Taking Chance

Review By: Tom Herrmann
TomHerrmann@TheCinemaSource.com

Movie Grade: B+
DVD Features Grade: A-
Overall Grade: A-

The first time I sat down to watch Taking Chance I actually turned it off about fifteen minutes in. It wasn’t off to a bad start but it seemed like a slow moving film that I wasn’t’ interested in watching at the time. Little did I know that about twenty minutes in is when the film picks up. It doesn’t become an action film or anything but the struggle exposes itself more clearly and even thought eh film remains slow, it becomes incredibly powerful.

Lt. Col. Mike Strobl (Kevin Bacon) is a retired Marine who works a desk job to stay home with his family. Lt. Col. Strobl takes on the responsibility of transporting the remains of Chance Phelps to his hometown after losing his life in Iraq. The film revolves less around the issues of the characters but more about the respect Strobl and Phelps both receive on the trip. Though Strobl does face an internal conflict throughout the film, it is not the main focus.

The film does an excellent job of making the characters relatable. Not even just Strobl’s character that is excellently acted by Kevin Bacon, but all of the side characters. Everyone Strobl encounters throughout the film seems real. From other military personnel, to frustrating airline workers, all the way to normal civilians who pay their respects to a fallen marine that they never knew. At the end we see a recap of all of these people to show the immense level of gratitude that people have for those who give their lives for their country.

The most moving part of the movie was without a doubt the scene where he gives Chance’s family the things found with him when he was brought in. Things like his wristwatch and dog tags became more important to them and it was very touching. There was another great scene in a bar in Chance’s hometown where Strobl talks to friends of Chane’s and them all exchange stories about how great it was to know him. It was the exact way I think most people would want to be spoken of after they were gone.

As far as special features are considered, these might be the best I have ever seen on a DVD. Bearing Witness is a documentary interviewing people who knew the real life Chance Phelps talking about how he lived his life. Everything about him from funny stories to embarrassing qualities seemed to make the cut and it made the character that we never get squinted with in the film very developed. The Real Chance Phelps was a similar feature but revolved more around his life growing up where Bearing Witness revolved more around his life as an adult.

From Script to Screen covered the actual event of the movie with interviews from the real life Lt. Col. Strobl as well as interviews with Kevin Bacon and other cast and crew discussing ...