Hollywood A-lister Chris Pratt is throwing his support behind a latest movie that tells the story of the often-unsung heroes of the military – combat chaplains.
The latest film Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey, opened in US theatres on November 8, and is directed, written, and produced by Hollywood director and producer Richard Hull.
“I knew nothing about military chaplains,” Hull told CBN News. “I didn’t even know that that existed as a career.”
As he began researching the work they do, Hull said he soon became personally invested within the incredible backstories of a number of the men and ladies who fill a novel role within the armed forces.
“The more I got to know the material, the more I fell in love with it, and I believed, ‘This is a movie that, not only do I would like to provide, but I also wish to direct and be the storyteller behind it,'” he said.
Hull said finding backing for the project got here easily, with actor Pratt, a committed Christian and veterans advocate, coming on board as an executive producer.
Pratt, who was originally known more for his comedic roles because of Emmy winning television show Parks and Recreation, has turn into one in all Hollywood’s leading motion stars after starring in blockbusters just like the multi-billion-dollar Marvel franchise.
He can also be well-known for his willingness to openly share his Christian faith despite often attracting criticism on account of his beliefs.
“He’s an enormous military supporter,” Hull said of Pratt.
“He’s a really faith-forward guy. He really has a real heartfelt interest in telling these stories, most of which have never been told.”
As Hull dived deeper into the experiences of chaplains, he discovered that there was much more to their role than he imagined, often requiring them to place their lives in danger just as much because the combat soldiers they serve alongside. In US military history alone, 419 chaplains have laid down their lives to serve others.
“On the one hand, chaplains go into combat wearing a uniform, but not carrying a weapon,” he said. “It’s a career that…you do it for some higher calling.”
Hull said that he wanted to indicate the impact chaplains have in each times of war and peace, and the way they’re there for those serving within the military regardless of the need, from spiritual guidance to saving lives on the battlefield.
“They’re just present they usually’re coping with these moments of life and death with soldiers, young and old — and families,” he said.
“And it’s really intense, and it’s really powerful, and it’s totally existential, and a chaplain may come from a specific faith, and all faiths are represented within the chaplain cores of all different military branches.”
With a history of service that goes back to George Washington, Hull said the movie would show why chaplains are ‘revered’ inside the military, offering what he calls a “true have a look at what these people, as humans, undergo and the ability that they’ve”.
But, Hull said that the movie would also offer an honest portrayal of the prices of being a chaplain, with many chaplains admitting they often struggle with issues like ‘compassion fatigue’.
“When you go to war, you are going to come back a really different person,” Hull said. “And war can leave scars in your soul.”
Hull hopes Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain’s Journey will help open the general public’s eyes to what it means to be a military combat chaplain, and see what it means to live your faith “within the chaos of war”.
