MovieChat Forums > Taking Chance (2009) Discussion > Why change the details?

Why change the details?

posted 15 years ago by aqib4
15 replies | jump to latest

I understand that movies are not documentaries but I read Strobl's essay that he wrote about the trip and there are a couple of things and I don't get why he changed them:

1) When they flew to Minnesota he did actually stay in the hotel, he didn't spend the night in the airplane hanger - seriously? this didn't add much to the story.

2) They essay made no mention of the other escort that he encounters in Minnesota as being the brother of the KIA. OK it adds one moment of drama but why?

3) The VFW scene took place the night after the funeral not before.

4) Strobl tells the guy who is driving the body to the Philadelphia airport that he joined the Marines when he was 17 and had his parents sign the paperwork to get him in. But he was an officer which - correct me if I am wrong - you have to have either gone to Annapolis or ROTC to be an officer which you can't do by 17.

OK I know this is nitpicking but none of these changes really made the movie better. So why not just tell the story that happened?

[–] socalliberalgirl 15 years ago

He may have been a Mustang (enlisted Marine turned Marine Officer), though I'm not certain of his bio.

[–] redwingjs 15 years ago

You can enlist in the Marines and go to OCS later down the line if recommended.

I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.
www.werepissedoff.net

[–] uga1988 15 years ago

I enlisted in the Reserves when I was 17, took an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned a few years later. Plenty of my peers were former enlisted Soldiers.

[–] duckofprey 12 years ago

2) They essay made no mention of the other escort that he encounters in Minnesota as being the brother of the KIA. OK it adds one moment of drama but why?

It might not have been in the essay, but I am pretty certain that it happened because the real Strobl said that was his favorite scene in the film. It's in this interview between him and Kevin Bacon, at the 2:25 mark.

http://www.hbo.com/movies/taking-chance#/movies/taking-chance/video/ke vin-bacon-strobl.html/eNrjcmbOYM5nLtQsy0xJzXfMS8ypLMlMds7PK0mtKFHPz0mB CQUkpqf6JeamcjIyskknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmsjGyMQIAWCcXOA==

[–] JimB-4 11 years ago

1., 2., 3. fall under the heading of dramatic license. The film didn't show Strobl sleeping eight hours, either.

4. is a non-issue. Enlisted men often go to OCS after enlistment and become officers.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] CGSailor 11 years ago

OK I know this is nitpicking but none of these changes really made the movie better. So why not just tell the story that happened?

Out of your 4 points, two did make the film better, One you are factually wrong about. and only one point did not improve the film but did not make it any worse either.

So really, you have no point.
The only one you have any standing on is your first one.

For #2... There was a real Soldier who acted as escort for his own brother. Now Strobl didn't meet him on his trip but the Film wanted to work that story in there to show the additional emotional burden of escorting your own family home.
How they did it for the film was perfectly fine and DID add to the film despite your claim to the contrary.

For #3... Up until then Chance was just a Body. A fallen Marine worthy of respect, but we knew nothing about him. Setting the VFW gather before the funeral gave us.. the audience a chance to know him and who he was and how he died so that the Funeral would have more of an impact for us. rather than just a funeral of a stranger.

And number 4, I am sure you know by now with everyone else's responses, that you are just flat wrong.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] rgarabedian 10 years ago

I really like how the guy asked a simple question and you all jump down his thought, buy telling he's dead wrong. just answer his question, no need to be ignorant. like your all so perfect.

[–] CGSailor 10 years ago

I really like how the guy asked a simple question and you all jump down his thought, buy telling he's dead wrong. just answer his question, no need to be ignorant. like your all so perfect.

Correction

I really like how the guy asked a simple question and you all jump down his throat, by telling him that he's dead wrong. Just answer his question, no need to be smarter than him. like you're all so perfect.

The OP was factually wrong on several counts. a few took the time to point that out.
No one "jumped down his thought" about it.
Jumped down his thought? That's not even a saying. It's; jump down his throat.

And how is correcting an error considered being ignorant?
Depending on how the correction is stated, you might consider it rude, but not ignorant.

... Unless of course, the correction itself is filled with ignorant mistakes of it's own. As yours was.

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] rgarabedian 10 years ago

Thanks, you just proved me right your comment just showed how ignorant you are.
1- yes spell check on your phone should have been double checked, but hey with only one arm sometimes it gets by me. So just for you to show how you can spell properly, to make people look bad you proved my point, so thank you mister Ignorant and I will make sure any future posts by you are ignored. have a nice day dick head.

[–] Torni3945 10 years ago

That CGSailor for ya! He goes on every military movie message board attacking most posters who make innocent mistakes by being condescending and rude.

[–] rgarabedian 10 years ago

thanks,he should put away his ego and act like a human, I cant stand people who have to put down others to make them selves feel better.. he must be very unhappy with his own life to pick on others. so I guess I wasn't special if he always does that.. :-(

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] trickg1 10 years ago

Point #2, quoted directly from Strobl's essay:

On Thursday morning I reported back to the mortuary. This time there was a new group of Army escorts and a couple of the Marines who had been there Wednesday. There was also an Air Force captain there to escort his brother home to San Diego.

Regarding the rest of it, sometimes dramatic license is used, and sometimes a timeline is slightly altered to make it a better story with a better flow.

My name is Gladiator - Maximus Decimus Meridius