Every once in a while you come across a movie that stays with you for a very long time because of the story. Taking Chance is just such a movie: it hits home and it hits hard. Based on the real life experience of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl (Kevin Bacon), the story revolves around Strobl taking the remains of Chance Phelps, a young Marine killed in Iraq, back to his family. Given that this is Ross Katz’s first directorial feature, it is all the more unique that he manages to convey with such ease a simple story about coming home that provides the audience with an unforgettable experience.

One of the major drawbacks of such movies is that they tend to bias toward one side or the other, often making political statements that tend to dehumanize the entire experience. Fortunately, Katz avoids this completely and just tells the story as is, from start to finish. The viewer takes a journey with Strobl, from the morgue in Dover to the funeral in Wyoming, and there is not a dull moment in the film. Where Katz succeeds is that he lets the cinematography, music, and acting do the narrating in the film rather than the dialogue delivery, which is minimal at best. Kevin Bacon provides one of his best and sincere performances so far, and speaks volumes through his expressions. The shots and sequences create the needed atmosphere but the emotions, shown by every individual in the film, are the backbone of the narrative. These emotions are what make the characters come to life. The reactions are so natural that the viewer feels as if they are watching a documentary rather than a film.

It is not possible for a movie to be perfect because there are always flaws. After experiencing Taking Chance, I have proven myself wrong because it is perfect in every manner. Katz conveys the story to its fullest extent and displays a different perspective behind the death of a Marine. When talking about the film making experience behind Taking Chance, Katz and Bacon both acknowledged that it had affected everyone involved with the movie and they had a special screening for the Phelps family in December. Strobl, being present for the Q and A session, said that the family hadn’t gotten past the first few pages in the book because it had been too painful for them, and thus did not know what to expect from the movie. In such volatile circumstances, given the story, Katz was able to do justice to the story and did not waiver from the original plot-line. 

I have never been affected by a movie in such a manner and those hundred minutes will remain with me for a very long time. I had the honor of meeting the actual Lieutenant Colonel Strobl and telling him how great his story was. Chance Phelps was a young nineteen year old Marine whose death you may have read about in the papers: this is his story of coming home.

Tags: Chance Phelps, drama, eckerd college, Rajeev Rupani, Ross Katz, sundance, Taking Chance

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 17th, 2009 at 1:33 am and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.