One of the worst movies I've ever seen

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

The Tillman Story is a very interesting documentary that explores themes of propaganda, patriotism and how war is perceived by the public. If you're not already familiar with the story, Pat Tillman was an NFL player that gave up a million dollar NFL contract to join the Army Rangers shortly after September 11th. When Tillman was killed in action, stories of his heroics swept the nation. Although Tillman was certainly a hero, the moments leading to his death did not involve him fighting off Taliban soldiers like the government had said, he was actually killed by friendly fire. The film digs deeper and deeper into the conspiracy showing how the US government tried to use Tillman's accidental death as a propaganda tool to spin the war in our favor back home. As the film progresses, it becomes apparent that the conspiracy reaches all the way to the president of the United States. You don't have to be interested in politics or the NFL to enjoy this tragic documentary. At the heart of the film is a family just yearning for the truth of what happened to their son. In the end, it's the least the government could have done after all Tillman

"If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way." - Émile Zola, French writer.Pat Tillman left a multimillion-dollar football contract after he felt something about 9/11. he joins the military. when he was on the field he found facts about war which he didn't like it. yes, he accepted operations and ran it but in this documentary film, we can see and knowing, the operations that he fought for it, was bullshit. nonsense. he knew it.The stupid incident killed Pat Tillman and hey, he was famous guy so why we don't put his death on stage and set as the real hero and here we go the military manipulated his death, they tell lies to his family, his fans, his country. they made him a poster boy.when Amir Bar-Lev explored this case and all Pat's family talk, we know how great his mother, father and brother. they want the truth, they know that hero always comes to truth, not fake. this movie makes me think that everybody in this world deserve the fact about the truth. they don't deserve lies. I think people can learn so much think from this movie

Pat Tillman was an all-star college football player and an all-star pro football player. But the events of 9/11 had a deep personal impact on him, realizing that everyone needs to do their part in assuring freedom, he gave up $$Millions to enlist in the Army. He was killed, as it turned out, by "friendly fire", his own men as he climbed a ridge to see if he could spot enemies.That in itself is tragic, but what followed was an even greater tragedy. The true facts of the incident were covered up, most likely all the way to President Bush and V.P. Cheyney, and all the military commanders between Tillman and the office of POTUS.Instead of simply telling the truth, a story was fabricated that a Taliban ambush was responsible for Tillman's death. This story went to the memorial ceremony for Tillman. He was hailed as a hero for protecting his men. Only with a very persistent investigation by Tillman's mother, plus a scathing letter from Tillman's father to the government, got close to the truth.Why did the military and the Bush administration lie? Because the various Bush-promoted conflicts were unpopular, and they didn't need for it to get even more unpopular, so a story was fabricated ostensibly for political gain.With real footage of Tillman, and real footage of news reports and congressional hearings, it is an eye-opener as a glimpse into how the system can so easily cover up the truth.

I beg to differ. The film seems to be a rather one-sided presentation of the story. Here are my points: 1) It was not clear from the facts presented why was Tillman and his two other buddies up on the hill. Did they receive an order from a superior in charge of the serial, or was it Tillman's initiative? Wasn't he looking for some action, too? The film did mention Tillman's independence without challenging his obedience to authority as a soldier; did he have problems with insubordination? Is it possible that he acted on his own accord when he went up the hill? 2) What was Tillman and the rest of his crew thinking? When the second part of their column, who had just been attacked from the hills, approached the first serial, most naturally they would think that someone up on the hills, and carrying guns, is part of the Taliban. That's why I do not concur with the mother's conclusion that it was some trigger-happy dude who started recklessly shooting without thinking. War is messy, when your life is on the line you don't "identify your target" as if in an academic environment. You're not in the shooting range, the "target" shoots back.3) No government official was interviewed for the movie. Besides the officer who ended up being the scapegoat for the government to appoint blame. He was, understandably, rather disappointed and naturally his testimony added to the overall tone of the movie that the incident was a government cover-up.4)What was the reason for the alleged cover-up in the first place? The mother (and another interviewed) speculated that it was to turn the friendly- fire death into a promotion of the war. That's nonsense. Maybe the government did not want to make the parents feel that Tillman's life was lost in vain. This, of course, does not justify concealing the true cause of the accident. However, an alternate view was not taken into account by the director. Lacking a different perspective makes the government official look like they did it on purpose.5) If the government intended to only cover-up the truth would then they give the family thousands of pages of documents to investigate? Would the Russian or Egyptian government do that? They would have had to wait to see any fair investigation at all. In this view the family's complaint that the officials wanted to "drown the truth" in the plentiful paperwork is absurd.6) Why should Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, and the rest of the government officials know the exact day and hour when they learned that the incident was a friendly-fire? What's wrong with not remembering it, when they have many other responsibilities and info coming from the front-lines? Of course, the government is so pressured by sensation-hungry media that they know the mayhem that would follow if they made a mistake by a day or so. So they played it safe.7) The disrespectful attitude and offensive use of profanity by the family, except the mother, including in official correspondence, by the father, does not make the Tillman family any more likable either. One can understand their grief and anger, but to a certain extent. After that they become obnoxious and pretentious. After all, their son was not drafted, it was his own choice to join the war, including to complete his commitment of 3 years.8) Obviously this was an accident. But Tillman, who was praised for his great humility wasn't as humble in the end. Before his life was ended, he shouted at the shooting second serial that he was "Pat f... Tillman." We understand that he must have been under stress, but how was yelling his name supposed to make the friendlies stop shooting? As if his celebrity status was somehow going to help in the horrid confusion.9) Tillman's gross disregard for God did not help him much either. In his last moments he rebuked and scorned the Mormon soldier who was praying to God to spare his life. While I disagree with the Mormon religious tenets definitely he was spared and Tillman got killed moments later. I find this single fact telling in and of itself.The Tillman family handled this tragic situation ungraciously; indeed, the whole ordeal was filled with stupid mistakes by the government officials who should have been more upfront after the facts were cleared. They should have clearly stated the truth instead of getting bogged down in politics and publicity games. They should have insisted before the civilians that things at war are not perceived the same way from the front line as from one's suburban home while watching the Super Bowl. I have little sympathy for the Tillmans(Tillman's wife not included), I am sorry to say. Without being a huge fan of the actions of the military, I think that the family, the ones interviewed in the film, and the film-makers aren't the good guys either.The film's contribution is that it raises the issue. However, it does it in a very partial, one-sided manner.