Lions for Lambs

Last updated

Lions for Lambs
Lambs first poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Redford
Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Philippe Rousselot
Edited by Joe Hutshing
Music by Mark Isham
Production
companies
United Artists [1]
Wildwood Enterprises [2]
Brat Na Pont [2]
Andell Entertainment [2]
Distributed by MGM Distribution Co. (United States) [1]
20th Century Fox (International) [3]
Release dates
  • November 8, 2007 (2007-11-08)(Hong Kong)
  • November 9, 2007 (2007-11-09)(U.S.)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million [4]
Box office$63.2 million [5]

Lions for Lambs is a 2007 American war drama film directed by Robert Redford about the connection between a platoon of United States soldiers in Afghanistan, a U.S. senator, a reporter, and a Californian college professor. It stars Redford, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, and Andrew Garfield in his feature film debut. It was the first Cruise/Wagner Productions film since the company joined with United Artists subsequent to Cruise's falling out with Paramount Pictures in 2006. [6]

Contents

With a title that alludes to incompetent leaders sending brave soldiers into the slaughter of battle, [7] the film takes aim at the U.S. government's prosecution of the wars in the Middle East, showing three different simultaneous stories: a senator who launches a new military strategy and details it to a journalist, two soldiers involved in said operation, and their college professor trying to re-engage a promising student by telling him their story. The film was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan. It was released in North America on November 9, 2007, to negative reviews and disappointing box office receipts.

Plot

Two students at a West Coast university, Arian and Ernest, at the urging of their idealistic professor, Dr. Malley, attempt to do something important with their lives. They make the bold decision to enlist in the army to fight in Afghanistan after graduating from college.

Dr. Malley also attempts to reach talented and privileged but disaffected student Todd Hayes, who is not at all like Arian and Ernest. He is naturally bright, comes from a privileged background, but has apparently slipped into apathy upon being disillusioned at the present state of affairs. Now, he devotes most of his time to extra-curricular activities like his role as president of his fraternity. Malley tests him by offering a choice between a respectable grade of 'B' in the class with no additional work required or a final opportunity to re-engage with the material of the class and "do something." Before Todd makes his choice, he must listen to Dr. Malley's story of his former students Arian and Ernest and why they are in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., a charismatic Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Jasper Irving, has invited liberal TV journalist Janine Roth to his office to announce a new war strategy in Afghanistan: the use of small units to seize strategic positions in the mountains before the Taliban can occupy them. The senator hopes that Roth's positive coverage will help convince the public that the plan is sound.

Roth has her doubts and fears she is being asked to become an instrument of government propaganda. She informs her commercially-minded boss of her plans to call out the senator's new strategy for what she feels is a ploy, but is shot down. Ultimately, Irving's version of the story is run without the critical interaction. Whether Roth gave in and toed the company line or quit her job is not clear.

In Afghanistan, a helicopter carrying Arian and Ernest is hit by Taliban insurgents. Ernest falls out, and Arian jumps after him. Ernest's leg is badly wounded, and he suffers a compound fracture, rendering him immobile as the Taliban arrive. After a drawn-out gunfight, the U.S. soldiers run out of ammunition. Rather than getting captured, Arian helps Ernest stand up, facing the enemies and turning their empty weapons against them, an action which prompts the Taliban to kill them. The unit commanders attempt a rescue of the downed soldiers, sending A-10 Warthogs, but the weather, time, and distance interfere.

Hayes is watching television with a friend. A reporter is discussing a singer's private life, while below runs a strip announcing Senator Irving's new military plan for Afghanistan. Hayes suddenly falls quiet, contemplating the choices with which his professor had left him.

Cast

Production

Matthew Michael Carnahan was inspired to write the script when, while channel surfing trying to find a USC Trojans football game, he saw a news report about a Humvee that had flipped into an Iraqi river, drowning about five U.S. soldiers. Carnahan considered it an awful way to die, and "couldn't get past it fast enough", considering he was too indifferent, "talking so much and not doing a damn thing", [8] and "the same hypocrite that I so can't stand in our country, the kind of people that will flip right past the news to get to Access Hollywood ". [9] He first considered turning it into a stage play, but the military scenes, in particular the helicopter ones, made him turn it into a film screenplay. [10] The character of Todd Hayes was inspired by Carnahan himself during college. [10]

When Robert Redford read the script, he became very interested, considering it smart as opposed to Hollywood's many "straight-out entertainment" projects, and also tricky due to the three stories "that seem to be disparate but are connected and have to come together in a vortex at the end", and that needed to be represented in a way the movie "wouldn't be categorized as a lefty film". [11] Redford considered that the movie's focus was for audiences "to be entertained in a way that made them think." [9]

An Irish newspaper claimed that "The name of the film is derived from a remark made by a German officer during World War I, comparing British soldiers' bravery with the calculated criminality of their commanders". [12] While several reviewers in the UK have criticized the film for misquoting the commonly used phrase of "lions led by donkeys", [13] [14] in an article written for The Times on the origin of the title, Brian Dimuccio and Dino Vindeni claimed that:

One such composition included the observation, 'Nowhere have I seen such Lions led by such Lambs.' While the exact provenance of this quotation has been lost to history, most experts agree it was written during the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest clashes in modern warfare. While some military archivists credit the author as an anonymous infantryman, others argue that the source was none other than General Max von Gallwitz, Supreme Commander [ sic ] of the German forces. In either case, it is generally accepted to be a derivation of Alexander the Great's proclamation, 'I am never afraid of an army of Lions led into battle by a Lamb. I fear more the army of Lambs who have a Lion to lead them.' [15]

Though Lions for Lambs was the first United Artists venture since Cruise and Paula Wagner attained control, executives billed the film as a "Robert Redford vehicle." [16] Filming began on January 29, 2007, [17] and Redford considered the movie "the tightest schedule I've ever worked with," with barely a year between announcement and release. [9]

Promotion

Lions for Lambs is the first film under Cruise's and Wagner's new venture with film studio United Artists. [18] MSNBC reported that Cruise was worried about how the film would perform, because of how the film industry would view him based on its success or failure at the box office. [18]

Reception

Critical response

Lions for Lambs holds a 27% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 185 reviews, with a weighted average of 4.80/10. The site's consensus states: "Despite its powerhouse cast, Lions for Lambs feels like a disjointed series of lectures, rather than a sharp narrative, and ends up falling flat." [19] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 36 reviews. [20] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade C on scale of A to F. [21]

Film critic Roger Ebert gave it two and a half stars, noting that at the beginning of the film the viewer is "under the delusion that it's going somewhere." As the film progresses, Ebert wrote that interest is lost, noting, "When we begin to suspect it's going in circles, our interest flags." [22] Matt Pais of the Chicago Tribune also gave the film two and a half stars, and wrote in summation: "Redford and Streep give it their all, but Cruise is Cruise, and the go-nowhere 'Lions' is more of an imitation of life than a reflection on it." [23] A USA Today review gave the film two and a half stars as well, in a negative review titled: "As entertainment, 'Lions' whimpers rather than roars." [24] Reviewer Claudia Puig commented, "Though characters make some strong points, the film feels preachy and falls flat as entertainment." [24] The New York Post gave the film one and a half stars, and did not recommend it, writing: "if you want to be bored by pompous-assery, 'Meet the Press' is free." [25] The Guardian was more critical, giving the film only one star, and calling it "a muddled and pompous film about America's war on terror." [13]

Derek Elley of Variety wrote that though the film was "star-heavy", it felt like "the movie equivalent of an Off Broadway play," and "uses a lot of words to say nothing new." [26] The New York Times also mentioned the amount of dialogue in the film, writing: "It's a long conversation, more soporific than Socratic, and brimming with parental chiding, generational conflict and invocations of Vietnam," and the Los Angeles Times described the lecturing in the film as "dull and self-satisfied." [27] [28] The subtitle of the review in the Los Angeles Times was: "As a matter of policy, 'Lions for Lambs' doesn't play." [28] In a review entitled "Political drama feels more like a lecture" in The Boston Globe , Wesley Morris wrote: "It does not feel good to report that a movie with Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise makes the eyelids droop. But that's what 'Lions for Lambs' does." [29] Writing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer , reviewer William Arnold wrote positively of the segments of the film involving Robert Redford's character: "His character, who hopes to save America one slacker at a time, rings true; and his real-life conviction and his fears for democracy come through." [30] Amy Biancolli of the Houston Chronicle highlighted Redford's direction of the film, commenting that it was not his best film, but it was "his bravest." [31] Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter described Lions for Lambs as "a well-made movie that offers no answers but raises many important questions." [32]

Box office

The film took in 6.7 million USD in its opening weekend and debuted at the number four spot. [33] Despite a slow start, the film ultimately grossed $63 million worldwide, nearly doubling its budget.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Redford</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1936)

Charles Robert Redford Jr. is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1996, the Academy Honorary Award in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, and the Honorary César in 2019. He was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meryl Streep</span> American actress (born 1949)

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a record 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and a record 34 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.

<i>Out of Africa</i> (film) 1985 film by Sydney Pollack

Out of Africa is a 1985 American epic romantic drama film directed and produced by Sydney Pollack, and starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The film is based loosely on the 1937 autobiographical book Out of Africa written by Isak Dinesen, with additional material from Dinesen's 1960 book Shadows on the Grass and other sources.

<i>The Kite Runner</i> (film) 2007 American film

The Kite Runner is a 2007 American drama film directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by David Benioff and based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini. It tells the story of Amir (Ebrahimi) a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan (Mahmoodzada). The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet military intervention, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

Sarayu Rao, also known as Sarayu R. Blue, is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Angela on the Fox sitcom Sons of Tucson, as well as Dr. Sydney Napur on David E. Kelley's Monday Mornings on TNT. She has also guest starred in a number of television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meryl Streep in the 2000s</span>

Meryl Streep throughout the 2000s appeared in many cinematic and theatrical productions. In 2001, Streep's voice appeared in the science-fiction film A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Streep that same year co-hosted the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert, as well as appeared in the popular play The Seagull. In 2002, Streep appeared in the films Adaptation. and The Hours. In 2003, Streep appeared unaccredited in the comedy Stuck on You, and starred in the HBO play adaptation Angels in America. In 2004, Streep was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award, and in that same year, she starred in the films The Manchurian Candidate and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. In 2005, Streep starred in the film Prime. Streep began 2006 with the film A Prairie Home Companion, and that same year, she starred in The Devil Wears Prada and the stage production Mother Courage and Her Children. In 2007, Streep appeared in the films Dark Matter, Rendition, Evening, and Lions for Lambs. In 2008, Streep starred in the films Mamma Mia! and Doubt. In 2009, Streep starred in the films Julie & Julia and It's Complicated, as well as loaning her voice to the animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.

<i>Lone Survivor</i> (book) 2007 book by Marcus Luttrell

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (2007) is a non-fiction book written by Marcus Luttrell with assistance from novelist and ghostwriter Patrick Robinson and published by Little, Brown and Company. The narrative takes place in Afghanistan, following Luttrell and a group of U.S. Navy SEALs. It has since seen a 2013 film adaptation of the same name, with Mark Wahlberg starring as Luttrell.

<i>Lone Survivor</i> 2013 film by Peter Berg

Lone Survivor is a 2013 American action drama film based on the 2007 nonfiction book of the same name by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson. Set during the war in Afghanistan, it dramatizes the unsuccessful United States Navy SEALs counter-insurgent mission Operation Red Wings, during which a four-man SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team was given the task of tracking down the Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. The film was written and directed by Peter Berg, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana.

<i>Florence Foster Jenkins</i> (film) 2016 film directed by Stephen Frears

Florence Foster Jenkins is a 2016 biographical film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Nicholas Martin and Julia Kogan. It stars Meryl Streep as Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress known for her generosity and poor singing. Hugh Grant plays her manager and long-time companion, St. Clair Bayfield. Other cast members include Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Nina Arianda.

<i>Whiskey Tango Foxtrot</i> (film) 2016 film by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a 2016 American biographical war comedy-drama film, directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and written by Robert Carlock. It is based on the memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker. The film stars Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, and Billy Bob Thornton. It was released on March 4, 2016, by Paramount Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics who praised the acting but criticized the predictable screenplay and execution. The movie grossed $24.9 million against its $35 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Linton</span> Scottish actress

Louise Linton is a Scottish actress. She has appeared in the horror films Cabin Fever and Intruder, in minor roles in the television series CSI: NY and Cold Case, and wrote, directed, produced and starred in the 2021 film Me You Madness. The film received poor reviews and was considered a flop both critically and commercially. Linton is married to Steven Mnuchin, the former United States Secretary of the Treasury.

<i>Death Wish</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Eli Roth

Death Wish is a 2018 American vigilante action thriller film directed by Eli Roth and produced by Roger Birnbaum. It is the remake of the 1974 film of the same name and stars Bruce Willis as Dr. Paul Kersey, alongside Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise in supporting roles. In the film, Dr. Paul Kersey, a Chicago-based surgeon, sets out to exact vengeance on the culprits responsible for attacking his family.

<i>12 Strong</i> 2018 American action-war film by Nicolai Fuglsig

12 Strong is a 2018 American action-war film directed by Nicolai Fuglsig and written by Ted Tally and Peter Craig. The film is based on Doug Stanton's non-fiction book Horse Soldiers, which tells the story of U.S. Army Special Forces sent to Afghanistan immediately after the September 11 attacks and up to the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Navid Negahban, Trevante Rhodes, Geoff Stults, Thad Luckinbill, Ben O'Toole, William Fichtner, and Rob Riggle.

<i>Gemini Man</i> (film) 2019 American science fiction action thriller film by Ang Lee

Gemini Man is a 2019 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Ang Lee. It stars Will Smith in the main dual role, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong. The film follows a retiring Force Recon Marine scout sniper who is targeted by a much younger clone of himself while on the run from a corrupt private military company.

<i>Boss Level</i> 2021 science fiction action film by Joe Carnahan

Boss Level is a 2020 American science fiction action film directed by Joe Carnahan and written by Carnahan and Chris and Eddie Borey, from a story by the Boreys. It stars Frank Grillo as a retired special forces soldier who tries to escape a never-ending time loop that results in his death. Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts and Michelle Yeoh co-star.

<i>Jirga</i> (film) 2018 film

Jirga is a 2018 Australian drama film written and directed by Benjamin Gilmour and produced by John Maynard. It stars Sam Smith as a former Australian soldier returning to Afghanistan to seek forgiveness from the family of a man he killed while serving in the war. The film was shot under extreme circumstances, in dangerous locations and with assistance from the local people of Afghanistan. Deemed too politically divisive to be produced in Pakistan the film moved production at the last minute to Afghanistan and shot in one of the most dangerous regions in the world, Kandahar Province.

<i>The Outpost</i> (2019 film) 2019 American war film

The Outpost is a 2019 American war film directed by Rod Lurie, based on the 2012 non-fiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper, about the Battle of Kamdesh in the War in Afghanistan. It stars Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Cory Hardrict, Milo Gibson, Jacob Scipio, Will Attenborough, and Taylor John Smith.

<i>Copshop</i> 2021 film by Joe Carnahan

Copshop is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Joe Carnahan and written by Kurt McLeod and Carnahan, based on a story by McLeod and Mark Williams. The film stars Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, and Alexis Louder, and is set in a small-town police station that becomes the battleground between a hitman, a novice police officer, and a con artist.

<i>Guy Ritchies The Covenant</i> 2023 film by Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant is a 2023 American action drama film co-written, produced and directed by Guy Ritchie. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim. Its plot follows John Kinley, a U.S. Army Green Beret Master Sergeant, and Ahmed, his Afghan interpreter, fighting the Taliban.

References

  1. 1 2 "AFI|Catalog". Catalog.afi.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lions for Lambs (2007)". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Lions for Lambs (2007)". BBFC . Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (October 23, 2007). "'Lions' star roars at Rome: Cruise leaves it to Redford to lash out". Variety . Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Lions for Lambs (2007)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  6. ↑ Hayes, Dade (October 21, 2007). "Cruise rolls out 'Lions for Lambs': Film puts stars on frontlines of political debate". Variety . Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  7. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter. "Lions for Lambs". BY RAY BENNETT, OCTOBER 22, 2007.
  8. ↑ Horn, John (November 4, 2007). "Sick of doing nothing". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 Halbfinger, David M. (September 9, 2007). "Mr. Sundance Goes Back to Washington". The New York Times . Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  10. 1 2 Summers, J. Ryan (November 8, 2008). "Matthew Michael Carnahan Explains Lions for Lambs Agenda". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  11. ↑ Corliss, Richard (November 2, 2007). "The Lions Roar". Time . Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  12. ↑ Lynch, Donal; Padraic McKiernan; Constance Harris; Madeleine Keane (November 11, 2007). "Trouble with their lions". Irish Independent. Retrieved November 11, 2007.
  13. 1 2 Bradshaw, Peter (November 9, 2007). "Lions for Lambs". The Guardian . London. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  14. ↑ Lister, David (November 10, 2007). "The Week in Arts: Redford's sheepish response". The Independent . London. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  15. ↑ DiMuccio, Brian; Dino Vindeni (October 16, 2007). "What's the significance of the title 'Lions for Lambs'?". The Times . London. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
  16. ↑ Staff; The Hollywood Reporter (November 13, 2007). "Cruise film "Lions" a lamb at foreign box office". Reuters . Reuters/Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  17. ↑ "United Artists' "Lions for Lambs" to Be Released Worldwide by MGM" (Press release). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. February 21, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  18. 1 2 Hazlett, Courtney (November 8, 2007). "Tom Cruise 'extremely worried' about 'Lions'". MSNBC .
  19. ↑ "Lions for Lambs". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Lions for Lambs (2007): Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  21. ↑ "LIONS FOR LAMBS (2007) C". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  22. ↑ Ebert, Rogert (November 8, 2007). "Lions for Lambs". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2007.
  23. ↑ Pais, Matt (November 7, 2007). "Lions for Lambs: Finally, someone is having a basic conversation about American foreign policy!". Chicago Tribune . pp. Metromix Chicago Movies. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  24. 1 2 Puig, Claudia (November 9, 2007). "As entertainment, 'Lions' whimpers rather than roars". USA Today . USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  25. ↑ Smith, Kyle (November 9, 2007). "Sheep Shots". New York Post . NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  26. ↑ Elley, Derek (October 22, 2007). "Lions for Lambs Review". Variety . Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  27. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (November 9, 2007). "Movie Review: Lions for Lambs". The New York Times .
  28. 1 2 Chocano, Carina (November 9, 2007). "MOVIE REVIEW, 'Lions for Lambs': As a matter of policy, 'Lions for Lambs' doesn't play". Los Angeles Times .
  29. ↑ Morris, Wesley (November 9, 2007). "Lions for Lambs Movie Review: Political drama feels more like a lecture". The Boston Globe . Retrieved November 9, 2007.
  30. ↑ Arnold, William (November 8, 2007). "Disjointed plots butcher the powerful potential in 'Lions for Lambs'". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Hearst Newspapers . Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  31. ↑ Biancolli, Amy (November 8, 2007). "Not Redford's best, but his bravest". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  32. ↑ Bennett, Ray (October 23, 2007). "Bottom Line: An honest but a bit dry attempt at a serious discussion on the merits of current U.S. military strategies". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  33. ↑ Rich, Joshua (November 11, 2007). "Box Office Report:Bee Movie: Swarm Alert! Jerry Seinfeld's animated comedy flew into first place on its second weekend, Fred Claus performed way under expectations, and the latest Cruise missile misfired". Entertainment Weekly . Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.