Telling the truth is not the hardest thing in the world to do. Lying is so much easier though. Hence the irony of The Tillman Story. The 94 minute documentary articulates what the late Pat Tillman's family had to go through in finding out how the former football star died in the Gulf War in April 2004. The irony is that they must sift through lies in finding out what happened to Tillman. A guy, who in his own blunt manner, always told the truth.
As far documentaries go, The Tillman Story runs through all the proper channels. It lays out the case the audience (or jury) will hear about. Background is given on Pat Tillman's life before he suddenly left the NFL and enlisted in the army. Both sides of the story are given a platform to lay out their case. Although one side just "can't recall" many details so the documentary appears one-sided. Finally, the subject matter is provocative and will have the majority of audiences picking a side. The last line in this paragraph is usually the goal of any documentary.
The documentary opens with footage of Pat Tillman doing his player introduction for the Arizona Cardinals. His persona can be learned from the opening thirty seconds. From there, comments from his mother, father, youngest brother and two friends he served with in the Gulf, up until the time of his unfortunate death, make up most of this flick. Montage footage from his time training in the army along with clips of his college football days and into the NFL are also spread throughout. Aside from being narrated by James Brolin, Tillman's wife eventually gives her thoughts on Pat's death. All of whom believe it was a military conspiracy.
If one doesn't know the Tillman controversy, the documentary brings you right up to speed. As stated above, Pat Tillman famously left the NFL after five years to fight in the current Gulf war. After 9/11, and the marriage to his wife, he and his other brother Kevin went into the army. Many were shocked to see someone give up a great life to fight and the army used this opportunity to "brag" about the heroic decision Tillman made. Tillman was then killed in battle. Well, at least that what was first reported. Five weeks later, reports surfaced that Tillman may have been killed by friendly fire. In between the time of these conflicting reports, Pat Tillman was decorated as an American hero and became a poster boy for the army's recruitment efforts. Pat Tillman became a PR campaign. The last thing he ever wanted.
Once his family learned about the friendly fire report (fratricide), they sprung into action asking questions on what the real circumstances were surrounding Pat's death. Since he was lauded for dying in battle while engaging the enemy, reports later showed that the government knew of the fratricide incident and covered it up to support their propaganda. The family's relentless journey to expose the truth comes to head before Congress, in which four-star generals, Donald Rumsfeld, and even President George W. Bush become involved.
Look, the pacing and mechanics of the documentary are satisfactory. The subject matter puts this feature over-the-top much like Pat Tillman's personality. Within five minutes one will be immersed in the story and want every detail laid out. The book by Jon Krakuer, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, which this documentary is based on, could have had this flick running for over three hours if they used all the facts. And you'll wish they would have. The story becomes that interesting and shocking all at once.
Overall, the storyboard of events delivered in The Tillman Story are done with class and intelligence. Real emotion is plastered all over the screen when the above mentioned are "presenting their case" and recollecting on the time period. The producers have footage of everything that one normally would not see. After seeing this, voting for best documentary for 2010 just got a lot easier for yours truly. In tribute to the late Pat Tillman, The Tillman Story is a good f*cking documentary.
The Tillman Story is rated R (for a few F-bombs) and opens in the Tampa Bay market later this month.
5 out of 5 stars
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