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About this movie

Genres:
Documentary
Language:
English
Running time:
1:28:29
Partner rating:
NO RATING
Released:

Cast & Crew

Cast

  1. Ashley Harris
  2. Nathan Harris
  3. Christian Cabaniss
  4. Eric Meador
  5. Edward Hubbard
  6. Terry Roberts
  7. Doug Webb
  8. Robert Gaines
  9. Matthew Swibe
  10. Chris MacDonald

Directors

  1. Danfung Dennis

Producers

  1. Mike Lerner
  2. Martin Herring

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Hell and Back Again


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Trailer for Hell and Back Again

A soldier dealing with the painful consequences of war finds coming home isn't much of a consolation in this documentary. Filmmaker Danfung Dennis was embedded with a Marine platoon fighting in Afghanistan in 2009, where violence and street skirmishes could break out at any time. One of the soldiers Dennis followed was Nathan Harris, who was shot in the hip shortly before he was due to return home. Recuperating from a badly injured leg, Nathan... A soldier dealing with the painful consequences of war finds coming home isn't much of a consolation in this documentary. Filmmaker Danfung Dennis was embedded with a Marine platoon fighting in Afghanistan in 2009, where violence and street skirmishes could break out at any time. One of the soldiers Dennis followed was Nathan Harris, who was shot in the hip shortly before he was due to return home. Recuperating from a badly injured leg, Nathan soon found himself at home, being looked after by his wife, Ashley Harris, and struggling with boredom and feelings of powerlessness after months on edge. As his marriage begins to buckle and he becomes increasingly reliant on pain medication, Nathan is subject to severe mood swings and openly states he wishes he were back in Afghanistan, where at the very least he was in control of his circumstances and not dependent on others. Director Dennis offers a telling portrait of the horrors of the battlefield as well as the uncomfortable quiet of the home front. Hell and Back Again was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
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Reviews by Rotten Tomatoes

Scored 'fresh' by Rotten Tomatoes

100%Tomatometer score: 100% positive reviews from professional critics.

percent positive reviews

  1. Positive review
    Linda Barnard, Toronto Star We're left to decide which wounds go the deepest, those from Afghanistan or those caused by the confusion and emotional barrages he continues to suffer in America. Full review External link
  2. Positive review
    Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times In its closing scenes, "Hell and Back Again" builds to an emotional and stylistic power that we didn't see coming. Full review External link
  3. Positive review
    Wesley Morris, Boston Globe Dennis's film attempts something few documentaries have: to inhabit the psyche of its subject. Full review External link
  4. Positive review
    Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post The film suggests that it doesn't really matter whether Harris ever gets back in uniform. He's forever carrying around a piece of unexploded ordnance in his head. Full review External link

Read more reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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