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The Last Full Measure
(Roadside Attractions/Foresight Unlimited)
By Lucas Allen
During this difficult time, stories of courage and triumph are the best way to lift our spirits and inspire us. Here’s a story that you may have forgotten or never heard of that might interest you. “The Last Full Measure” presents the true story of one man’s bravery and sacrifice told through two different generations. The movie comes from writer and director Todd Robinson, who’s well known for producing the hit TV series “Chicago P.D.”
Taking place in 1999, married government agent Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan), working for the Department of Defense, is assigned by his boss, Carlton Stanton (Bradley Whitford), to take on a special case. Retired Air Force pilot Tom Tulley (William Hurt) is requesting a special decoration upgrade to the Medal of Honor be given to fallen soldier William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine). During Operation Abilene in the Vietnam War, Pitsenbarger disobeyed orders and helped aid in the ambushed soldiers before being killed in action to save just enough lives. Huffman soon takes up Tulley’s request as he’s being introduced to the soldier’s parents Frank (Christopher Plummer) and Alice (Diane Ladd).
Huffman then listens to different testimonies from survivors of the army unit during that fateful day, including bus driver Ray Mott (Ed Harris) and Jimmy Burr (the late Peter Fonda in his last on-screen role), who suffers from PTSD. Then there’s Chauncey Kipper (John Savage) finding peace in Vietnam, while Billy Takoda (Samuel L. Jackson) holds a deep regret that has haunted him for over 30 years. These testimonies put Huffman in a difficult position as he goes through political obstacles to give Pitsenbarger his due.
Like any good Vietnam War movie, the movie understands that it’s about the men who fought their way through and how it affected their lives somewhere down the line. In fact, it also provides such moving testimonials from some of the characters that you sometimes forget you’re watching a piece of fiction. These characters help provide the emotional backbone needed to make the story work.
No matter if you’ve been to a war or know somebody who had, this movie will have a surprising effect when it gets to the sad and horrific stories of the deadly operation. You’ll feel absolutely sympathetic for these retired soldiers and what they’ve been through during and after the war throughout the film’s duration. Issues of regret and PTSD are treated with some level of respect with a fine balance of drama and humor.
Speaking of drama, the best thing this movie has going for is mainly focus on the old soldiers and their experiences. But when it tries to focus on the main character trying to go through the red tape, it comes off as less concentrated and meant to pad out the film. It also goes through a resolution so quickly by the end that this subplot feels ultimately needless. Maybe the filmmakers didn’t want to turn it into a John Grisham political thriller that might take away the attention given to the human drama.
There’s a surprising number of really good actors appearing in this movie. Stan is decent in his leading role playing it more casually as a hard-working citizen. The performances by Hurt, Harris, and Jackson are all outstanding as they each express their characters’ pain and remorse to the fullest. Fonda’s last performance is both haunting and emotional as the Easy Rider vet left us with a small but memorable role.
While Da 5 Bloods is a more entertaining drama released this year that deals with similar themes, The Last Full Measure is certainly compelling in its depiction of courage and humility during a gruesome war. Some of the drama could’ve been handled better or written out, but that doesn’t prevent it from having a worthwhile experience.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for war violence and language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
