My son dreams of being a Navy SEAL so I thought this would be a good movie for him to see. Role models are important for kids no matter what they want to be when they grow up. A kid can't go wrong looking up to someone like Michael Murphy.
The film is a documentary with family and friends talking about the man. The narrative follows Murphy from childhood to what happens after he was killed in Operation Red Wings.
We both enjoyed the film and over dinner discussed what we'd watched. My son and I thought the movie picked up when they started talking about Murphy wanting to be a SEAL. I don't know if it was getting out of talking-head mode and the use of BUD/S training via video clips or what, but that was where things got more interesting for us.
The only person not interviewed who I would have liked to hear from was Murphy's fiancee, Heather. She was mentioned and pictures of her shown, but I think her perspective on the man would have been a great addition to the film since she knew him in a much different way from those who spoke. We heard about Michael the son, the brother, the cousin, the nephew, the friend. The romance writer in me would have loved to hear about Michael the boyfriend and fiance. This didn't enter into my son's mind at all. He thought it was great the way it was!
MURPH is on a limited release so if you plan to see it, go in the next couple of days. Check your local Regal Theater to see if it's playing. I believe it's run ends on Thursday. Definitely bring a tissue to the theater. More than once I was wiping tears away.
