One Paragraph Review: Taking Chance

Taking Chance relays the true story of the escort home of PFC Chance Phelps, after he was killed in combat in Iraq in 2004. To be honest, I'm conflicted as to what I think of this movie. On the one hand, I found the story fascinating and moving. Kevin Bacon's subtle and affecting performance strikes exactly the right notes. He is solemn yet warm. The film made good use (maybe too much use) of wide shots to show the various points of Phelps's trip home. But on the other hand, I wonder if this movie would mean anything if you haven't been directly affected by the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. The movie does not flesh out a story from which viewers can subscribe to the drama of the Phelps family. Viewers are left to fill in the blanks with their own personal experience and sadness. And perhaps the real sadness of Taking Chance is that there are enough people who can fill in their own stories.