As Marines gather to celebrate the 230th anniversary of the world’s most famous happy hour at Tun Tavern, millions are flocking to the movie Jarhead. The angst-ridden tale of Lance Corporal (Private?) Anthony Swofford and his anti-Band-of-Brothers enduring the overwhelming trauma of four days of combat pulled in $27.5 million at box offices, second only to the cartoon Chicken Little. It’s official: Marines fascinate Americans.

But the reactions of movie critics, Marine Corps headquarters, and individual jarheads could not be more inconsistent. While many critics praised the film’s cast and crew for artistic skill in reproducing Swofford’s story, Marine public affairs officers fired salvos, saying that the movie “does not provide a reasonable interpretation of military life.” The statement went on to urge Marines to avoid viewing the movie in uniform and not to comment about the film.

Why?

A scene in Jarhead -- a movie that most devil dogs have found to be simultaneously entertaining and distasteful -- ironically addresses the military’s knee-jerk tendency to put words in the mouths of their warriors. When reporters arrive to question the grunts about their thoughts on attacking Kuwait, Staff Sergeant Sykes (Jamie Foxx) sits his men down and rattles off a list of what they can and cannot say. As the men bitch about censorship and first amendment rights, Sykes cuts them off. “If the Marines want you to have an opinion, they’ll issue you one.”

In this particular case, life imitated art. By issuing their negative opinion of the movie as Marine Corps policy, Headquarters stoked the fires of controversy, which, of course, only served to make the film more popular. “I thought it was a good overview of military life and I liked the characters,” said Josh, an eighteen-year-old high school senior. “It made me want to join the Marines.” Presumably, the adolescent was enticed by the idea of aimlessly shooting guns in the air, masturbating to the image of unfaithful women, and saying infinite variations of the word “f--k.”

This is not to suggest that the Commandant’s concerns are unmerited. While recruiters might appreciate Josh’s enthusiasm to follow in the footsteps of Swoff and homies, the minions of Al Qaeda and other jihadists in Iraq now have yet another tool of anti-American propaganda at their disposal. Want to learn about the origins of Abu Ghraib, Mr. Muhammad? Just watch the scenes of Americans embracing corpses and salivating to kill. As the creators of Jarhead somberly remind viewers that “we are still in the desert,” one might question the wisdom of making such an “apolitical movie” (yeah, right) while 150,000 remain in harm’s way.

However, by encouraging Marines to avoid speaking their opinions, Headquarters sends the wrong message: we don’t trust our people. Why ask a man to walk on patrol for seven months braving ambushes, mortars, and IEDs, and then remove his right to publicly opine? Because Jarhead’s aftershocks will have the most consequences for the grunts in Al Anbar, why shouldn’t they be permitted to freely express their points of view? Do we really believe that a staff sergeant who suffered the loss of good, brave men in Fallujah, Ramadi, or Husaybah needs a public affairs officer to tell him how to feel about Swofford’s self-indulgent screed?

Indeed, Marines who enjoyed Anthony Swofford’s work might want to take a closer look at the worldview of the author, who has used the release of Jarhead to continue perpetuating his own view that “every war is different, but every war is the same.” Is that really true? Two years ago, when discussing why he joined the Marines after high school, Anthony Swofford said, “There was some bit of shame in wanting to join the Marine Corps, wanting that kind of lifestyle.” Very few authentic Marines feel guilty about their affection for the colors.

Swofford plays the chameleon in a matter that must nauseate most actual Marines. He is either pro-Marine or anti-war, as the situation dictates. Former Marine staff sergeant Jimmy Massey, whose 2004 anti-Iraq-war polemic Kill, Kill, Kill was so radical he had to go to France to find a publisher, must enjoy Swofford’s company. So might Cindy Sheehan. Or Jane Fonda.

In the last scene of Jarhead, Anthony Swofford’s character proclaims, “All those jarheads will always be me.” Not quite. It’s a good thing Swoff has already endured his four days of combat action, because he might not have the intestinal fortitude to handle seven months in Al Anbar. Although some descriptions of military life in Jarhead are realistic, most Marines are made of much sterner stuff than this antihero. Their leaders, who trust them with weapons, lives, and the hopes of a free world, should also trust that they know the difference between entertainment and reality.

And they should give them the freedom to say so.