- Actors: Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Will Patton
- Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
- Writers: Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo, Tim Lovestedt
- Producers: Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Jennifer Monroe
- Format: NTSC, Subtitled
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
- Subtitles: Spanish, English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Rated: PG-13
- Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Release Date: September 5, 2017
- Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018
For the first
half of Megan Leavey, I was somewhat
critical of the film’s title, especially considering the catalyst and main
focus of the narrative seemed to be the dog rather than the soldier. But the
narrative changes from a war film to a movie about a marine’s advocacy for her
canine partner in the second half, becoming clear where the spirit of the film
truly lies. While it certainly is a film about two misunderstood outcasts
finding purpose for their lives, it is Leavey’s heartfelt determination that
remains central to the story’s success.
The attempt to
tell a story that switches gears from a familiar war-time narrative to a
personal social action movement midway is not always smooth or natural, but
many of the film’s awkward transitions and uncertain meandering can be forgiven
by the filmmaker’s dedication to remain loyal to the true story it is based on.
Although there are elements of several genre films in the narrative, audiences
would be better off without the expectations of these rigid formulas. For the
most part, even those expecting the contrivances of a genre structure will be
won over when the story subverts expectations by suddenly switching gears, and
that is completely due to the strength of spirit in the title character and the
actress who plays her.
Megan Leavey
(Kate Mara) is introduced as a citizen without a purpose for her life, which
may at first appear to be an easy way to cram in advocacy for the benefits of
military service. But even as Leavey becomes a soldier, she remains something
of an outsider, allowing the film to make it clear that serving her country is
not what gives her purpose and sense of belonging, at least not as much as the
military combat dog she is paired with. Rex is seen as an aggressive dog,
misunderstood by everyone, including Leavey at first, until they build a bond.
This bond allows them to complete over 100 missions seeking out IED bombs in Iraq, until
Leavey’s decision to retire from service after an injury threatens to separate
them for good.
Leavey has other
relationships throughout the film, including the strict mentorship of a
superior (Common), a tumultuous connection with her separated and mostly
unsupportive mother (Edie Falco) and father (Bradley Whitford), and a brief
romantic entanglement with fellow marine Matt Morales (Ramon Rodriguez). But
none of these ever come close to removing focus from the true heart of the
narrative, which is the connection between Leavey and Rex. Mara carries the
film in a way that feels effortless and sincere, though this is even more of a
testament to her hard work and dedication as an actor. This is especially clear
when the human actor is forced to pick up the slack for the canine performer,
who hits all of his marks but doesn’t always convey the emotions needed to sell
the relationship. Part of the problem is the abundance of amateur footage of
pets we are bombarded with online these days, allowing audiences to spot the
contrivance of a well trained dog that is missing the exuberance of a real pet
when greeting a loved owner. Megan Leavey
has two reunion scenes between marine and dog, and they are fantastically
effective in the long shot, but rely entirely upon Mara in the close up.
On a side note,
I think it is important to mention that Megan
Leavey was all but dismissed at the box office when it was first released
(though it was recently re-released, suggesting posturing for award season),
overshadowed by Wonder Woman, which
was cleverly marketed as the ultimate feminist film experience. Not to dismiss
the significance of the comic book movie (which is primarily how much money it
made), but this is a film based on a real-life female hero. Not only that, but
it was also directed by a female filmmaker (Gabriela Cowperthwaite, who previously
proved capable of advocating for animals with her award-winning documentary, Blackfish), and boasts a writing team
that was also 2/3 female (while Wonder Woman was written entirely by men). Wonder Woman may have been the flashy
feminist film of the summer, but Megan
Leavey was the sleeper hit, and a film that advocates of more equality in
the film industry should have been paying more attention to.
The Blu-ray
release of Megan Leavey also comes
with a DVD and Digital HD copy of the film, although the special features on
the actual disc leave a lot to be desired. There is only a single promotional
featurette, and it is less than three minutes long. The main focus of the brief
featurette is to look at the title character and basic premise of the film,
hardly spending enough time to give more information than the film’s trailer
would.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
Special Features: 2/10
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