Michelle Obama Barack Obama - H 2014
AP ImagesMichelle Obama is weighing in on the successful but polarizing war film American Sniper.
Obama joined Bradley Cooper — who plays sniper Chris Kyle in the film — and Warner Bros. execs Friday at a Washington D.C. event for the launch of the Certified 6 initiative.
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The first lady praised the Clint Eastwood-directed film for accurately speaking to the plight of some veterans. “While I know there have been critics [of Sniper], I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I’ve heard firsthand from military families over these past few years,” Obama said.
The Certified 6 initiative allows movies and TV series to display an onscreen badge from group Got Your 6 to signify that a war veteran has been cast in, helped write or consulted on the project.
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“We hope our country will welcome back our veterans — not by setting them apart but by fully integrating them into the fabric of our communities,” Obama added.
Controversy continues to swirl around Sniper, which earned six Oscar nominations and recently became the highest-grossing war film of all time. Actor Gary Sinise blasted politician Howard Dean over his remarks on the film, Bill Maher called Kyle a “psychopath” and Seth Rogen tweeted that the movie reminded him of propaganda.
Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org
Twitter: @_RyanGajewski
