Last night, I had the distinct privilege of attending the New York screening of Brothers at War, a movie by Jake Rademacher about his search for meaning in his two brothers’ (Isaac ‘00 and Joe) service in the US Army in Iraq. The movie is produced by Gary Sinise (himself an ardent supporter of military causes), David Scantling and  Norman S. Powell (who produced Gunsmoke and most recently American Valor – about Medal of Honor winners). Because of Mr. Sinise’s involvement, the film is getting much needed exposure and has a chance to make a huge impact across the country.

An important Audience

The screening was in an intimate, smaller theater on New York’s Upper East Side. We were honored by the presence of Medal of Honor winner Jack Jacobs, Marine G Sgt Edward Allier (a tough as nails and really funny guy – prominently featured in the film), the family of Isaac’s wife Jennifer (also ‘00), and numerous mom’s, dad’s and widows of veterans. Special, indeed. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, mine included.

Other reviews

I am not a film critic, so you can read very thorough reviews in the Washington Times or the Herald Review, among others.  My focus is on how the film relates to us as grads.

An excellent synopsis of the movie

My humble thoughts

Brothers at War struck me in the way it struck everyone else in the audience – a real sense of understanding the true hardships of deployment, the strain on families, and the pride in having a positive and accurate portrayal of all of us as American’s serving our country. It is that last reason that really hit home, however. On a personal note, I have vivid memories of my 1st interview at Goldman Sachs when a (young) associate leaned over the table and aggressively stated

“You West Pointers are all the same aren’t you? I mean it’s ‘Yes, Sir – Yes, Sir – Three bags full’  You’re all automatons who do what your told. Well, this is Wall Street and we need to think on our feet here and not just wait to be told what to do”

That misconception is somewhat prevalent in the civilian world and this film does a wonderful job portraying soldiers as they really are: thoughtful, articulate, well informed, and caring human beings. It should be the mission of every one of you to force your non-military friends to watch this important story.

The reason this Film was made

Please share your experiences, thoughts and reactions below.