Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Tinsel

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
Forget Rihanna – Battleship’s True Star? Real-Life Wounded Iraq Veteran Greg Gadson

Forget Rihanna – Battleship’s True Star? Real-Life Wounded Iraq Veteran Greg Gadson

Last updated on: May 22, 2012 at 12:45 pm by John Hanlon

Forget Rihanna – Battleship’s True Star? Real-Life Wounded Iraq Veteran Greg Gadson 2012-05-22T12:45:14-06:00 John Hanlon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rarely does a movie make you want to leap to your feet in support of our military men and women, as the new film Battleship does, at least when it unabashedly celebrates our soldiers.

But did you know one of its unlikely stars is a real-life veteran who was seriously injured in Iraq?

The poster may highlight Oscar nominee Liam Neeson, pop star Rihanna and heartthrob Taylor Kitsch.

But they’re not the real stars.

Greg Gadson, a true American hero who portrays a wounded veteran, deserves the title.

Gadson’s career brought him from the streets of Iraq to theaters nationwide. According to a recent USA Today article, Gadson was a lieutenant colonel with the Second Battalion and 32nd Field Artillery in Iraq until a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle on the way home from a memorial service. A few days after the attack, he awoke at Walter Reed Hospital with his legs amputated above the knees.

The soldier didn’t believe that people outside of the military would be interested in him but once his story received coverage, he got the recognition he deserved.

Battleship director Peter Berg was one of the people who expressed interest in Gadson. According to the article, Berg was “overwhelmed by Gadson’s story” and “tried for three weeks to offer him a part in the movie.”

That role—which Gadson, despite his initial doubts, eventually accepted– offered the young veteran a chance to portray a soldier struggling with his injuries. While the majority of the film focuses on the fight between Navy ships and the aliens that have landed in the ocean, one of the main subplots focuses on Gadson’s character.

Gadson plays Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, a wounded veteran recovering from the battlefield. He is working with an inspiring physical therapist named Samantha (Brooklyn Decker) on his recovery. In her, he confides his innermost insecurities. “I’m half a man and half a man ain’t enough to be a soldier,” he says. But eventually, he’s given a chance to prove that his warrior spirit hasn’t suffered despite his physical limitations.

Casting Gadson in the role of a weary veteran struggling with his disability was an inspired choice. He truly represents the best of our nation’s military.

Perhaps Gadson deserved a better film. From the lackluster first act to the lame cliché-ridden dialogue, this blockbuster has a lot of obvious weaknesses.

But its greatest strength is its patriotic spirit and its focus on our nation’s military heroes, including a butt-kicking platoon of older veterans. Like this year’s Act of Valor, Battleship unabashedly praises our troops.

Greg Gadson’s remarkable story proves that you can never keep a good soldier down.

Previous Post

May 22, 2012

10 Real Life Baby Stories Funnier than Anything in 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'

Next Post

May 22, 2012 Good Idea? 'Sanctum' Director Alister Grierson to Direct 'Mary Mother of Christ'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Becky's Picks Children's Movies DVD releases Entertainment News Faith on Film Featured Hunger Games In Theaters Interviews Life, Etc. Mixed Nuts Movie Reviews Poliflix Scroogewatch slider Television Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was stored inside the Ark of the Covenant?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Incense Stone tablets, manna, Aaron's rod The golden calf Sand