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Ground Truth, The
Focus Features


6.5

based on 20 reviews
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based on 7 votes
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MPAA RATING: R for disturbing violent content, and language

Starring Patricia Foulkrod, Robert Acosta, Nickie Huze, Sean Huze, Denver Jones, Joyce Lucey, Kevin Lucey, Jackie Massey, Jimmy Massey, Herold Noel, Chad Reiber, Steve Robinson, and Robert Scaer

Patricia Foulkrod's documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans - ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq - as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. (Focus Features)

GENRE(S):	Documentary
WRITTEN BY:	Patricia Foulkrod
DIRECTED BY:	Patricia Foulkrod
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: September 26, 2006 Theatrical: September 15, 2006
RUNNING TIME:	72 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

Also known as "The Ground Truth: After the Killing Ends"; Nominated, Grand Jury Prize (Documentary), 2006 Sundance Film Festival

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Boston Globe Ty Burr

The documentary any American with an opinion on our involvement in Iraq owes it to his or her conscience to see.

100

Premiere Sara Brady

This film, a raw howl of outrage and pain, is proudly one-sided, allowing a generation of wounded men and women to scream their betrayal.

Slate Dana Stevens

Wrenching new documentary about returning veterans, may not single-handedly reverse the trend of ignoring Iraq docs in theatrical release, but it should.

Time Richard Corliss

Both horrifying and hopeful.

The Hollywood Reporter James Greenberg

Foulkrod's film is not about taking a political side, though it is clear she is strongly opposed to the war in Iraq. Her focus instead is on the dehumanizing of eager young men and their transformation into killing machines.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Anyone who claims to support the troops owes it to them to see the film and hear their stories.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

It's become a critical cliche to say that everyone in the U.S. should see a particular war documentary, but even the most selfish citizen might want to check out The Ground Truth, because unlike the Iraqi victims of the war, the American ones are all around us.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Mostly a string of talking-head interviews, but those talking heads -- more than 16 men and women -- are compelling.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

This thoughtful, sensitive film, perhaps the most emotionally wrenching of all the Iraq documentaries, could have been made after any war.

Variety John Anderson

The substance of the movie is potent, and so powerfully presented by those who have fought and are still fighting a controversial war, that the message of Ground Truth cannot be dismissed.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

Far from being a mere polemic, The Ground Truth is bolstered immeasurably by Foulkrod’s almost exclusive use of interviews with actual veterans.

Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves

Compelling and intensely provocative.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Powerfully documents the human cost of the Iraq war.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Foulkrod's film covers little new ground, but some painful truths are worth repeating.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

Tries to do too much in too little time. It would be a stronger film if it devoted more detailed attention to the plight of the returning veteran. As it stands, it is a scattershot antiwar polemic that doesn't bolster its arguments with any historical perspective or statistical evidence. No one from the government or the military is trotted out to give an opposing view. This is not to say that The Ground Truth, on its own terms, isn't devastating.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

Immensely moving.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Foulkrod's film instead airs some of the hard-won truths learned by American soldiers from experience.

New York Post Kyle Smith

Ends up feeling familiar.

The New Yorker David Denby

The Ground Truth is an emotionally potent work, but the great study of an Iraq vet, in either documentary or fictional form, has yet to be made.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

The details are eye-opening (or ear-opening, in the case of marching songs taught to the new Marines about slaughtering Arab schoolchildren), but soon Foulkrod's film backs itself into a Support Our Troops corner.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mark M. gave it a3:
Works best when it's about people not politics. I mean, really, does the world need yet another shrill polemic. It alienates the very people who shouldn't be but that perhaps is giving the director of this film far too much credit. Best to leave it to others. Consider the movie a missed opportunity to reach out.

D M. gave it a2:
A piece of propaganda (rather like FOX NEWS) that is 'fair and balanced' only if you accept the majority of oppinion 'out there' is not. The assorted placards, posters and flyers swamping the film in the background add up to a fascinating discourse in themselves, and leaves you in no doubt of the truest purpose of this movie and director Foulkrod intent. Those broken and traumatised soldiers are the only ones she could ever embrace. Grouphug everybody! It's not that I feel no empathy with the individuals featured, but rather because I do. There are soooo many questions that could have been put to them (did they ever think that they would fight in a war that they did not believe in - not thinking of the Iraq war specifically) Sadly -sans the disgraceful tratment of the military and some of its personnel in times of crisis - it doesn't tell us anything new. despite the tragically low score I'd still urge people to see it. It's aa accurate picture of what some think if not all and they do deserve to be heard. But also to be challenged and that's my lot.

P CLASS="usercomment">Evan W. gave it a10:
This is a powerful documentary! As a Vietnam Vet, I knew when I saw this film on screen that it was real. And just as the coffins coming back from Iraq to Dover AFB have been scheduled to arrive in the middle of the night in secrecy, so have the American people been shielded from the true reality of the Iraq war. The Ground Truth pulls back the curtain to reveal the ugly truth.

Jaon W. gave it a3:
Decently made Hollywierd propaganda aimed at your heart instead of your head. Much time is spent on military deserters who truly deserve nothing but the animosity the get from most Americans.

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Ground Truth, The Focus Features

Ground Truth, The
Focus Features