Jump to content

American Sniper

From Alfawiki
American Sniper
Company typeFilm
IndustryFilm industry
FoundedNovember 11, 2014; 12 years ago (2014-11-11) (premiere date)
FounderClint Eastwood (director and co-producer)
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
ProductsBiographical war drama film
ParentWarner Bros.

American Sniper is a 2014 American biographical war drama directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood with a screenplay by Jason Hall, adapted from the memoir authored by Chris Kyle alongside Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The narrative follows Kyle’s tenure as the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, credited with 255 confirmed kills during four deployments in the Iraq War, 160 of which are officially verified by the Department of Defense. The story also delves into the effects of his military service on his family and personal relationships. The film stars Bradley Cooper portraying Kyle, with Sienna Miller as his wife Taya, supported by performances from Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, among others.

American Sniper had its debut at the American Film Institute Festival on November 11, 2014, before a limited release across the United States on December 25, 2014, and a nationwide release on January 16, 2015. It was met with generally favorable critiques, especially praising Cooper’s acting and Eastwood’s directorial approach, although it generated debate regarding its representation of the Iraq conflict and Kyle himself. The film amassed over $547 million globally, ranking as the 13th highest-grossing film of 2014, achieving the record for the biggest January wide release at that time, and becoming Eastwood’s most commercially successful project to date.

At the 87th Academy Awards, American Sniper secured six nominations including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Cooper, ultimately winning the award for Best Sound Editing.

Plot

Raised in Texas, Chris Kyle acquires shooting and hunting skills from his father during childhood. As an adult working as a ranch hand and rodeo rider, he returns unexpectedly to find his girlfriend with another man. After ending their relationship, he watches news coverage of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings, which motivates him to enlist in the Navy. He successfully completes specialized training and becomes a sniper within the U.S. Navy SEALs.

In San Diego, Chris meets Taya Studebaker at an Irish pub, leading to their marriage. Following the September 11 attacks, he is deployed to Iraq. His initial kills—a woman and a boy attacking U.S. Marines—disturb him deeply; however, he soon gains the moniker "Legend" due to his numerous confirmed kills.

Assigned to track down al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Chris interrogates a family whose father offers guidance to locate "The Butcher," Zarqawi's second-in-command. The operation fails when The Butcher captures and kills both father and son while under fire from Mustafa, a sniper and Olympic medalist from Syria. Following this, insurgents place a bounty on Chris’s head.

At home, Chris struggles with traumatic memories of combat while Taya expresses concern about their marriage. He embarks on a second deployment after being promoted to chief petty officer. During an intense firefight, he assists in killing The Butcher but becomes emotionally distant from his family after returning to a newborn daughter. On his third tour, teammate Ryan "Biggles" Job suffers serious injuries inflicted by Mustafa, necessitating evacuation. Upon returning to duty, SEAL Marc Lee is killed in action.

Haunted by guilt, Chris volunteers for a fourth deployment despite Taya’s warning that she may not be present when he returns. In Iraq, he learns that Biggles died during surgery. Tasked with eliminating Mustafa—who has been targeting U.S. Army combat engineers—Chris’s sniper team sets up on a rooftop within hostile territory.

Chris successfully neutralizes Mustafa with a high-risk long-range shot but inadvertently reveals his team’s position to enemy forces. Under heavy fire and low ammunition, he tearfully contacts Taya expressing his readiness to return home. A sandstorm provides cover for their chaotic escape; Chris sustains injuries and nearly gets left behind.

Back in the United States and grappling with reintegration challenges, a Veterans Affairs psychiatrist asks if war memories torment him. Chris responds that it is "all the guys [he] couldn’t save" who continue to haunt him. Encouraged to assist wounded veterans at the VA hospital, he gradually adapts to civilian life.

On February 2, 2013, Chris departs in good spirits to accompany Eddie Ray Routh—a veteran suffering from PTSD—to a shooting range. An on-screen caption reveals that Chris was murdered that day by Routh, followed by footage showing crowds gathered along highways for his funeral procession and memorial service.

Cast

Sammy Sheik plays Mustafa, a character partly inspired by Iraqi sniper Juba, while Mido Hamada depicts The Butcher, a figure likely based on Abu Deraa.

Development

On May 24, 2012, the rights to Chris Kyle's memoir were secured by Warner Bros., with Bradley Cooper attached both as lead actor and producer. Although Cooper initially considered casting Chris Pratt, Warner Bros. insisted that Cooper himself assume the starring role. In September 2012, director David O. Russell showed interest in directing the project.

After Chris Kyle’s death on February 2, 2013, Steven Spielberg was announced as the director on May 2, 2013. Spielberg intended to enrich the script by adding psychological tension and incorporating an enemy sniper subplot, extending the screenplay to nearly 160 pages. However, due to Warner Bros.’ budget constraints—approximately $60 million—Spielberg withdrew from the project on August 5, 2013. Subsequently, Clint Eastwood was confirmed as director on August 21, 2013.

Casting

Sienna Miller joined the cast on March 14, 2014. Shortly thereafter, Kyle Gallner and Cory Hardrict were added on March 16 and March 18 respectively. By March 20, actors including Navid Negahban, Eric Close, Eric Ladin, Rey Gallegos, and Jake McDorman had been cast; followed by the addition of Luke Grimes and Sam Jaeger on March 25. Former Navy SEAL Kevin Lacz not only acted but also served as a technical advisor, while another ex-SEAL, Joel Lambert, portrayed a sniper from the Delta. On June 3, Max Charles was cast in the role of Colton Kyle, Chris Kyle’s son.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on March 31, 2014, in Los Angeles, with further filming conducted in Morocco. On April 23, the Los Angeles Times reported that ten days of shooting took place at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in Santa Clarita, representing an Afghan village setting. Production then shifted to El Centro by May 7, where a milk factory was utilized to depict an abandoned date factory pivotal to the film’s climax. Additional scenes involving piers and bars were filmed in Seal Beach, California.

Cinematographer Tom Stern employed digital cameras from the Arri Alexa XT series along with Panavision C-, E-, and G-Series anamorphic lenses. This project marked Eastwood's second experience shooting digitally following Jersey Boys.

Music

The film does not feature a conventional "Music by" credit. Clint Eastwood, who has composed scores for most of his films since Mystic River (2003), receives credit specifically for "Taya's Theme." Joseph S. DeBeasi provided additional compositions and fulfilled music editing duties. The soundtrack also incorporates Van Morrison’s "Someone Like You" alongside Ennio Morricone’s "The Funeral."

Box office

American Sniper earned $350.2 million domestically in North America and an additional $197.5 million internationally, culminating in a global total of $547.7 million against a production budget of $59 million. According to estimates from Deadline Hollywood, the film generated a profit of approximately $243 million, making it the second most lucrative movie of 2014, following Paramount’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. It holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing war film worldwide, surpassing Saving Private Ryan, and stands as Clint Eastwood’s most financially successful directorial effort. Additionally, it ranks as the seventh R-rated movie to cross the $500 million mark.

North America

Within the North American market, American Sniper was the top-grossing film of 2014 and claimed the position as the highest-grossing war film without inflation adjustment (second overall when adjusted, behind Saving Private Ryan). It also ranked fourth among R-rated films domestically, was Warner Bros.’ fourth highest earner ever, and placed eighth among Best Picture nominees at the box office. The film became Warner Bros.’ seventh title to exceed $300 million in domestic revenue and outperformed all other 2014 Best Picture contenders combined.

The film debuted at AFI Fest on November 11, 2014, followed by a limited release on December 25 in four theaters where it grossed $610,000 during its opening weekend with an exceptional per-theater average. Its wide release commenced on January 16, 2015, setting records for Thursday night previews ($5.3 million), single-day earnings ($30.5 million), and achieving the largest January opening weekend ever ($89.2 million). This marked Eastwood’s most successful directorial debut weekend and represented the biggest opening for a drama film.

American Sniper also established new IMAX records for January openings and R-rated debuts, accumulating $107.2 million over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend—the highest four-day gross ever for an R-rated film. In its second weekend, expanding to 3,705 theaters (the second widest release ever for an R-rated movie), it earned $64.6 million with a modest 28% drop-off, reflecting one of the strongest holdovers for a major opening and ranking eighth in terms of second-weekend grosses.

Within just ten days, it became the second highest-grossing war film domestically in North America and was positioned to become the top-grossing film of 2014 in the U.S., overtaking The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. It set a new record for January IMAX grosses with $18.8 million from 333 IMAX locations. After 35 days in theaters, it surpassed Saving Private Ryan as North America’s highest-grossing war film without adjusting for inflation.

By its third weekend wide release, it expanded to an unprecedented 3,885 theaters—the widest release ever for an R-rated film—and brought in $30.66 million, marking the second highest Super Bowl weekend gross on record. After dominating the box office for three consecutive weekends, it was eventually surpassed by The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water during its fourth weekend.

Outside North America

Internationally, American Sniper recorded Clint Eastwood’s largest opening weekend across all foreign markets and became his highest-grossing title in each country where it was released. In Italy, it debuted at number two with $7.1 million—Eastwood's strongest opening there and Warner Bros.’ second largest debut for a U.S. non-franchise film—before ascending to number one at the box office the following week. Other notable launches included France ($6.3 million), where it maintained the top spot for four straight weekends; Australia ($4.3 million initially, totaling $4.6 million including previews); the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Malta collectively ($3.8 million); Spain ($3.2 million); Japan ($2.8 million); Mexico ($2.6 million); Brazil ($1.8 million); and South Korea ($1.2 million). Italy ($23 million) and France ($22.8 million) emerged as its largest international markets outside of the United States.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, American Sniper maintains a 71% approval rating based on 299 reviews, with an average rating of 6.90 out of 10. The general consensus commends Clint Eastwood’s direction alongside Bradley Cooper’s portrayal for delivering a gripping homage to the true story. On Metacritic, the movie holds a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 from 48 critics, signifying "generally favorable reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore awarded the film an "A+" grade.

The film received widespread praise for its intense depiction and acting performances. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter described it as "a taut, vivid and sad account" of the sniper’s life. Justin Chang from Variety emphasized Cooper’s compelling portrayal and the film’s examination of war’s physical and psychological consequences. David Denby of The New Yorker regarded it as both a profoundly moving war film and an antiwar statement. Peter Travers from Rolling Stone highlighted Eastwood and Cooper’s unflinching tribute to patriotism along with its inherent sacrifices. Additional favorable reviews appeared in The A.V. Club, ReelViews, and Los Angeles Times, focusing on Eastwood’s directorial skill and Cooper’s nuanced embodiment of Kyle’s character.

Some reviewers expressed concerns. Keith Phipps of The Dissolve felt the movie lacked a deeper dive into the sacrifices made by soldiers, while Chris Nashawaty from Entertainment Weekly criticized its repetitive combat scenes. Inkoo Kang at TheWrap argued that the film’s narrow perspective limited its engagement with the wider ethical questions surrounding the Iraq War.

Negative assessments concentrated on oversimplification of history and moral ambiguity. Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone described it as a stark black-and-white narrative missing important context, whereas Alex von Tunzelmann of The Guardian pointed to mythologizing distortions. David Masciotra from Salon faulted the film for prioritizing physical bravery over moral complexity. Former sniper Garett Reppenhagen contended that the movie perpetuated misunderstandings about Iraqi civilians. Other critiques addressed perceived political and cultural oversights.

In response, Eastwood remarked that the film underscores "what [war] does to the people left behind," labeling it among the most significant antiwar messages by portraying veterans’ difficulties reintegrating into society. He stressed the importance of careful deliberation before entering conflicts.

Bradley Cooper highlighted that much criticism misses the film’s focus on neglect experienced by returning veterans, urging attention toward those accountable for sending troops into combat zones. He pointed out the escalating psychological strain on soldiers and concerning veteran suicide statistics.

Supporters included former First Lady Michelle Obama and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, both publicly commending the film for its representation of veterans’ realities.

Historical accuracy

Numerous prominent news outlets noted discrepancies between the movie and Chris Kyle's memoir. The enemy sniper Mustafa, a significant figure in the film, receives only brief mention in Kyle’s book; Kyle stated, "I never saw him, but other snipers later killed an Iraqi sniper we think was him." According to Kyle's memoir, his 2100-yard shot was aimed at an insurgent wielding a rocket launcher rather than Mustafa. Screenwriter Jason Hall explained that Kyle left out Mustafa’s name because "He shot my friend." The opening battle scene—depicting Kyle killing a boy and a mother who attacks U.S. forces with a grenade—was crafted purely for dramatic purposes.

The storyline shows Navy SEAL Ryan "Biggles" Job dying shortly after surgery due to injuries sustained in Iraq; however, in reality, he passed away several years later. The character known as "the Butcher" was invented for the film but may draw inspiration from actual individuals such as Abu Deraa or Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi. The visual analysis blog Information is Beautiful rated the movie as approximately 56.9% accurate relative to real events, noting that while many incidents occurred, Kyle’s involvement was often exaggerated.

In the film, Kyle decides to join the Navy after watching coverage of the 1998 United States embassy bombings on television; however, this event did not influence his actual enlistment decision.

Prop baby

The movie encountered criticism for featuring a counterfeit baby doll in one particular scene, which many viewers found noticeably artificial and distracting. During a press screening, the doll's lack of realism even provoked laughter from the audience. Critic Dave Karger of Fandango pointed out that the plastic infant detracted from the film's prospects at the Academy Awards. Media commentators also emphasized this flaw, with some predicting that defenders of Clint Eastwood would justify the decision. Screenwriter Jason Hall clarified that the use of the doll was necessary because real infants were either unavailable or unwell during production.

Top ten lists

American Sniper secured spots on multiple critics' top ten lists for 2014:

Home media

On May 19, 2015, American Sniper was made available on Blu-ray and DVD through Warner Home Video.

During its initial week of U.S. home media availability, the film led both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert overall disc sales chart and the Blu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ending May 24, 2015.

Accolades

Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Template:Nom |- Best Actor | Bradley Cooper (tied with Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel) | Template:Won |- Best Supporting Actress | Sienna Miller | Template:Nom |- Best Adapted Screenplay | Jason Hall | Template:Nom |- Best Cinematography | Tom Stern | Template:Nom | "Best Male Performance" | Bradley Cooper | Template:Won | "Best Director" | Clint Eastwood | Template:Won | "Best Editing"
Organizations Category Recipient(s) Result Reference(s)
Academy Awards Best Picture Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan Template:Nom
Best Actor Bradley Cooper Template:Nom
Best Adapted Screenplay Jason Hall Template:Nom
Best Film Editing Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach Template:Nom
Best Sound Editing Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman Template:Won
Best Sound Mixing John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin Template:Nom
Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film James J. Murakami, Charisse Cardenas Template:Nom
ACE Eddie Awards Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach Template:Nom
American Film Institute Awards 2014 Top Ten Films of the Year Template:Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Jason Hall Template:Nom
Best Sound Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman Template:Nom
Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Live Action Walt Martin, Gregg Rudloff, John Reitz, Robert Fernandez, Thomas J. O'Connell, James Ashwell Template:Nom
Critics' Choice Award Best Action Movie American Sniper Template:Nom
Best Actor in an Action Movie Bradley Cooper Template:Won
Denver Film Critics Society Best Picture "American Sniper" "Template:Won"

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=6|

Clint Eastwood | Template:Nom | style="text-align:center;"|
Bradley Cooper | Template:Nom | style="text-align:center;"|
American Sniper (tied with A Most Violent Year) | Template:Won | style="text-align:center;"|
Bub Asman, Alan Robert Murray | Template:Won | style="text-align:center;"|
American Sniper | Template:Nom | style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2 |
"Top Ten Film" Template:Won
"Best Theatrical Motion Picture" "Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Andrew Lazar, Robert Lorenz, Peter Morgan" "Template:Nom"

style="text-align:center;"|

"Best Adapted Screenplay" "Jason Hall" "Template:Nom"

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2 |

"Gary D. Roach and Joel Cox" "Template:Nom" |
"Best Thriller Film" 'American Sniper' 'Template:Nom'

style='text-align:center;'|

"Best Adapted Screenplay" "Jason Hall" "Template:Nom"

style='text-align:center;'|


See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=American_Sniper&oldid=48929"