#OnTheBigScreen: Soldiers, families and squirrels at war

Thank You For Your Service

Sgt. Adam Schumann tries to readjust to civilian life after returning home from the war in Iraq. Fellow soldier Tausolo Aeiti must deal with the aftermath of a bombing that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Will Waller searches for normalcy after surviving several explosions, while Michael Emory must deal with the effects of a sniper’s bullet to the head. With memories of the battlefield still lingering, the soldiers soon begin their long journey to physical and emotional rehabilitation.

This biographical war drama film was written and directed by Jason Hall, in his directorial debut, and is based on the 2013 non-fiction book of the same name by David Finkel. Finkel, a Washington Post reporter, wrote about veterans of the second Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment returning to the vicinity of Fort Riley, Kansas, following a 15-month deployment in Iraq in 2007.

“They carried me across their war, reliving every lacerating memory that still echoed inside them. In doing so they empowered me to paint a personal picture of their sacrifice, in hopes that it may lead to a deeper understanding of the unthinkable sacrifice that all our veterans have made in the service of this country,” says Hall.

Father Figures

The last time Kyle and Peter Reynolds were headed in the same direction was in the delivery room, and someone was yelling, “Push!”. From that moment on, through school and dating, teams and family vacations, to work and every major life decision, they couldn’t be more at odds in every possible way. But when the guys come home for their mother’s wedding, they get a shock that will galvanise them to a single purpose.

“It turns out their father isn’t remotely who they thought,” offers Ed Helms, who stars as the tightly wound, glass-half-empty Peter. “The story their mom gave them all these years was a fairytale, when, in fact, she might not even know for sure who he was.”

Though Peter typically reacts with indignation, and Kyle with curiosity, this profoundly WTF revelation lands them both on the same page… more or less. It also sends them on a life-changing odyssey of disaster and discovery to find their real father, wherever it takes them, and whoever he may be. In other words: road trip.

The comedy marks the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Lawrence Sher (The Hangover films).

A lifelong fan of road trips and what they can reveal, Sher says, “The fun thing about the road is its forward momentum and the fact that you just keep going to the next destination. It’s an allegory for life. You may have a plan, but there will be stops and turns and side trips. Part of the adventure of this movie is about how we can take for granted the people who are closest to us — and what better way for these two to be reminded of that, than to be stuck together and forced to confront their differences? Sometimes pressure produces diamonds.”

And sometimes, pressure just builds up until it explodes.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature

Surly and Buddy and the rest of the gang are back, and find themselves in an even more hilarious, nutty, and epic sequel to the 2014 hit animated film.

Surly Squirrel, his pug friend Precious and his best friend Buddy the rat are living in the recently closed nut shop. Food is abundant, and life is good… Until the nut shop explodes in a freak accident! After an unsuccessful search for food in the city, Surly returns to Liberty Park.

Oakton's most corrupt politician has other plans for Liberty Park. As he looks down from his penthouse office, he sees the beautiful park as nothing more than premium city real estate that generates zero profit. At a press conference, the mayor announces Liberty Park will be bulldozed and replaced with Libertyland. Who wants a regular park when you can have an amusement park?

As the mayor's bulldozers roll in, Surly leads the animals in fighting back. They need to work fast and find a way to stop him before they lose their sanctuary forever.

“While The Nut Job 2 is a funny movie, it’s also got an important message of inclusiveness,” says director and co-writer Cal Brunker. “The animals realise that by putting aside their differences and working together, they can accomplish anything. Now more than ever, it’s important to embrace our differences and work together to solve problems. Like Mr. Feng says, 'We are in this together!'".

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