.
"To some degree they didn't even know what to expect much less have to deal with the intense emotions of seeing everything again," Strobl said. "So it was very emotional and intense, but I think you know at the end we spent some time talking and they started telling stories about Chance and I think ultimately they were very proud of the movie."
Ellie
February 09, 2009
by Bryan Mitchell
He may not have been able to endure the sand fleas of Parris Island or San Diego's "Grim Reaper," but actor Kevin Bacon has proven yet again he knows how to play a Marine.
"I'm good at a lot of things, but I couldn't have made it [through boot camp]. I don't think I would have made it very far," Bacon said at a recent news conference. "To me, that's what's great about being an actor. I get to walk in somebody else's shoes."
Bacon, who has twice previously portrayed a Marine, may have delivered his most memorable performance in uniform as Lt. Col. Michael Strobl in the HBO original film, Taking Chance.
The film is based on Strobl's experience escorting the remains of Pfc. Chance Phelps from Dover, Del., to the subdued vistas of Phillips' hometown in rural Wyoming. Phelps, 19, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines when he was killed on April 9, 2004, in Iraq's Anbar province.
The film premiers Saturday Feb. 21.
Strobl, now retired from the Marine Corps, wrote the story about the trip and helped pen the screenplay. The former Marine's skill as a writer is demonstrated in the opening paragraph of his original story.
"Chance Phelps was wearing his Saint Christopher medal when he was killed on Good Friday," Strobl wrote. "Eight days later, I handed the medallion to his mother. I didn't know Chance before he died. Today, I miss him."
From there, an emotionally powerful story follows of how ordinary Americans react to Strobl and the flag-draped casket as they make their way across the country.
"What ultimately struck me to the point that I was moved to write the story in the first place -- and that's the decency of every American," Strobl said.
Strobl, who was assigned to Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., saw Phelps' death notice on Defense Department press release. He noticed they had the same hometown -- listed in DoD records as Clifton, Colo. -- and volunteered to escort Phelps' remains home.
"That's what I experienced on the trip and I wanted to personally remember that, and I hope that when other military families see the movie they'll be reminded how much goodness there is out there and how much people really care," Strobl added.
Bacon and Strobl recently spoke to ************* about making the film, the story behind Strobl's odyssey and how the director went to great lengths to ensure the film was accurate in its portrayal of the Marine Corps and the escorting process.
Bacon – who played Marine Capt. Jack Ross in A Few Good Men and Marine Lt. Col. Jack Brennan in Frost/Nixon -- said this role may be one of the most culturally significant of his career.
"Once in a while you do something where you feel as though there's a little bit more weight to it," Bacon said. "So when you come home from the work in the course of shooting it there's something, you know, slightly different than just doing a regular movie. You know it just feels a little more important."
Both Strobl and Bacon stressed it's not a film about the controversial war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 Americans.
"This story is not about Iraq," Strobl said. "It's about America."
Bacon was attracted to the film by its unique story and what he termed its "universality."
"It was a story that I hadn't really seen before. I thought what the character was going through was a great challenge for an actor. It was a very internalized conflict," Bacon said.
"This film could take place during Vietnam, Korea or next year in Afghanistan. It's not an Iraq movie. It says more about war and America than it does in the actual time we are living in."
Strobl acknowledged the film took a few liberties to compress time but said it remains astonishingly close to his actual experience.
"Everything that's in there it either happened that way or it captures the spirit, you know, or the effect of what had happened to me during the week that I escorted Chance," Strobl said.
Bacon said playing the part was made easier by studying Strobl's mannerisms and personal nuances. Strobl said Bacon was especially adroit at capturing the frustration of being a cubicle Marine at Quantico, Va., in a time of war.
"I think all Marines that are, you know, state side and are going home every night they probably feel a little bit guilty when … so many of the guys that I knew, so many of the guys that all Marines know were over there," Strobl said.
"I do intellectually understand and believe that all of the jobs are important whether they are in you know Virginia or in Iraq, but …at that point I had known Marines that were over there or had already been back and were starting to think about their next tour and, you know, I wasn't in that situation. So yeah, there was a little bit of conflict."
During research for the film, both Bacon and Strobl spent time with the Phelps family.
"It's amazing to think about the kind of pain they've had to live with. It's almost kind of unthinkable," Bacon said. "They have a certain strength, grace and elegance about them that is really inspirational."
And Strobl recently watched the film with the Phelps family.
"To some degree they didn't even know what to expect much less have to deal with the intense emotions of seeing everything again," Strobl said. "So it was very emotional and intense, but I think you know at the end we spent some time talking and they started telling stories about Chance and I think ultimately they were very proud of the movie."
Ellie