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Stop Loss - Abbie Cornish, Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Kimberly Peirce

Threat advisory: Under evaluation

Movie propaganda

The bravest place to stand is by each other's side.

Decorated Iraq war hero Sergeant Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) makes a celebrated return to his small Texas hometown following his tour of duty. Brandon tries to resume the life he left behind with the help and support of his loving family, and his best friend, Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum), who served with Brandon in Iraq. Alongside their war-time buddies, Brandon and Steve try to make peace with civilian life. Then, against Brandon's will, under a measure called Stop Loss, the Army indefinitely extends Brandon's enlistment and forces him back to Iraq. This upends Brandon's entire world, and sends him to one of the only people he can trust: his childhood friend - and Steve's fiancée - Michelle (Abbie Cornish). Michelle becomes Brandon's confidante and accomplice as he races across the US - a fugitive from justice in the country he fought to protect - in search of a way out of his predicament.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film drama war politics Iraq combat soldier refuse US Department of Defense Army grunt re-enlistment

Persons of interest

Ryan Phillippe .... Brandon King
Joseph Gordon-Levitt .... Tommy Burgess
Rob Brown .... Isaac 'Eyeball' Butler
Channing Tatum .... Steve Shriver
Victor Rasuk .... Rico Rodriguez
Terry Quay .... Al 'Preacher' Colson
Matthew Scott Wilcox .... Harvey
Timothy Olyphant .... Lieutenant Colonel Boot Miller
Josef Sommer .... Senator Orton Worrell
Linda Emond .... Ida King
Ciarán Hinds .... Roy King
Mamie Gummer .... Jeanie
Abbie Cornish .... Michelle
Alex Frost .... Shorty
Chandra Washington .... Mrs Butler
Cora Cardona .... Theresa Rodriguez
Isreal Saldivar .... Augustin
David Kroll .... Pastor
Marie Mizener .... Karen
Kasey Stevens .... Sharon
Ricky Calmbach .... Himself
Lee Stringer .... Dennis
JD Evermore .... Rainey
Cory Hart .... Cowboy
Kimberly Peirce .... Screenwriter
Mark Richard .... Screenwriter
Kimberly Peirce .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Stop Loss official movie site
Stop Loss film production notes
Stop loss movie trailers:

QuickTime

Awards and film festivals:

See also The messengers
Studios and distributors:

Paramount Pictures

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Holy crap, the US government just can't help fucking over its soldiers, huh? First they send them into a war they can't win (again) then they stop them from leaving when they've had enough. Stop Loss is a look at a different side of the War of Terror, the effect of war on returning soldiers. Usually the grunts are (i) running around shooting people or (ii) running around getting shot but in this movie they are (iii) running around thinking that they're being shot at. It amazes me that soldiers aren't given more of a winding down when they get back from combat.

On the plus side, you do get a close-up look at urban warfare in Iraq with lots of shooting and lots of bleeding. Also, Ryan Phillippe is pretty cute and so is our Abbie Cornish.

The drama, war movie Stop Loss is directed by Kimberly Peirce and stars Abbie Cornish, Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum.