The Tillman Story
User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 26
  3. Negative: 4 out of 26

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  1. hpmoon
    Sep 5, 2010
    2
    The Tillman Story is about a professional athlete in a sport that many people love, many people are indifferent about, and many people fundamentally dislike for its violence and overwhelming corporate capitalism. Pat decided to become a soldier instead, but made it very clear that he wanted to go about it low-key and without favor. Predictably, everyone betrayed this intention (arguably, too, his own family). The rest of the film is about that betrayal.

    Pat is deployed, calls the war â    … Expand
  2. shaunmed
    Apr 17, 2011
    3
    soldiers die and governments try to make them into heroes. whats so shocking about that? what baffles me is that you sign up to go fight in a war, you get killed, and then people make the death out to be more tragic than any other death. war = tragic. nothing new here, move on.
  3. josephf
    Aug 24, 2010
    9
    i was surprised because it was more than a pat tillman story. it was more about a family who did not want their son to be used falsely by the government as a heroic poster boy for the war in afganistan and about a family's pursuit (particularly his mom) for the truth about their sons (friendly fire) death. very well done. i came out very glad i saw the film.
  4. Tony
    Oct 15, 2010
    9
    A powerful, disturbing look into the corruption behind the military cover-up of Pat Tillman's death, but it also presents a look at Tillman's life--one that does not fit the mold of your typical American military hero. The Bush Administration can not be very happy about any of this resurfacing because it is clearly damning. The people responsible for this should be brought to justice, but that seems pretty unlikely.… Expand
  5. willlybrand
    Feb 8, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sitting down to write about the â… Expand
  6. Save_the_Earth
    Apr 19, 2011
    3
    A fact which could be fully explained in just 5 minutes is attempted to be shown like a fascinating mystery, but unfortunately has terribly failed. Very boring and almost pointless.
  7. filmtrashreview
    Jun 13, 2011
    6
    The Tillman Story is great but after about an hour it just gets repetitive. I get it we all look for answers from our government and sometimes they cover things up. After finding out the coverup, the film just turns into a simpathic bit to morn Pat Tillman's life.
  8. rmyers1000
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    Truth, justice and the American way. 21st century style. What's sad is how we have all become so accepting of this crappy world we have created. Pat wasn't - but he's dead.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. NPR
    Reviewed by: Bob Mondello
    90
    The Tillman Story is ferocious filmmaking, but it wouldn't have half the force it does if the director didn't also get at the complicated man Pat Tillman was.
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  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    100
    Mary's search drives The Tillman Story, and throughout this taut, true epic, we see a smart, sometimes angry, always loving family find their destiny: to speak truth to power, to call wartime myths what they are and to show how the American character is not about blind obedience.
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  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    50
    The Tillman Story purports to be an exposé of the cover-up of the death by friendly fire of the Army Ranger and one time NFL star Pat Tillman. But, provocative and colorful as the film is, it does the very thing it denounces -- massaging the facts to seize Tillman for a political agenda.
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