Three Military Vets Go "In the Valley of Elah"

The Military Hollywood Insider - Mary McIntyre Brown

The Military Hollywood Insider - The Hollywood Vet

I've seen practically every movie that has come out of Hollywood so far this year and many of them have touched upon the subjects of soldiers and war. Not surprisingly, as a movie-goer and a veteran, I've been curious about what motivations the filmmakers have for making these films and what they got out of the experience. . . this week I want to share what the cast members had to say about director Paul Haggis' "In The Valley of Elah," a film that kind of got to me when I saw it earlier this year and that has many award season whispers around it at this time in Hollywood. The film is loosely based on two separate incidents that happened in real life, both of which involve soldiers affected by PTSD. At the center of the story is a family whose son has come back from Iraq and gone AWOL and his Vietnam vet father, played by Tommy Lee Jones, goes to find him, leaving the mom, played by Susan Sarandon, to worry from home while he tries to solve the mystery of their son's disappearance with the help of a beautiful detective played by Charlize Theron. Not to give anything away, but what he finds isn't good. . .

Three Military Vets Go "In the Valley of Elah"

You'd think after going to Iraq, the last thing you'd want to see is more desert. . .not true for Sean Huze who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2001-2005 in the infantry field with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and Jake McLaughlin who served Army as a dismount infantry S.A.W. gunner during the invasion of Iraq. Sean and Jake along with Navy veteran Wes Chatham, are the three vets in "Elah" who play, not surprisingly, soldiers in the film.

Why would anyone who lived through it, want to explore it again?  Jake confided, "I don't know, I guess I'm probably a little bit of a masochist or something, but ever since I got back from Iraq, I've felt compelled to explore that experience to try to translate that experience creatively. I look at this movie as a continuation of that. Paul made a point to be extremely accurate about the military aspects. He had two military advisors and Sean and I at the same time. So if anything was missed, it was picked up by somebody else" I had a few questions for the guys who were all forthcoming and quite charming young men.

What would you like audiences to get from watching this film? Jake: "People are going to take out of the movie what they want to. And I think the movie, if anything, is jut addressing these issues as opposed to making it look like every soldier that comes back from Iraq is just -- but in a way every soldier who comes back from Iraq is changed in a big way. And, it's just the transition from going from a combat zone for such a long period of time and then back in the United States where every thing is at your disposal -- it's a big culture shock and it's something you're not used to -- you're getting shot at every day, you're carrying a weapon every day, and things are just deadened to you in a way. Things that before you went in that seemed to be a big deal, aren't a big deal any more because you've seen what can happen and what can happen in a war zone and you don't take anything for granted any more, things are just kind of played down a little bit. "

Wes: "And everybody has their own personal experiences with this war. So this movie stimulates your own individual feelings and thoughts and I think it will stimulate a lot of conversations and examine things that are important to us like, you know, these guys coming back from the war, are they getting the best type of mental health care and the best options available to them?"

Sean: "I think it's important too. It's not going to be particularly dramatically compelling if you look at some of the other manifestations of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, like somebody who feels slightly disconnected from his wife and his family -- how do you show that in a movie and watch that for two hours? We certainly took a more extreme example of a manifestation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in this film because in my opinion, this country needs to be hit over the head with a 2x4, they need to see this and then realize that 1.6 million American servicemen and women have rotated in and out of Iraq at this point, they're getting out of service, they're hitting a VA system that is underfunded and overwhelmed, and we're been down this road 40 years ago and we're doing it again. And I think that's one of the things this film could do is wake the country up a little bit and whether you're Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, whatever, I think we can all agree that it's important to take of the men and women who have served this country in uniform. "

In retrospect, now that you're all Hollywood - how do you feel about your military service, any regrets?

Jake: "Absolutely not, I don't regret it. I have a level of pride because I joined after September 11th. You know, I rose to challenge. I wanted to do something that would make things better. I am proud of it because it made me who I am today. I wouldn't take any of it back because I wouldn't be talking to you if it wasn't for that. It's given me a huge opportunity. "

Sean: "I was probably your typical LA actor before September 11th, in that I had my SAG card and I had an agent, but I spent more time at the gym or laying out at the rooftop swimming pool at my apartment, than really going out there and pursuing acting. And when September 11th happened, I was at the Marine Corps recruiter station at Sunset and La Brea the very next day to go in and insisted on the infantry and went into the corps down in San Diego by October 2001. I feel like I joined for the right reasons, I made myself available to serve my country for the right reasons. You know, when it gets into the politics of it, as a marine, as a soldier, as a sailor, the airforce isn't represented at this table but as an airman, you know, we make ourselves available to our country, we're willing to put on that uniform and put ourselves on the line for our country, you know, where we go fight isn't up to us at that point. One of the things that it's done for me, you know getting out of the Marine Corps and becoming a citizen again, is that I recognize the responsibility that the citzenry has to dictate policy. So I'm grateful for the experience. "

Wes: "I don't regret it all, I was a completely different person before I joined than who I am now. And I think being 18 and being from a small town in Georgia when i joined, I think that one thing the military helped me do -- I think a lot of my opinions came from my community and the people where I was raised, and the military helped me to start thinking for myself. And I grew a lot and I learned a lot and I think the military was instrumental in shaping me into the man I am today. "

Okay guys, what about working with Tommy Lee Jones, seems like he could be intense. . .

Jake: "He is so cerebral, he's constantly thinking. The man is thinking all the time and you can tell, you know, he's a very intelligent man. "

Wes: The thing about Tommy is he has so much power and when you're doing a scene with him, his belief is so powerful, it just pulls you into the story and you just believe it. "

Jake: And then there's the level of intimidation that he offers to you when you come into it. I mean, I hadn't acted before. I had gotten out of the military and here I am on a movie set with these huge actors. You know, Tommy Lee Jones is easily one of my favorite actors of all time, and I don't even think that's arguable. Two of my favorite movies, "Coalminer's Daughter" and "Lonesome Dove" -- his characters were amazing in those and here I am acting in a film with him -- that's a bit intimidating in itself, let alone Tommy Lee Jones himself -- you know you gotta bring your A game. "

Wes: "I was more intimidated by Charlize because she's so beautiful and then, she's like supersmart, And that just, I felt like I was a freshman in high school. "

Sean: "Wes doesn't usually encounter people who are beautiful AND smart. "

Jake: "Yes, It's very rare that Wes runs into a very intelligent and beautiful woman. " (ALL LAUGH)

Wes: "It threw me for a loop. "

Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones Talk "In The Valley"

Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones who play Joan and Hank Deerfield, the parents of the AWOL soldier didn't shy away from talking about the issues at the heart of the film.

I wondered if doing this movie impacted how Tommy Lee Jones felt about soldiers and what they and their families face. Tommy told me, "I'd already spent a lot of time at Walter Reed and with the Vets for a number of years. I've talked to lots of moms way before this actually happened. But I think, if you're a parent and you're dealing with the loss of a child, that's a horrible situation. Anybody can be affected by that, but I already had spent time with a lot of these guys lobbying and trying to give them an opportunity to explain what they needed, not politically, but just what these vets need, so I was aware of a lot of the situation before. "

And since it seems it's hard to have a controversy without Susan Sarandon, I had to ask her what she thought about folks who were speaking out about the film before they had even seen it. Susan said, "I'd be really happy if everybody starts to talk. That's, for me, a successful film. You're not really making entertainment to tell people what to think. You're saying, 'Here's another point of view. Experience it. ' What you hope will happen is that it's a real discussion. In this film, you present some questions. And what you're asking people to do is acknowledge that war does really change a person. And to not acknowledge that is a disservice to the people that are sacrificing so much. Now, where you go from there is up to you, but that's a fact. And it's good to have to deal with the real war and not just the politicized war and this disconnect that's happening now between the war that everybody talks about that is abstract and political and the actual war that our kids are fighting. So if everybody gets upset, let them get upset. That's not really what our job is about. But I hope that it spurs people to some kind of discussions. But, that happens all the time, when there's something that people think they disapprove of and they haven't seen it. There's all kinds of boycotts that start about things that nobody's actually seen, but I think that's because people have very strong feelings. And again, there were people that objected to the fact that I was in the movie before they have even seen the movie, I read. I didn't know that, but whatever baggage I bring one way or another, that's unfortunate. But if you please everybody, you're not doing anything. "

After now having played two Vietnam vets, first in "Rolling Thunder" and now in "Elah," I asked Tommy Lee Jones if he, like some people, felt there were comparisons between the wars Vietnam and Iraq. Tommy carefully replied, "I don't know. I hesitate to approach that. The issue, finally it's going to boil down to - and we've been dancing around it - is this a fraudulent war or not? As a viewer, as a member of the audience, ultimately that question is going to arise. And if, as characteristics of the difference between Vietnam and this, was Vietnam a fraudulent war? What happened at the Gulf of Tonkin? How much of a threat were the communists in Southeast Asia? How much of a threat were the weapons of mass destruction? How deeply embedded was Al-Qaeda in Iraq? Those questions are going to come up. They're before us now, whether we see the movie or not, but the movie renders those questions, I think, in dramatic terms, in immediately emotional terms, that you don't always experience reading The New York Times. "

Charlize Theron Finds Humanity "In The Valley"

For Charlize Theron this wasn't a movie just about war. Charlize told me, "To me, this was a human story. It was about people. Politically, I didn't feel like this carried any kind of agenda. I didn't feel like there was any liberal or democratic or republican kind of message behind it. I didn't feel like it was pro war or against war. I felt like this was just the truth about the realities of, we are at war and we're sending these very young kids over there to go and do something that very few of us will go and do. And I have a great respect for that, but they're coming back here. And we can't expect them to kind of fit back into society and be normal, functioning citizens. It's just not going to happen. And we have to give them the right tools. And we're not, so that to me was something, obviously, that kind of touched me because I've met people, who've gone over there and fought. And to hear them come back and not be looked after, I think that's very ungrateful. But as a story, that really just, on a human level, really connected with me. I thought it was heartbreaking, so I really wanted to tell it. "

As for acting opposite real soldiers, Charlize said, "It was a combination of a few things because, at first, I looked at Paul and I said, 'Are you sure about this,' because we were on a tight schedule. There were very, very big scenes with these guys, very important scenes. These guys aren't professional actors. You hope you're going to make your day. And Paul said, "Trust me. " And I did. And they showed up and I was blown away. I couldn't tell the difference between the actors and the real soldiers. And I actually became really good friends with one of them. And I think, in a way, it was so incredibly helpful to have them around all the time, just to stay on the road of truth and just on a human level. I was just fascinated and intrigued by what they've experienced and where they are and how they felt. And it was great having them around. It really was great. And amazing, actors, really amazing. And I know why, because I think all of this is still so fresh for them. And that was really what this work was about was just the truth of their lives. And I think that really helped. And I wanted to know what that experience was like. I don't know. I wasn't there, so I was very interested to hear their points of view. "

Prior Service. . .

Big Brother Charlie Murphy Razzed Little Eddie. . .

It couldn't have been easy for Charlie Murphy, who stars in the upcoming "The Perfect Holiday," to have to follow his famous brother Eddie's footsteps into Hollywood. As Charlie tells it, arms weren't exactly opening wide for him, "As far as me coming out here and being in films and stuff, yeah, initially and for many years it was looked at as 'oh yeah I guess your brother wants to be an actor now. ' You know, because my brother had been at this since he was 3 years old. So to be the guy who comes after he's already famous-- you get out the military and decide you want to start being in films or whatever-- yeah, you're looked at with a lot of skepticism. 'You're not really this. You just came out of the Navy, you have no idea. . . the only reason you're doing this is because your brother did it. ' You know? And I would go and look at my life like this -- I've been in several different environments and I excelled in all of them. Even jail, when I was in there, I was not victimized or anything like that, and I got through it and I didn't go back when it was over, you know what I'm saying? I went into the military. And then I excelled in there. And when I came into this environment of Hollywood, I was a security guard and I overexcelled at that because I was my brother's security guard and he was like 'hey if I keep you, I'm gonna have a lawsuit because you want to solve everything with 'and now I'm gonna whip your ass' -- you can't solve everything like that, you know?'  So I moved on and I got into my artistic side which was writing and it started with that. "

I asked Charlie if there was anything he learned in the military that helped him find success in Hollywood? Charlie replied, "Never show up late and do your best job. Do the best job that you could possibly do, even if you don't like what you're doing because you know at the end of the day, you're going to be judged for your performance whether you were happy doing it or not. "

Harry Connick Jr. 's Sister Soldier Done Good

Years ago when I was in the Army, I attended a language refresher course in Munich Germany and I met this really cool woman there who told me that she was the sister of Harry Connick Jr. I wish I could say that I believed her right away, but you know how many people "talk sh**" so I was skeptical. . . but just the other day I had a chance to ask Harry in person as he was in Hollywood promoting his film "P.S. I Love You. " It turns out that it was his sister! And I was delighted to hear that she's done quite well for herself after serving her country.

Harry told me, "I'm very proud of her because she got a double degree. She's now a psychiatrist and an internal medicine doctor. And she speaks about 10 languages, she got all the brains. We just spent Thanksgiving together. She's so impressive and my kids are looking at me like "Dad, how come you're not that smart?"

Come back next week for more "Prior Service" and hear what Brian Depalma has to say for himself about perhaps the most controversial of this year's "war movies," "Redacted. " Plus, remembering "Apocalypse Now" with Francis Ford Coppola. . .

Find more Military Hollywood Insider articles by Mary McIntyre Brown at Military.com.

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Copyright 2012 by Mary McIntyre Brown