Review of The Tillman Story (2010) by Chris B — 03 Apr 2011

Documentary about famous NFL player Pat Tillman who quit the sport to enlist in the army a year after 9/11. He was killed in battle and was used by the American media as a symbol of heroism, making the ultimate sacrifice and dying honourably fighting the enemy.

Only there was a cover up. Weeks later it emerged that he was killed by friendly fire and had always insisted that he had never wanted to be celebrated as a hero at any stage. He also slowly disagreed with the war shifting from the Afghans to the Iraqis.

Whilst the doc is highly interesting I felt it spent way too much time explaining Tillman's backstory and the circumstances of his death. I was waaay more interested in the cover up, how it was done (shockingly) and the effects of it.

That aspect is only really focused on in the last third which had me twiddlling my thumbs a bit until that point. A lot. Probably better suited to being a TV special at half the running time.