The Tillman Story

Directed by Amir Bar-Lev

(R)

****

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A fallen hero’s family fights to learn the truth behind his death

This wrenching account of Pat Tillman’s tragic story is “the movie to put your money on” to win the Oscar for Best Documentary, said Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News. The NFL cornerback who in the wake of 9/11 gave up football to enlist in the U.S. Army—only to die in Afghanistan in a 2004 friendly fire incident—has been the subject of countless news reports. Even as it was chilling to learn that the Army’s original account of Tillman’s supposedly heroic death was a lie, it’s thrilling to finally meet the “smart, sometimes angry” family that tirelessly worked to tear down the propaganda-driven myths surrounding their loved one. These “noble souls” don’t completely take over the film, said Stephen Holden in The New York Times. Director Amir Bar-Lev also visits the canyon where Tillman died and introduces us to soldiers who heard his angry last words. Bravely, the director “scrupulously avoids” speculation about Tillman’s motivations, said Jennie Yabroff in Newsweek. His film raises just one troubling question: By accepting the family’s account, has Bar-Lev created his own piece of anti-Pentagon propaganda?