Wednesday, January 28, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
13
‘American Sniper’
in the crosshairs
“American Sniper” has
become a surprise box office
smash, breaking records for
a mid-winter release. Less
surprisingly, it has become a
flashpoint in the culture wars.
For many folks, it’s
a depiction of the skill,
dedication and sacrifice of
American warfighters as rep-
resented by one of the elite:
Navy SEAL sniper Chris
Kyle. For others, the movie
is a glorification of war and
killing that evades taking
responsibility for a bad war.
Clint Eastwood says his
movie is an “anti-war state-
ment,” because it shows the
vast civilian population that
had no personal skin in the
game “what [war] does to the
family and the people who
have to go back to into civil-
ian life like Chris Kyle did.”
Chris Kyle was one of
a long line of country-boy
sharpshooters who made
their mark on American
military history. Some exalt
that heritage and his burly
Texas cowboy persona; oth-
ers find it hard to take. Some
see him as a hero, others as
a remorseless killer who
dehumanized the people in
his crosshairs, calling them
“savages.”
Some scoff at Kyle’s
By Jim Cornelius
insistence that his job was where Eastwood is coming
about saving lives — but from.
that’s what sniper overwatch
The movie elides some
does. Snipers protect sol- aspects of Chris Kyle’s char-
diers or Marines as they go acter that would have made
about the dangerous work for a more complete picture. death, Jesse Ventura won He sure ain’t the first Texas
of patrol or raid in an urban He seems to have made up a defamation suit against cowboy to tell a stretcher or
environment. That said, if some whoppers after return- his estate over a claim that two in a barroom.
you’ve read Kyle’s memoir, ing from war. He claimed Kyle decked Ventura in a
Kyle’s larger-than-life
upon which the movie was to have killed two men who Coronado bar after Ventura persona surely had its por-
based, it’s clear that he rel- tried to carjack him in Texas, allegedly disparaged the war tion of bravado, but he was
ished his work and his skill deploying some kind of get- and Navy SEALs. Ventura also a generous and compas-
with a rifle. He felt competi- out-of-jail-free card from the said it never happened, and sionate man. The irony of
tive with other snipers and Department of Defense to a jury sided with him.
his death is bitter: slain by
he did, indeed, regard those deter law enforcement heat.
Why Kyle felt the need a troubled veteran he had
in his crosshairs as savages. And he allegedly told stories to tell tall tales when he had reached out to and was try-
Why that should shock about traveling in secret to a verified record of excep- ing to help.
anyone is a perplexing ques- New Orleans during Katrina tional combat prowess and
Whether you see Chris
tion. No matter how it’s san- and shooting looters.
fortitude is an open ques- Kyle as a hero or not depends
itized for public consump-
None of that is verifi- tion. The answer may be mostly on the lens you are
tion, no matter how anti- able, and knowledgeable psychologically complicated looking through. But cer-
septic it is rendered by the folks are pretty certain noth- — some need to hold onto tainly he was a man whose
distance afforded by missile ing like these incidents ever to a sense of identity (“The story was worth the telling,
strike or drone, war is still happened. After Kyle’s Legend”) — or maybe not. and Eastwood told it well.
about killing enemies.
And the brutality of the
insurgents and outright
terrorists Kyle and his
comrades fought in Iraq
ENTERTAINMENT•ARTS•SPECIAL EVENTS
certainly earned the des-
Faith Hope
p & Charity
y
ignation “savage.”
Thursday~Jan. 29 Vineyards
Friday~Feb. 13
y
Live Music with
One can oppose the
Geoff Elvee 6 to 9 p.m.
Faith
Hope
p
&
Charity
y
Sisters
High
g School Sisters
Iraq war for any num-
$10 cover. And Fondue
Vineyards
y
Live Music
Folk Festival Winter
Friday is $30 for two! For
ber of valid reasons and
with Lindy
y Gravelle 6
Concert: The Stray
y Birds with
additional information go to
Cahalen Morrison & Eli West
yet acknowledge that
to 9 p.m. $5 cover. For
faithhopeandcharityevents.com 7 p.m. $20 in advance, $2u
additional information go to
the hostile elements our
at the door ($10 students).
faithhopeandcharityevents.com or call 541-526-5075.
troops fought there were
additional information
or call 541-526-5075.
Saturday~Feb. 7 For
deadly enemies. In fact,
or to purchase tickets call
u41-u49-4979 or go online to
Friday~Jan. 30
that seems to be exactly
Hoodoo Winter Carnival
Starts
Friday
Fri., Jan. 30 – Thurs., Feb. 5
Faith Hope
p & Charity
y
Vineyards
y
Live Music with
The Matt Summers Band
6 to 9 p.m. $10 cover. And
Fondue Friday is $30 for two!
For additional information go to
faithhopeandcharityevents.com
or call 541-526-5075.
Whiplash (R)
Saturday~Jan. 31
80s Dance Night
with Fun Bobby!
Fri 5:00, 7:30
Sat 2:15, 7:30
Sun 1:45, 4:00
Mon-Thurs 4:00, 6:30
Feb. 11th / Wed.
Fri 7:15 • Sat 4:15, 7:00
Sun 3:45 • Mon-Thurs 5:45
The Belfry
y ’80s Dance
Night
g with Fun Bobby!
y 7 to
10:30 p.m. $15 adults and $10
students. A fundraiser for the
2015 Sisters High School Grad
Night Party. Purchase tickets
at Common Threads, online at
bendticket.com, or at the door.
For info call 541-480-6525.
Jan. 31st / Sat.
S�� Grad Committ ee presents
7 PM • $15 adults s
$10 students
Carolyn
Wonderland
4 Peaks
Preview Party!
Heralded as one of the
best vocalists in Austin!
Foxcatcher (R)
Theory of
Everything (PG-13)
Fri 4:45 • Sat 1:45, 4:45
Sun 1:15 • Mon-Thurs 3:15
The Imitation
Game (PG-13)
Fri 4:30, 7:15
Sat 2:00, 4:30, 7:15
Sun 1:30, 4:00
Mon-Thurs 3:45, 6:15
American
Sniper (R)
Valentine’s
Vale
ti ’ Dance
with The Notables
Swing Band
Dessert & Dance Swinging Fun!
7 PM • $10 online
PUB OPENS 1-1/2 HOURS
PRIOR TO SHOWS
BelfryEvents.com
Call for Details
541-815-9122
Fri 4:15, 7:00
Sat 1:30, 4:15, 7:00
Sun 1:00, 3:45
Mon-Thurs 3:15, 6:00
Movie times and titles are
bsite
subject to change. Visit we
n.
atio
rm
info
st
late
for
or call
WWW.SISTERS
MOVIEHOUSE.COM
541-549-8800
Monday~Feb. 2
9 a.u. to 9 p.u. Kidsh
gaues, live uusic, BBQ, the
annual “duuuy downhill”
and fi reworks! An all-day
fauily affair! For additional
inforuation go to hoodoo.cou
or call 541-822-3799.
Black Butte Ranch Fat-bike
Cow Patty Crit 12 to 4 p.u.
This 2- to 4-person short-track
fat-bike race is for riders 15
or older. Entry is $15 online in
advance by February 5, or $25
the day of the event (fat bikes
provided; heluets and closed-
toe shoes required). For uore
info go to blackbutteranch.cou
or call 541-595-5877.
Monday~Feb. 9
The Open
p Door at
Clearwater Gallery Live
Music! 7 p.u. No cover!
For additional inforuation
call 541-549-4994 or go to
theclearwatergallery.cou.
sistersfolkfestival.org.
The Belfry
y Author Reading,
Garth Stein, “A Sudden
Light”
g
6 p.m. Free! Paulina
Springs Books presents the
bestselling author of “The Art
of Racing in the Rain,” sharing
his new novel. Pub doors open
at u p.m. For more information
call u41-u49-0866 or go to
paulinasprings.com.
Faith Hope
p & Charity
y
Vineyards
y
Live Music
with JazCru 6 to 9 p.m.
$u cover. And Fondue
Friday is $30 for two! For
additional information go to
faithhopeandcharityevents.com
or call u41-u26-u07u.
Saturday~Feb. 14
The Belfry
y Valentine’s Dance
& Dessert with The Notables
Swing
g Band! 7 to 10:30 p.m.
$10 online at bendticket.
com or $12 at the door the
day of show. For additional
Wed.~Feb. 11
information call u41-81u-9122
or go to belfryevents.com.
The
Belfry
y
Live
Music
with
Thursday~Feb. 5
Faith Hope
p & Charity
y
Carolyn
y Wonderland 7 to
Faith Hope
p & Charity
y
Vineyards
y
Valentine’s
10 p.u. for 4 Peaks Preview
Vineyards
y
Live Music with
Party! $17 online at bendticket. Dinner & Dance with The
Heather & Tom Duo 6 to
Substitutes 6 to 10 p.m. $115.
cou and $20 at the door the
9 p.m. $5 cover. For
For 21 anw over. Celebrate
day of show. Pub doors open
additionag information go to
romance the winery way!
90 uinutes before the show.
faithhopeandcharityevents.com For uore info: 541-815-9122 or Special menu with guest
or cagg 541-526-5075.
chef Cerstin of Bleu Bite.
go to belfryevents.cou.
Purchase tickets online at
Friday~Feb. 6
Thursday~Feb. 12 faithhopeanwcharityevents.com
or call 541-526-5075.
Sisters High
g School Sisters
Faith Hope
p & Charity
y
Sisters Schools “Sisters
Folk Festival Winter Concert Vineyards
y
Live Music
Shootout” Basketball
with Foghorn
g
Stringband
g
with The Substitutes
Tournament 8 a.m. start for
& Beth Wood 7 p.m. $20
6 to 9 p.u. $5 cover. For
way-long event. For boys anw
in advance, $25 at the door
additional inforuation go to
($10 students). For additionag
faithhopeandcharityevents.cou girls in grawes 5 to 8. For
awwitional information go online
information or to purchase
or call 541-526-5075.
to sistersshootout.com or call
tickets call 541-549-4979 or go
Sisters Park & Recreation
Listings are subject to change.
to sistersfolkfestival.org.
District at 541-549-2091.
Submission deadline is
The Open
p Door at
Clearwater Gallery Live
Music! 7 p.m. No cover!
For additionag information
cagg 541-549-4994 or go to
thecgearwatergaggery.com.
5 p.m. Fridays. Email
Teresa@NuggetNews.com