[45] It earned as much as the combined earnings of all of the other 2014 Best Picture nominees. [36], American Sniper grossed $350.1 million in North America and $197 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $547.1 million, against a budget of around $58 million. Texan Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) has been a skilled shooter since he was a kid. "[86] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". "[125] The first combat scene in the film has Kyle killing a boy and mother who try to attack U.S. troops with a grenade; the boy was added for the film. However, each time that he returns home, he has problems readjusting to his family, and to social life. Joseph S. DeBeasi is credited as composer of additional music and as music editor. The film received mostly positive reviews, with praise for Cooper's lead performance and Eastwood's direction, although it attracted some controversy over its portrayal of both the War in Iraq and Chris Kyle. I just wonder ... does this ever stop? [126], One aspect of the film that received negative comment was its use of a fake baby doll in one scene, which was so obviously artificial that it became a distraction. He travels four times to Iraq and during his tours, he protects American soldiers with his precise shooting and becomes a legend. Their targets are clearly in sight, and their aim is true. [88], Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "A taut, vivid and sad account of the brief life of the most accomplished marksman in American military annals. [52] It set an all-time-highest Thursday night opening record for an R-rated drama with $5.3 million (previously held by Lone Survivor). The plan goes awry when The Butcher captures the father and his son, killing them while Kyle is pinned down by a sniper. He is distracted by memories of his war experiences and by Taya's concern for them as a couple – she wishes he would focus on his home and family. The case attracted national attention due to Kyle's fame as author of a bestselling biography, American Sniper, published in 2012. [80] Its other largest openings occurred in France ($6.3 million),[81] where it topped the box office for four consecutive weekends,[82] Australia ($4.3 million, $4.6 million including previews),[83] the UK, Ireland and Malta ($3.8 million),[84] Spain ($3.2 million), Japan ($2.8 million), Mexico ($2.6 million), Brazil ($1.8 million), and South Korea ($1.2 million). Double murder: Weapons.45 caliber M1911 pistol, 9 mm SIG Sauer handgun: Victims: Chris Kyle Chad Littlefield: Perpetrator: Eddie … U.S. Navy S.E.A.L. Taglines [48][49] The following week the film earned $676,909 playing at the same number of locations at an average of $169,277 per theater, which is the second-biggest weekend average ever for a live-action movie (previously held by 2001's Moulin Rouge!). "[116] He also said: "I was a child growing up during World War II. Kyle leaves for a second tour and is promoted to Chief Petty Officer. (uncredited), Navy Seal Walking on Tarmac So he joined the S.E.A.L.s in order to become a sniper. '"[130][131], American Sniper was listed on many critics' top ten lists. The Butcher may be loosely based on Ismail Hafidh al-Lami, known as Abu Deraa, blamed for thousands of deaths in the mid-2000s. Kyle spots Mustafa and takes him out with a risky long distance shot at 2,100 yards (1,920 m), but this exposes his team's position to numerous armed insurgents. Kyle meets Taya Studebaker at a bar, and the two soon marry. [34][35] The film also features the song "Someone Like You" by Van Morrison, which plays during the wedding scene, and "The Funeral" by Ennio Morricone. [81] In total earnings, its largest market outside of the U.S. are Italy ($23 million) and France ($22.8 million). [23] On August 21, 2013, it was reported that Clint Eastwood would instead direct the film. He watches through the scope as the woman removes something from her cloak and hands it to the boy, and he realizes that it is a grenade. He again gets the green light to shoot, but his marine guard warns him that he will be sent to prison for shooting a child, if he's wrong. [65] It earned $107.2 million during its four-day Martin Luther King weekend setting a record for the biggest R-rated four-day gross. His first kills are a woman and boy who attacked U.S. Marines with a Russian made RKG-3 anti-tank grenade. The film was produced by Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper, and Peter Morgan. A key prosecution witness has told a Texas jury that he overheard a former Marine say he shot Chris Kyle after the “American Sniper” hero ignored him. [116] He stated: "One of my favorite war movies that I've been involved with is Letters from Iwo Jima and that was about family, about being taken away from life, being sent someplace. [77] After topping the box office for three consecutive weekends, the film was overtaken by The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water in its fourth weekend. He is told that if the man is reporting troop movement, he has the green light to shoot him, but Kyle is unsure. [20] On February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle was murdered. [134], American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film, List of films featuring the United States Navy SEALs, "Bradley Cooper Sets Up Navy SEAL Pic 'American Sniper' at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)", "Sienna Miller Joins 'American Sniper' With Bradley Cooper - /Film", "Daniel Bernhardt Joins 'Term Life'; 'American Sniper' Adds Cory Hardrict", "King George: Ex-SEAL helping keep film on target; The News Desk", "4 Join Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper, "Sam Jaeger Enlists For 'American Sniper'; Jon Tenney Joins 'The Best Of Me, "Iraqi Sniper: The Legendary Insurgent Who Claimed to Have Killed Scores of American Troops", "Is American Sniper historically accurate? "[95], Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "Bradley Cooper, as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, and director Eastwood salute Kyle's patriotism best by not denying its toll. "[109] Several other articles have also been critical of the movie. [29][30] The pier and bar scenes were filmed in Seal Beach, California. American Sniper [...] is built on this foundation of uncommon compassion. [7] Cooper had thought of Chris Pratt to play Kyle, but WB agreed to buy it only if Cooper would star. [110][111][112][113][114], Responding to critics, Eastwood said that American Sniper shows "what [war] does to the people left behind",[115] and that presenting "the fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did" is the "biggest antiwar statement any film" can make. [66], In its second weekend, the film expanded to 3,705 theaters making it the second-widest launch for an R-rated movie (behind the film itself). (as Brandon Salgado-Telis), 1st Marine #1 Navy S.E.A.L. [27] On April 23, the Los Angeles Times reported that ten days of filming set in an Afghan village was set to begin at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in the Santa Clarita area. Guilt compels Kyle to undertake a fourth tour, and Taya tells him she may not be there when he returns. This sniper goes by the name Mustafa and is an Olympic Games medalist from Syria. Kyle is visibly upset by the experience, but later earns the nickname "Legend" for his many kills. [123][124] The character "the Butcher" was created for the film,[122][125] although this character may have been based on the real-life Abu Deraa and Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi. Kyle returns home to his wife and the birth of his son. sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. It is loosely based on the memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012) by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. [106] Cavalry scout sniper Garett Reppenhagen stated that he did not view Iraqi civilians as savages, but as part of a friendly culture for which the movie has furthered ignorance, fear, and bigotry. A sandstorm provides cover for a chaotic escape in which Kyle is injured and almost left behind. (uncredited), Carnival Game Operator Date: February 2, 2013: Attack type. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once returned at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife, and kids. In World War II, everybody just sort of went home and got over it. It is not a celebration of waging it. He qualifies for special training and becomes a U.S. Navy SEALs sniper. "[91] Keith Phipps of The Dissolve wrote that the film, while well made, missed a chance to explore the toll that such service exacts on soldiers. [39], In North America, it was the highest-grossing film of 2014,[40] the highest-grossing war film unadjusted for inflation (and, on an adjusted basis, second to Saving Private Ryan with $379 million),[41] the third-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (behind The Passion of the Christ and Deadpool),[42] Warner Bros.' fourth-highest-grossing film (behind The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2),[43] and the eighth-highest-grossing Best Picture nominee film (behind Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars, E.T. The team killed Butcher but not al Zarqawi - they even declare themselves mission accomplished, but in this scene, officials announce the main aim of the mission is to kill Al Zarqawi: american-sniper. American Sniper is a 2014 American biographical war drama film directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Jason Hall. [Clint voice] 'Gimme the doll, kid. [47] In North America, the film opened to a limited release on December 25, 2014, playing at four theaters—two in New York, one in Los Angeles, and one in Dallas—and earned $610,000 in its opening weekend ($850,000 including Christmas Day) at an average of $152,500 per venue debuting at #22. The world premiere was on November 11, 2014, at the American Film Institute Festival, followed by a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 2014, and a wide release on January 16, 2015. "[101] Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York gave the film four out of five stars, saying "Only Clint Eastwood could make a movie about an Iraq War veteran and infuse it with doubts, mission anxiety and ruination. It stars Cooper as Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife Taya, with Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O'Donnell in supporting roles. [119][120][121], Several major news sources commented on the accuracy of the film and how it differs from Chris Kyle's written accounts. Going in or coming out. [5] While Kyle was celebrated for his military successes, his tours of duty took a heavy toll on his personal and family life. Due to WB's budget constraints, Spielberg felt he could not bring his vision of the story to the screen. [61] The three-day opening is also the biggest opening weekend for a drama film (previously held by The Passion of the Christ),[62] the second-biggest debut for a Best Picture Oscar nominee (behind Toy Story 3),[63] the second-biggest debut for an R-rated film (behind The Matrix Reloaded), and the third-biggest for a non-comic book, non-fantasy/sci-fi film (behind Furious 7 and Fast & Furious 6). [56][57][58] In its traditional three-day opening the film earned $89.2 million which was double than expected and broke the record for the largest January opening (previously held by Ride Along)[59] and the largest winter opening,[60] which is also Eastwood's top opening as a director (breaking Gran Torino's opening). [46], The film had the biggest debut weekend for a Clint Eastwood film, and went on to become the director's top-grossing film of all time in each of the countries in which it was released. ", "Review: Clint Eastwood's American Sniper is a war movie that's tensest on the home front", "Review: 'American Sniper' goes above and beyond war-hero tradition - LA Times", "Bradley Cooper's aim is true in 'American Sniper, "Civil war at the cineplex: "American Sniper", "Selma" and the battle over American masculinity", "I was an American sniper, and Chris Kyle's war was not my war", "Here's the faith in the 'American Sniper' you won't see in the film", "American Sniper is a dishonest whitewash of the Iraq war", "From Psychopaths to American Hero?