About 30 minutes into Todd Robinson’s new Pentagon film, “The Last Full Measure,” you begin to fear that it will be just another political office drama centered around powerful men puffing out their chests and stepping on each other to get ahead. (You know, like “The West Wing,” but futile).
But once it gets past the smug banter between colleagues, the film, inspired by actual events, finally shifts towards something far more meaningful: Vietnam war veterans struggling with PTSD and their relationship with heroism.
It’s an intriguing bait-and-switch that is first presented through glimpses of staggering combat sequences and explosions breathtakingly shot by Byron Werner (Robinson’s “Phantom”) intercut with tense tête-à-têtes between Carlton Stanton (Bradley Whitford) and Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan), Pentagon colleagues flailing after the sudden departure of a high-ranking official.
“The Last Full Measure” isn’t so much about war or the contentious relationship between those two men, which threatens to weigh down the film at times. Robinson admirably attempts to steady the narrative once Scott is assigned to what he thinks is a throwaway task: hearing out former U.S. Air Force Pararescue medic Tulley (William Hurt), who is requesting a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor for his best friend and fellow medic William Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine, “War Horse”).
What at first seems like a useless endeavor by an old man sporting a hearing aid and staring down the barrel of his own life, decades after William’s heroic acts, becomes a passionate plea for Scott (as well as the audience) to understand the sacrifices of men in battle. That’s when the film finds its rhythm and clicks into place. When Scott reluctantly accepts this mission to dig into the case of why William never received the medal of honor despite laying his life on the line, Robinson introduces us to the rest of the members of fallen soldier’s squad, who are each grappling with his death.
The film shines a light on our general lack of empathy toward men who fight in wars, who leave their families behind and ultimately must disconnect themselves from the horrors they experience in battle. They’re also the men who are looked at as the toughest, most virile people on the planet. In “The Last Full Measure,” those same men are humanized to reveal the nightmares, the guilt, the trauma they still must deal with daily, 32 years after those events.
As he weaves together the stories of each of these men and their families — movingly brought to life by Samuel L. Jackson, John Savage, the late Peter Fonda and Ed Harris, Hurt as well as Diane Ladd and Christopher Plummer as William’s parents — Robinson reaches a bit too hard to provoke compassion for Scott. The story of the Pentagon all-star’s relationship, or lack thereof, with his estranged dad has no essential bearing in the heart of the film, and yet the filmmaker awkwardly tries to use it as a way to narrow the divide between Scott and the veterans or perhaps to derive more sympathy from the audience. It’s unnecessary.
While it remains to be seen if it was Stan’s or Robinson’s decision for Scott to be so affected by an account of the events surrounding William’s courageous death that he starts crying, it seems a bit manipulative considering the way filmmaker presents the narrative. Up until this point, Scott seems like he’s merely performing a mission. Once the soldiers share their stirring details, Scott, his pregnant wife Tara (Alison Sudol in a thankless role), and his son Luke (Asher Miles Fallica, “Greener Grass”) become far less interesting. Scott’s breakdown plays like an empty attempt to boost his presence in someone else’s story.
While that scene feels ultimately unnecessary, Robinson does deserve praise for highlighting emotional vulnerability in a very male war movie, portraying each of these men as mere shells of the people they once were. (It’s a decision confirmed in the closing-credits clips of the real-life veterans reflecting on William and Vietnam.) Even with their tortured memories, they have a shared effort to preserve, and to implore the government to review and not overlook, the honor of the man who in some way saved all their lives (and ultimately the lives of 60 men) in exchange for his own.
Their tales and tortured consciences, illuminated by Philip Klein’s heartrending score, are what ground the movie and give it a sensibility that Scott’s character never achieves. It would have perhaps been more effective to tell the story from Tulley’s point of view, which would have offered a more personal approach to its themes, instead of a climax that includes swirling Pentagon conspiracies involving the circumvention of William’s medal.
At its core, “The Last Full Measure” is a poignant reevaluation of gallantry and of how survivor’s guilt impacts those veterans whose lives were spared. It’s not without its flaws, and Robinson’s wobbly narrative bears much of the blame, but its emotional resonance will stay with you long afterward.
21 Hollywood Stars Who Served in the Military, From Clint Eastwood to Adam Driver (Photos)
This Veterans Day, take a moment to honor someone who took the time out to serve our country in the military. On top of that, you can check out a film or show featuring one of these Hollywood stars who served in the military. Some of the actors on this list have military careers that date back to World War II. While this list excludes celebrity veterans who have died, including people like Jimmy Stewart, Elvis Presley, Kirk Douglas and Bea Arthur, there's more than enough patriotism on this list to go around.
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Adam Driver
Adam Driver joined the Marines shortly after 9/11 and served for two years and eight months before being medically discharged after suffering a mountain biking accident. He was assigned to Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. Though he was never deployed, he did get a nickname from his fellow Marines: "Ears Two." He explained to Stephen Colbert that he was one of two guys in his battalion with big ears, but that he avoided most of the verbal ridicule. Driver also told The Guardian how serving changed his outlook on life. “There’s something about going into the military and having all of your identity and possessions stripped away: that whole clarity of purpose thing. It becomes very clear to you, when you get your freedom back, that there’s stuff you want to do.”
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Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman turned down a partial scholarship for acting and instead opted to join the Air Force. From 1955 to 1959, he served as a radar technician and rose to the rank of Airman 1st Class. He told AARP magazine (via military.com) that he felt as though he were sitting "in the nose of a bomb" once he finally trained to fly a fighter plane. "You are not in love with this; you are in love with the idea of this," Freeman said.
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Tom Selleck
"Magnum P.I." actor Tom Selleck served in the California Army National Guard between 1967 to 1973. Selleck has previously said he's proud of his time in the military. "I am a veteran, I'm proud of it," he told military.com. "We're all brothers and sisters in that sense."
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Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett, now in his 90s, was drafted to serve in World War II in November 1944, and by March 1945, he was sent to the front line through France and into Germany as part of the 63rd Infantry Division, better known as the "Blood and Fire" division. In his autobiography "The Good Life," Bennett recalled the experience as having a "front row seat in hell."
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Rob Riggle
Comedian Rob Riggle served in the Marines for 23 years, first joining in 1990 when he said he would rather be a "Top Gun" pilot than be a waiter. He served in Kosovo, Liberia, Afghanistan and Albania during his time, becoming a decorated lieutenant colonel in the process. Though he wanted to enter into flight school, Riggle realized it would hinder his dream of one day doing comedy. "I stopped flying, became a ground officer, had a short contract, fulfilled my contract and pursued comedy and acting," he told CBS News. "I stayed in the reserves though and did the reserves for the last 14 years. And I just retired in January from the Marines. This is a great country, you can do it all."
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Clint Eastwood
Though he's more well known as a cowboy and cop, Clint Eastwood was drafted into the Korean War and served as a lifeguard while training at Fort Ord in California. He was discharged in 1953 and was able to attend acting school during his tenure thanks to the G.I. Bill.
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Robin Quivers
Robin Quivers, a co-host on Howard Stern's radio show, rose to the rank of captain while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force between 1975 and 1978. She was discharged shortly after, but remained a member of the reserve with no active duty until 1990, according to the biography "Howard Stern: King of All Media."
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Ice-T
In an effort to support his girlfriend and newly born daughter, Ice-T enlisted in the military to get off the streets and found himself stationed in Hawaii in the 25th Infantry Division between 1977 to 1979. In Hawaii, he met people who would inspire him to pursue a music career.
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Mel Brooks
The comedy legend served in World War II as a combat engineer, defusing land mines as a corporal in the 1104 Engineer Combat Division. "I was a combat engineer. Isn’t that ridiculous? The two things I hate most in the world are combat and engineering," Brooks joked to military.com. "War isn’t hell... War is loud. Much too noisy. All those shells and bombs going off all around you. Never mind death. A man could lose his hearing."
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Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris joined the U.S. Air Force as an air policeman in 1958, and was sent to Osan Air Base in South Korea. It was there where he developed his signature martial arts form, the Chun Kuk Do. He was discharged in 1962.
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Gene Hackman
On an episode of "Inside the Actors' Studio," Hackman said that when he was 16, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1946. He spent four and a half years as a field radio operator and was stationed in China for a time before being assigned to Hawaii and Japan.
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James Earl Jones
Though he was recruited during the most active time during the Korean War and eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant, James Earl Jones was stationed at a cold-weather training command base in Leadville, Colorado beginning in 1953.
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Sinbad
The comedian Sinbad told Ebony that he nearly had a dishonorable discharge for going AWOL while he was serving in the Air Force as a boom operator. He frequently left base to perform stand-up comedy.
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Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier lied about his age to enlist during World War II and wound up in a VA hospital in Northport, New York, serving for a year before obtaining a discharge in 1944.
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Zulay Henao
Colombian-American actress Zulay Henao served three years in the U.S. Army and enlisted after high school. She immediately felt the pressure of basic training at Fort Bragg. "It was miserable. I quickly realized I’d have to change my attitude if I was going to get through it. I’ve always tried to make the most out of my experiences, but that one was tough," she told Maxim.
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Drew Carey
Drew Carey still has his crew cut and signature glasses that he first wore during his Marine Corps days. He served as a field radio operator in the 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio. The comedian served for six years and has frequently given back to the military in the form of performances for the USO.
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MC Hammer
MC Hammer served in the Navy in the early '80s and worked as an aviation storekeeper for three years before he was discharged and finally kick started his music career.
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Alan Alda
While best known as a military doctor on "M.A.S.H.," Alda completed a minimum six-month tour of duty in the Korean War as a gunnery officer.
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Oliver Stone
Director Oliver Stone's combat experience in Vietnam directly contributed to "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July," which would be two of his signature films. Stone served in the Army for just over a year between 1967 and 1968 and was wounded twice in battle. He's been honored with a Bronze Star with "V" device for heroism in ground combat and a Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster.
TheWrap
Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall may be known for his role in "Apocalypse Now," but he did briefly serve in the Army shortly after the Korean War. He acted in plays while stationed in Camp Gordon in Georgia. He served for two years and left as a private first class. He did have to clarify the extent of his service however, telling People in 1984 (via military.com), "Some stories have me shooting it out with the Commies from a foxhole over in Frozen Chosen. Pork Chop Hill stuff. Hell, I barely qualified with the M-1 rifle in basic training."
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Sunny Anderson
Anderson, a long time Food Network host and an Army nerd, joined the Air Force in 1993 and worked as a radio broadcaster stationed in Seoul and San Antonio, she told ABC News.
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Honor celebrities who served their country like Drew Carey, Morgan Freeman and Rob Riggle this Veterans Day
This Veterans Day, take a moment to honor someone who took the time out to serve our country in the military. On top of that, you can check out a film or show featuring one of these Hollywood stars who served in the military. Some of the actors on this list have military careers that date back to World War II. While this list excludes celebrity veterans who have died, including people like Jimmy Stewart, Elvis Presley, Kirk Douglas and Bea Arthur, there's more than enough patriotism on this list to go around.