Gary Sinise’s New Documentary Gives Veterans Hope
By Movieguide® Contributor
Gary Sinise is proud of his new documentary BROTHERS AFTER WAR which explores the struggles veterans face when they return from deployment while showcasing that they can have happy and successful lives after their time with the military has ended.
The movie is a sequel to BROTHERS AT WAR, which was created by Jake Rademacher to capture his brother Joe’s experience at sniper school and what he faced during his deployment.
BROTHERS AFTER WAR captures Joe’s experience now that he has returned to civilian life, along with a mix of stories from other veterans.
“[Joe]’s story is at the very heart of this film,” Jake told PEOPLE. “He really understood by opening up and telling me something he’s never told me before, it’s going to tell other veterans it’s okay to be vulnerable and talk. And we have found that talking about your experiences is how you start to heal from them.”
One of the most important moments in the movies captures a sad reality that many veterans face. In the scene, Joe stands in his garage with a gun to his face as he contemplates suicide. Though he stands down and takes his finger off of the trigger, thousands decide not to do the same in real life. Roughly 6,000 veterans take their own lives every year, with the rate of suicide for veterans being nearly twice the national average.
While the documentary helps explain the horrors veterans face in the battlefield and what that does to them when they come home, it is also meant to give veterans watching hope that they can become whole again and live a happy, healthy, successful life.
“At the end of the film, you see [Joe]’s a happy family guy,” Sinise, who served as an executive producer on the movie, told PEOPLE. “We want veterans to see that. We want them moving forward. Process your war years, but don’t let them completely and totally define you. You can move on and have a happy life.”
READ MORE: HOW GARY SINISE HOPES HIS NEW MOVIE HELPS VETERANS
“I haven’t worn the uniform of our nation – I would’ve loved to – but I think there’s something valuable about saying, ‘These guys’ stories matter,’” Sinise added. “I think the best part of my generation were the ones who volunteered to serve the rest of us. A lot of them put their lives on hold for 20 years and there was a major impact on their family. We want people to meet these people who’ve done so much for us.”
He hopes this movie helps mend the “disconnect” between service members and civilians.
“For years now, I felt like generally there’s a disconnect between our service members and first responders and a big portion of the American people who may not have a personal connection to them,” Sinise told Military.com. “It’s important to educate people on why we need to support those that are willing to raise their hand and go out there and do the dirty, difficult work to defend us at home. Education is a part of our mission at the Gary Sinise Foundation, and BROTHERS AFTER WAR can help provide a better understanding of what it was like to put on the uniform and serve in dangerous places like Iraq and Afghanistan.”
“BROTHERS AFTER WAR, we want to have Americans see our veterans as they really are and walk beside them on their journey home,” Jake told the VFW.
BROTHERS AFTER WAR is in theaters now.
READ MORE: GARY SINISE ON FAITH, FAMILY AND GIVING BACK: ‘SERVICE IS A GREAT HEALER’
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +4