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85-547: American Sniper premiered at the American Film Institute Festival on November 11, 2014, and had a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 2014, followed by a wide release on January 16, 2015. It received generally positive reviews, with praise for Cooper's lead performance and Eastwood's direction, although it also attracted some controversy over its portrayal of both

170-536: A shooting range near Chalk Mountain, Texas , by Eddie Ray Routh . The two were walking down range to set up targets when Routh opened fire with two handguns and hit both of them. Routh, a former Marine who was 25 years old at the time, had post-traumatic stress disorder . The case attracted national attention due to Kyle's fame as author of a bestselling autobiography, American Sniper , published in 2012. On February 2, 2013, Kyle, 38, and his friend, Chad Littlefield, 35, were shot and killed by Eddie Ray Routh at

255-424: A C+, saying "The film's just a repetition of context-free combat missions and one-dimensional targets." Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News gave the film four out of five stars, saying "The best movies are ever-shifting, intelligent and open-hearted enough to expand alongside an audience. American Sniper  ... is built on this foundation of uncommon compassion." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave

340-406: A barricade, Chris’s sniper team is placed on a rooftop inside enemy territory. Chris spots Mustafa and takes him out with a risky long-distance shot at 2,100 yards (1,920 m), but this exposes his team's position to numerous armed insurgents. In the midst of the gunfight, and low on ammunition, Chris tearfully calls Taya and tells her he is ready to come home. A sandstorm provides concealment for

425-510: A bounty on Chris. Chris returns home to his wife and the birth of his son. He is distracted by memories of his war experiences and by Taya's concern for them as a couple – she wishes he would focus on his home and family. Chris leaves for a second tour and is promoted to chief petty officer . Involved in a shootout with The Butcher, he helps in killing him. When he returns home to a newborn daughter, Chris becomes increasingly distant from his family. On Chris’s third tour, Mustafa seriously injures

510-658: A chaotic escape in which he is injured and almost left behind. After Chris gets back stateside, on edge and unable to adjust fully to civilian life, he is asked by a Veterans Affairs psychiatrist if he is haunted by all the things he did in war. When he replies it is "all the guys [he] couldn't save" that haunt him, the psychiatrist encourages him to help severely wounded veterans in the VA hospital. After that, Chris gradually begins to adjust to home life. Years later, on February 2, 2013, Chris says goodbye to his wife and family as he leaves in good spirits to spend time with Eddie Ray Routh,

595-434: A character possibly based on Abu Deraa . On May 24, 2012, it was announced that Warner Bros. had acquired the rights to the book with Bradley Cooper set to produce and star in the screen adaptation. Cooper had thought of Chris Pratt to play Kyle, but Warner Bros. agreed to buy it only if Cooper would star. In September 2012, David O. Russell said he was interested in directing the film. On February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle

680-455: A gripping central performance from Bradley Cooper, American Sniper delivers a tense, vivid tribute to its real-life subject." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, audiences gave American Sniper a rare grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter called

765-439: A lot of thought before we go wading in or wading out. Going in or coming out. It needs a better thought process, I think." Bradley Cooper stated that much of the criticism ignores that the film was about widespread neglect of returning veterans, and that people who take issue with Kyle should redirect their attention to the leaders who put the troops there in the first place. He said: "We looked at hopefully igniting attention about

850-451: A positive review, saying "Eastwood's impeccably crafted action sequences so catch us up in the chaos of combat we are almost not aware that we're watching a film at all." Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film three out of four stars, saying "It's clearly Cooper's show. Substantially bulked up and affecting a believable Texas drawl, Cooper embodies Kyle's confidence, intensity and vulnerability." Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York gave

935-416: A profit of $ 243 million, making it the second-most profitable film of 2014 only behind Paramount 's Transformers: Age of Extinction . Worldwide, it is the highest-grossing war film of all time (breaking Saving Private Ryan 's record) and Eastwood's highest-grossing film to date. It is the seventh R-rated film to gross over $ 500 million. In North America, it was the highest-grossing film of 2014,

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1020-536: A qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the annual Academy Awards . The festival has paid tribute to numerous influential filmmakers and artists over the years, including Agnès Varda , Pedro Almodóvar and David Lynch as guest artistic directors, and has screened scores of films that have gone on to win Oscar nominations and awards. The movies selected by AFI are assigned to different sections for

1105-467: A record for the biggest R-rated four-day gross. In its second weekend , the film expanded to 3,705 theaters making it the second-widest launch for an R-rated movie (behind the film itself). It grossed an estimated $ 64.6 million in its second weekend, declining only by 28%—and set the record for the second-best hold ever for a movie opening to more than $ 85 million and also set the record for the eighth-largest second-weekend gross. In just 10 days of release,

1190-550: A rocket launcher, not Mustafa. Time notes that according to screenwriter Jason Hall, Kyle said of Mustafa: "He shot my friend. I'm not going to put his name in my book." The first combat scene in the film has Kyle killing a boy and mother who try to attack U.S. troops with a grenade; the boy was added for the film. The film's narrative has Navy SEAL Ryan "Biggles" Job dying from surgical complications from an operation on his face relatively soon after being shot in Iraq, but in reality it

1275-562: A set of hour-long programs reviewing the career of acclaimed directors. The Directors Series content was copyrighted in 1997 by Media Entertainment Inc and The American Film Institute, and the VHS and DVDs were released between 1999 and 2001 on Winstar TV and Video. Directors featured included: Murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield On February 2, 2013, Christopher Scott Kyle (born April 8, 1974) and his friend Chad Hutson Littlefield (born February 11, 1977) were shot to death at

1360-532: A sniper with the U.S. Navy SEALs . Chris meets Taya Studebaker at an Irish pub in San Diego, and the two soon marry. He is sent to Iraq after the September 11 attacks . His first kills are a woman and boy who attacked U.S. Marines on patrol with a Russian made RKG-3 anti-tank grenade . Chris is visibly upset by the experience, but later earns the nickname "Legend" for his many kills. Assigned to hunt for

1445-479: A unit member, Ryan "Biggles" Job, and the unit is evacuated back to base. When they decide to return to the field and continue the mission, another SEAL, Marc Lee , is killed by gunfire. Guilt compels Chris to undertake a fourth tour, and Taya tells him she may not be there when he returns. Back in Iraq, Chris is shocked to learn Biggles died in surgery to repair the wounds he sustained. Assigned to kill Mustafa, who has been sniping U.S. Army combat engineers building

1530-406: A veteran suffering from PTSD at a shooting range. An on-screen subtitle reveals that Chris was killed that day by Routh, followed by archive footage of crowds standing along the highway for his funeral procession. More are shown attending his memorial service. In addition, Sammy Sheik appears as Mustafa, a character partially based on Iraqi sniper Juba , while Mido Hamada portrays The Butcher,

1615-491: Is a training program committed to educating and mentoring participants in an effort to increase the number of women working professionally in screen directing. In this tuition-free program, each participant is required to complete a short film by the end of the year-long program. Alumnae of the program include Maya Angelou , Anne Bancroft , Dyan Cannon , Ellen Burstyn , Jennifer Getzinger , Lesli Linka Glatter , Lily Tomlin , Susan Oliver and Nancy Malone . AFI released

1700-530: Is a web-based filmographic database. A research tool for film historians, the catalog consists of entries on more than 60,000 feature films and 17,000 short films produced from 1893 to 2011, as well as AFI Awards Outstanding Movies of the Year from 2000 through 2010. Early print copies of this catalog may also be found at local libraries. Created in 2000, the AFI Awards honor the ten outstanding films ("Movies of

1785-591: Is highly selective, with a maximum of 140 graduates per year. In 2013, Emmy and Oscar -winning director, producer, and screenwriter James L. Brooks ( As Good as It Gets , Broadcast News , Terms of Endearment ) joined as the artistic director of the AFI Conservatory where he provides leadership for the film program. Brooks' artistic role at the AFI Conservatory has a rich legacy that includes Daniel Petrie, Jr. , Robert Wise , and Frank Pierson . Award-winning director Bob Mandel served as dean of

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1870-460: Is not a celebration of waging it." The film drew some negative reviews. Matt Taibbi , in Rolling Stone , wrote that the movie turned the complicated moral questions and mass-bloodshed of the Iraq war into a black and white fairy tale, without presenting the historical context. Alex von Tunzelmann of The Guardian argued that the film presented a simplified black and white portrayal of

1955-502: Is some effort to help people through it." He also said: "I was a child growing up during World War II . That was supposed to be the one to end all wars. And four years later, I was standing at the draft board being drafted during the Korean conflict , and then after that there was Vietnam, and it goes on and on forever ... I just wonder ... does this ever stop? And no, it doesn't. So each time we get in these conflicts, it deserves

2040-433: Is supported by private funding and public membership fees. The institute is composed of leaders from the film, entertainment, business, and academic communities. The board of trustees is chaired by Kathleen Kennedy and the board of directors chaired by Robert A. Daly guide the organization, which is led by President and CEO , film historian Bob Gazzale . Prior leaders were founding director George Stevens Jr. (from

2125-458: Is taught by his father how to shoot a rifle and hunt deer. Years later, Chris has become a ranch hand and rodeo cowboy, and returns home early, to find his girlfriend in bed with another man. After telling her to leave, he is mulling it over with his brother when he sees news coverage of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings and decides to enlist in the Navy. He qualifies for special training and becomes

2210-525: Is the American Film Institute’s annual celebration of artistic excellence. It is a showcase for the best festival films of the year as selected by AFI and an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences in New York . It is the only festival of its stature that is free to the public. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI Fest as

2295-718: The Los Angeles Times reported that ten days of filming set in an Afghan village was set to begin at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in the Santa Clarita area. On May 7, shooting of the film was spotted around El Centro ; a milk factory was used as the abandoned date factory which insurgents close in on from all directions at the climax of the film. The pier and bar scenes were filmed in Seal Beach, California . Cinematographer Tom Stern shot

2380-480: The AFI Conservatory , an accredited graduate film school located in the hills above Hollywood, California, providing training in six filmmaking disciplines: cinematography , directing , editing , producing , production design , and screenwriting . Mirroring a professional production environment, Fellows collaborate to make more films than any other graduate level program. Admission to AFI Conservatory

2465-655: The AFI Conservatory , an accredited graduate school. AFI moved its presentation of first-run and auteur films from the Kennedy Center to the historic AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center , which hosts the AFI DOCS film festival, making AFI the largest nonprofit film exhibitor in the world. AFI educates audiences and recognizes artistic excellence through its awards programs and 10 Top 10 Lists . In 2017, then-aspiring filmmaker Ilana Bar-Din Giannini claimed that

2550-714: The AFI Fest on November 11, 2014, just after a screening of Selma at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles . In North America, the film opened to a limited release on December 25, 2014, playing at four theaters—two in New York, one in Los Angeles, and one in Dallas—and earned $ 610,000 in its opening weekend ($ 850,000 including Christmas Day) at an average of $ 152,500 per venue debuting at #22. The following week

2635-454: The al-Qaeda leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi , Chris interrogates a family whose father offers to lead the SEALs to "The Butcher", al-Zarqawi's second-in-command. The plan goes awry when The Butcher captures the father and his son, killing them while Chris is pinned down by a sniper. This sniper goes by the name Mustafa and is an Olympic Games medalist from Syria . Meanwhile, the insurgents issue

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2720-724: The AFI Conservatory for nine years. Jan Schuette took over as dean in 2014 and served until 2017. Film producer Richard Gladstein was dean from 2017 until 2019, when Susan Ruskin was appointed. AFI Conservatory's alumni have careers in film, television and on the web. They have been recognized with all of the major industry awards—Academy Award, Emmy Award, guild awards, and the Tony Award . AFI operates two film festivals: AFI Fest in Los Angeles, and AFI Docs (formally known as Silverdocs) in Silver Spring, Maryland , and Washington, D.C. Commonly shortened to AFI Fest , it

2805-598: The AFI expelled her after she accused Dezso Magyar of sexually harassing her in the early 1980s. AFI educational and cultural programs include: In 1969, the institute established the AFI Conservatory for Advanced Film Studies at Greystone, the Doheny Mansion in Beverly Hills , California . The first class included filmmakers Terrence Malick , Caleb Deschanel , and Paul Schrader . That program grew into

2890-542: The Dallas Veterans Affairs hospital as having post-traumatic stress disorder and was prescribed antipsychotics and antidepressants . He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoia and had threatened suicide . VA clinicians believed Routh's psychotic symptoms were caused by alcohol abuse and offered inpatient treatment. He declined and stopped taking his medication. Routh was arraigned February 2, 2013, on two counts of capital murder , and

2975-729: The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ), and the eighth-highest-grossing Best Picture nominee film (behind Avatar , Titanic , Star Wars , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , Toy Story 3 , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ). It became the seventh Warner Bros.' film to earn over $ 300 million in the U.S. and Canada and the 50th film to reach

3060-659: The Dog (2021), Anthony Hopkins 's The Father (2020), Noah Baumbach 's Marriage Story (2019), Peter Farrelly 's Green Book (2018), Luca Guadagnino 's Call Me by Your Name (2017), Damien Chazelle 's La La Land (2016), and Adam McKay 's The Big Short (2015). Held annually in June, AFI Docs (formerly Silverdocs) is a documentary festival in Washington, D.C. The festival attracts over 27,000 documentary enthusiasts. The AFI Catalog, started in 1968,

3145-597: The Iraq War and Kyle himself. The film grossed over $ 547 million worldwide, making it the 13th highest-grossing film of 2014, the highest-grossing film with a wide release during the month of January, and Eastwood's highest-grossing film to date. At the 87th Academy Awards , American Sniper received six nominations, including Best Picture , Best Adapted Screenplay , and Best Actor for Cooper, ultimately winning one for Best Sound Editing . Growing up in Texas , Chris Kyle

3230-462: The Iraq war, and that it features the distortion of facts into unreliable myths based upon previous legends. David Masciotra of Salon criticized the movie's focus on physical rather than moral courage as the ultimate manly virtue. Cavalry scout sniper Garett Reppenhagen stated that he did not view Iraqi civilians as savages, but as part of a friendly culture for which the movie has furthered ignorance, fear, and bigotry. Inkoo Kang of TheWrap gave

3315-594: The Rough Creek Ranch-Lodge-Resort shooting range in Erath County, Texas . Both Kyle and Littlefield were armed with .45-caliber M1911 -style pistols when they were killed, but neither gun had been unholstered or fired, and the safety catches were still on. Kyle was killed with a .45-caliber pistol, while Littlefield was shot with a 9mm SIG Sauer P226 pistol. Both guns belonged to Kyle. Kyle had begun working with veterans after leaving

3400-560: The United States, the film topped both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks overall disc sales, as well as the Blu-ray Disc sales chart in the week ending May 24, 2015. American Film Institute The American Film Institute ( AFI ) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States . AFI

3485-643: The Year") and ten outstanding television programs ("TV Programs of the Year"). The awards are a non-competitive acknowledgment of excellence. The awards are announced in December, and a private luncheon for award honorees takes place the following January. The AFI 100 Years... series , which ran from 1998 to 2008 and created jury-selected lists of America's best movies in categories such as Musicals, Laughs and Thrills, prompted new generations to experience classic American films. The juries consisted of over 1,500 artists, scholars, critics, and historians. Citizen Kane

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3570-696: The arts and academia. The institute established a training program for filmmakers known then as the Center for Advanced Film Studies. Also created in the early years were a repertory film exhibition program at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the AFI Catalog of Feature Films — a scholarly source for American film history. The institute moved to its current eight-acre Hollywood campus in 1981. The film training program grew into

3655-538: The biggest debut weekend for a Clint Eastwood film, and went on to become the director's top-grossing film of all time in each of the countries in which it was released. In Italy the film opened at number two with $ 7.1 million, Eastwood's best opening of all time, and Warner Bros.' second-biggest opening for a non-franchise U.S. film there; it went on to top the box office the following weekend as well. Its other largest openings occurred in France ($ 6.3 million), where it topped

3740-654: The box office for four consecutive weekends, Australia ($ 4.3 million, $ 4.6 million including previews), the UK, Ireland and Malta ($ 3.8 million), Spain ($ 3.2 million), Japan ($ 2.8 million), Mexico ($ 2.6 million), Brazil ($ 1.8 million), and South Korea ($ 1.2 million). In total earnings, its largest market outside of the U.S. are Italy ($ 23 million) and France ($ 22.8 million). On Rotten Tomatoes , American Sniper holds an approval rating of 72%, based on 294 reviews, with an average rating of 6.90/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Powered by Clint Eastwood's sure-handed direction and

3825-443: The box office on its opening day grossing $ 30.5 million (including Thursday previews) from 3,555 theaters setting January records for both biggest debut opening (previously held by Cloverfield ) and single-day gross (previously held by Avatar ). In its traditional three-day opening the film earned $ 89.2 million which was double than expected and broke the record for the largest January opening (previously held by Ride Along ) and

3910-549: The cast, as did Luke Grimes and Sam Jaeger on March 25, 2014. Kevin Lacz, a former Navy SEAL , was also cast and served as a technical advisor. Another former Navy SEAL, Joel Lambert, also joined the film, portraying a Delta sniper. On June 3, Max Charles was added to the cast to portray Kyle's son, Colton Kyle. Principal photography began on March 31, 2014, in Los Angeles , witih additional filming in Morocco . On April 23,

3995-403: The end of days." In response, screenwriter Jason Hall replied, "Hate to ruin the fun but real baby #1 showed up with a fever. Real baby #2 was no show. [Clint voice] 'Gimme the doll, kid. ' " American Sniper was listed on many critics' top ten lists. American Sniper was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 19, 2015 by Warner Home Video . Upon its first week of release on home media in

4080-645: The end of the world, and voodoo. After Routh drove away over a failed attempt to use spike strips , police captured Routh after a short freeway chase, which ended when Routh, who fled the scene in Kyle's Ford F-350 truck, crashed into a police cruiser in Lancaster. Eddie Ray Routh was born on September 30, 1987, in Lancaster, Texas , to Raymond and Jodi Routh. He had wanted to join the Marine Corps since he

4165-714: The festival; these include Galas/Red Carpet Premieres, Special Screenings, Documentaries, Discovery, and Short Film Competition. Formerly named Galas, it is AFI Fest’s section for the most highly anticipated films at the festival, presenting selected feature-length movies from world-class filmmakers and artisans. Although it is a very restrictive selection, usually presenting between three and seven movies at most, many films selected by AFI for this section eventually also earn an Academy Award Best Picture nomination. Examples include Bradley Cooper 's Maestro (2023), Steven Spielberg 's The Fabelmans (2022), Will Smith 's King Richard (2021), Jane Campion 's The Power of

4250-541: The film "A taut, vivid and sad account of the brief life of the most accomplished marksman in American military annals." Justin Chang of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying: "an excellent performance from a bulked-up Bradley Cooper, this harrowing and intimate character study offers fairly blunt insights into the physical and psychological toll exacted on the front lines". David Denby of The New Yorker gave

4335-444: The film a negative review, saying "Director Clint Eastwood's focus on Kyle is so tight that no other character, including wife Taya (Sienna Miller), comes through as a person, and the scope so narrow that the film engages only superficially with the many moral issues surrounding the Iraq War." Several other articles have also been critical of the movie. Responding to critics, Eastwood said that American Sniper shows "what [war] does to

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4420-401: The film a positive review, saying "Both a devastating war movie and a devastating antiwar movie, a subdued celebration of a warrior's skill and a sorrowful lament over his alienation and misery." Keith Phipps of The Dissolve wrote that the film, while well made, missed a chance to explore the toll that such service exacts on soldiers. Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film

4505-763: The film earned $ 676,909 playing at the same number of locations at an average of $ 169,277 per theater, which is the second-biggest weekend average ever for a live-action movie (previously held by 2001's Moulin Rouge! ). American Sniper holds the record for the most entries in the top 20 Top Weekend Theater Averages with 3 entries (at #12, #14 and #17). It earned a total of $ 3.4 million from limited release in three weekends. The film began its wide debut across North American theaters on January 16, 2015 (Thursday night showings began at 7:00 pm). It set an all-time-highest Thursday night opening record for an R-rated drama with $ 5.3 million (previously held by Lone Survivor ). The film topped

4590-413: The film four out of five stars, saying "Only Clint Eastwood could make a movie about an Iraq War veteran and infuse it with doubts, mission anxiety and ruination." Dean Obeidallah praised the film, saying "His focus was not on whom we were fighting, but the unbearably high price Americans pay for waging war regardless of its target. The film is a cautionary tale for Americans about why we must avoid war. It

4675-493: The film surpassed Pearl Harbor ($ 198.5 million) to become the second-highest-grossing war film in North America. By its second weekend, Box Office Mojo had already reported that the film was on poise to become the highest-grossing film of 2014 in North America, a record that was, at the time held by The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 ($ 334 million), judging from its gradual decline and strong holdovers. It became

4760-464: The film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying " American Sniper lifts director Clint Eastwood out of the doldrums that have plagued his last few films." Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Cooper nails the role of an American killing machine in Clint Eastwood's clear-eyed look at the Iraq War." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times gave the film

4845-478: The film three-and-a-half stars out of four, saying "Bradley Cooper, as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, and director Eastwood salute Kyle's patriotism best by not denying its toll. Their targets are clearly in sight, and their aim is true." Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave the film a B, saying " American Sniper is imperfect and at times a little corny, but also ambivalent and complicated in ways that are uniquely Eastwoodian." James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave

4930-478: The film with Arri Alexa XT digital cameras and Panavision C-, E- and G-Series anamorphic lenses . The film is Eastwood's second to be shot digitally, after Jersey Boys . There is no "Music by" credit on this film. Clint Eastwood, who has composed the scores for most of his films since Mystic River (2003), is credited as the composer of "Taya's Theme". Joseph S. DeBeasi is credited as composer of additional music and as music editor. The film also features

5015-400: The film, the audience laughed out loud at how artificial the doll appeared. When discussing the film's prospects for winning an Academy Award, Fandango critic Dave Karger said, "The reason why American Sniper is not going to win is because of the plastic baby." In The Telegraph , journalist Mark Harris said, "That plastic baby is going to be rationalised by Eastwood auteur cultists until

5100-439: The highest-grossing IMAX film of January grossing $ 18.8 million from 333 IMAX theaters. On Thursday, January 29, 2015–35 days after its initial release, the film surpassed Saving Private Ryan ($ 216.5 million) to become the highest-grossing war film in North America, unadjusted for inflation. By its third weekend of wide release, the film expanded to 3,885 theaters (180 additional theaters added), breaking its own record of being

5185-453: The highest-grossing war film unadjusted for inflation (and, on an adjusted basis, second to Saving Private Ryan with $ 379 million), the fourth-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (behind The Passion of the Christ , Deadpool , and Deadpool & Wolverine ), Warner Bros. ' fourth-highest-grossing film (behind The Dark Knight , The Dark Knight Rises and Harry Potter and

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5270-470: The jaw that caused a severe spinal cord injury . Littlefield was hit seven times, including four that would have been instantly fatal. One of the gunshot wounds was to the top of the head, indicating it was likely fired while Littlefield was already on the ground. Crime scene photos shown in court show Kyle lying on the dirt in front of an elevated deck from which rifles were fired at targets up to 1,000 yards (3,000 ft; 910 m) away. Littlefield lay on

5355-556: The lack of care that goes to vets. [Any] discussion that has nothing to do with vets, or what we did or did not do [for them], every conversation in those terms is moving farther and farther from what our soldiers go through, and the fact that 22 veterans commit suicide each day." Cooper said that an increasing number of soldiers are returning from conflict psychologically damaged, only to be more or less discarded. Former First Lady Michelle Obama and former Republican Party vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin also spoke out in support of

5440-416: The largest winter opening, which is also Eastwood's top opening as a director (breaking Gran Torino ' s opening). The three-day opening is also the biggest opening weekend for a drama film (previously held by The Passion of the Christ ), the second-biggest debut for a Best Picture Oscar nominee (behind Toy Story 3 ), the second-biggest debut for an R-rated film (behind The Matrix Reloaded ), and

5525-412: The mark. It earned as much as the combined earnings of all of the other 2014 Best Picture nominees . On March 8, 2015, it surpassed The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 to become the highest-grossing film of 2014, making it the first R-rated film since Saving Private Ryan (1998) and the first non-franchise film since Avatar (2009) to top the year-end rankings. American Sniper premiered at

5610-474: The military. Routh had also been in and out of mental hospitals for at least two years and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia , although his stated motive did not involve any symptoms typically associated with the disability, such as hallucinations or delusions . On the way to the shooting range, Kyle texted Littlefield, "This dude is straight up nuts." Littlefield responded, "Watch my six," military slang meaning "watch my back." Four months later, while he

5695-479: The military. Routh's mother, who worked at the school that Kyle's children attended, had heard of his work and asked him to help her son. He agreed to take Routh to a shooting range, which Kyle believed had therapeutic value. Routh was a 25-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Lancaster, Texas . Kyle and Littlefield had reportedly taken Routh to the gun range in an effort to help him with his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which he suffered from his time in

5780-421: The movie. Several major news sources commented on the accuracy of the film and how it differs from Chris Kyle's written accounts. The enemy sniper Mustafa is a major character in the film but receives only a small mention in the memoir; Kyle noted: "I never saw him, but other snipers later killed an Iraqi sniper we think was him." According to the memoir, Kyle's 2100-yard shot was taken against an insurgent holding

5865-571: The organization's inception in 1967 until 1980) and Jean Picker Firstenberg (from 1980 to 2007). The American Film Institute was founded by a 1965 presidential mandate announced in the Rose Garden of the White House by Lyndon B. Johnson —to establish a national arts organization to preserve the legacy of American film heritage, educate the next generation of filmmakers, and honor the artists and their work. Two years later, in 1967, AFI

5950-478: The people left behind", and that presenting "the fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did" is the "biggest antiwar statement any film" can make. He stated: "One of my favorite war movies that I've been involved with is Letters from Iwo Jima and that was about family, about being taken away from life, being sent someplace. In World War II, everybody just sort of went home and got over it. Now there

6035-559: The same deck nearby. After the killings, Routh first went to a Taco Bell and bought some burritos, then went to his sister's house in Midlothian and told her what he had done. His sister, Laura Blevins, called 9-1-1 and told the emergency operator: "They went out to a shooting range ... Like, he's all crazy. He's ... psychotic." After that, Routh drove to his home and picked up his dog. Local police first distracted Routh by speaking to him, where he spoke irrationally about Hell,

6120-399: The song "Someone Like You" by Van Morrison , which plays during the wedding scene, and "The Funeral" by Ennio Morricone . American Sniper grossed $ 350.1 million in North America and $ 197 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $ 547.1 million, against a budget of around $ 58 million. Calculating in all expenses and revenues, Deadline Hollywood estimated that the film made

6205-419: The story to the screen. On August 5, 2013, Spielberg dropped out of directing. On August 21, 2013, it was reported that Clint Eastwood would instead direct the film. On March 14, 2014, Sienna Miller joined the cast. On March 16, 2014, Kyle Gallner was cast, as was Cory Hardrict on March 18, 2014. On March 20, 2014, Navid Negahban , Eric Close , Eric Ladin , Rey Gallegos, and Jake McDorman also joined

6290-463: The third-biggest for a non-comic book, non-fantasy/sci-fi film (behind Furious 7 and Fast & Furious 6 ). It also set an IMAX January opening and single weekend record with $ 10.6 million (previously held by Avatar in its fourth weekend) and an R-rated IMAX debut record (previously held by Prometheus ). It earned $ 107.2 million during its four-day Martin Luther King weekend setting

6375-418: The widest R-rated film ever released. The film topped the box office through its third weekend earning $ 30.66 million, which is the second-highest Super Bowl weekend gross (behind Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert ). After topping the box office for three consecutive weekends, the film was overtaken by The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water in its fourth weekend. The film had

6460-500: Was several years later. The character "the Butcher" was created for the film, although this character may have been based on the real-life Abu Deraa or Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi . The visual blog Information is Beautiful stated that, while taking creative licence into account, the film was 56.9% accurate when compared to real-life events, summarizing: "a lot of the events in the movie did happen, although Kyle's involvement in them

6545-676: Was established, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts , the Motion Picture Association of America and the Ford Foundation . The original 22-member Board of Trustees included actor Gregory Peck as chairman and actor Sidney Poitier as vice-chairman, as well as director Francis Ford Coppola , film historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. , lobbyist Jack Valenti , and other representatives from

6630-601: Was held for Kyle at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas , on February 11, 2013. He was buried on February 12, 2013, at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin , after the funeral cortege journeyed from Midlothian to Austin, more than 200 miles (320 km). Thousands of people, many waving American flags, lined Interstate 35 to view the procession and pay their final respects to Kyle. Littlefield's funeral

6715-424: Was in his jail cell, Routh shared with former Erath County Sheriff's Deputy Gene Cole: "I was just riding in the back seat of the truck, and nobody would talk to me. They were just taking me to the range, so I shot them. I feel bad about it, but they wouldn't talk to me. I'm sure they've forgiven me." Kyle had been shot six times, including a “rapidly fatal” bullet to the back that pierced his aorta , and another to

6800-501: Was murdered . On May 2, 2013, it was announced that Steven Spielberg would direct. Spielberg had read Kyle's book, though he desired to have a more psychological conflict present in the screenplay so an "enemy sniper" character could serve as the insurgent sharpshooter who was trying to track down and kill Kyle. Spielberg's ideas contributed to the development of a lengthy screenplay approaching 160 pages. Due to Warner Bros.' budget constraints, Spielberg felt he could not bring his vision of

6885-424: Was repeatedly exaggerated". In the film, Kyle decides to join the navy after watching the 1998 United States embassy bombings on TV, in reality this did not contribute to his decision. One aspect of the film that received negative comment was its use of a fake baby doll in one scene, which was said to look obviously artificial and that it was a distraction to critics and viewers. In at least one media screening of

6970-623: Was schizophrenic and was not insane at the time of the murders because he was intoxicated. On February 24, 2015, Routh was found guilty of murdering Kyle and Littlefield. The jury returned the verdict after less than three hours of deliberations. The trial judge, Jason Cashon, immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Routh is imprisoned at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Ramsey Unit in Brazoria County , Texas . A memorial service

7055-785: Was taken to the Erath County Jail for holding under a $ 3 million bond. His trial was set to begin May 5, 2014, but was delayed to allow more time to comply with DNA testing requirements. The trial began on February 11, 2015. Routh's attorneys argued that he was insane at the time of the murders. Forensic psychologist Randall Price, a witness for the prosecution, suspected Routh was faking schizophrenia. He said that Routh actually had paranoid personality disorder exacerbated by drug use. He also testified that Routh's psychotic symptoms could be attributed to drug and alcohol abuse. Another expert, Michael Arambula, testified he did not believe Routh

7140-513: Was thirteen years old, and did so after high school. He was deployed to a base near Baghdad in September 2007, where he worked for six months as a prison guard and repaired weapons. In January 2010, he was sent on a humanitarian mission to Haiti . He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in July 2011 after serving for four years. In late July 2011, Routh was diagnosed by clinicians at

7225-681: Was voted the greatest American film twice. The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is a moving image exhibition, education and cultural center located in Silver Spring, Maryland. Anchored by the restoration of noted architect John Eberson's historic 1938 Silver Theatre, it features 32,000 square feet of new construction housing two stadium theatres, office and meeting space, and reception and exhibit areas. The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center presents film and video programming, augmented by filmmaker interviews, panels, discussions, and musical performances. The Directing Workshop for Women

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