Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

Director: Ang Lee Ang Lee

Overview

After a video of him saving his sergeant's life during a battle in Iraq goes viral, a 19-year-old U.S. soldier named Billy Lynn (Joe Alwyn) is invited, along with his squad mates, to return to the States for a promotional tour involving a military celebration during a Thanksgiving football game. However, the experience only makes Lynn feel more alienated from a society that doesn't truly understand or appreciate the sacrifices of its soldiers. Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund, Steve Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, and Chris Tucker co-star. Directed by Ang Lee, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Ben Fountain.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/14/2017
UPC:	0043396471252
Original Release:	2016
Rating:	R
Source:	SONY PICTURES
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:53:00

Special Features

Into Battle and Onto The Field: Stepping Inside Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk; Explore the journey of master filmmaker Ang Lee as he tells this complex, provocative and visually revolutionary story; Assembling a Cast; From newcomer Joe Alwyn in the title role, to a supporting cast of powerhouse stars like Kristin Stewart, Chris Tucker, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin, meet the compelling cast who came together to build this incredible ensemble; Recreating the Halftime Show; Anchored by Don Mischer, a veteran halftime show producer, this place takes the viewer onto the field for the big event; The Brotherhood of Combat; Witness the intense training and unforgettable bonding experience of the Bravo Squad as they go through a bootcamp with military experts to prepare for their roles as combat soldiers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Joe Alwyn	Billy Lynn
Kristen Stewart	Kathryn Lynn
Chris Tucker	Albert
Garrett Hedlund	Sgt. David Dime
Makenzie Leigh	Faison
Vin Diesel	Shroom
Steve Martin	Norm Oglesby
Astro	Actor
Arturo 'Bigotón' Castro	Marcellino 'Mango' Montoya
Ismael Cruz Córdova	Actor
Barney Harris	Actor
Ben Platt	Josh
Deirdre Lovejoy	Denise Lynn
Bruce McKinnon	Ray Lynn
Laura Lundy Wheale	Patty Lynn
Beau Knapp	Crack
Alexandra Bartee	Cheerleader
Randy Gonzalez	Hector
Matthew Barnes	Travis
Mason Lee	Foo
Tim Blake Nelson	Wayne
Christopher Matthew Cook	Actor
Katrina Pettiford	Kelly
Erin Moore	Michelle
Elizabeth Chestang	Beyonce
Richard Sherman	Actor
J.J. Watt	Actor
Tommy McNulty	Reporter
Eric Kan	Reporter
Lee McLamb	Billy's Nephew,Billy's Nephew,Billy's Nephew
Gregory Alan Williams	Raise n' Praise Preacher
Kristin McKenzie Rice	Soldier in Iraq
Dennise Renae Larson	Dallas Bravo Football Fan
Kimberly Battista	VIP
Claire Bronson	Female Ref
Jackie Dallas	Dallas
R.W. Parka	Pep Squad Cheerleader
Lisa Wu	Lisa
Kristin Erickson	Travis' Girlfriend,Travis' Girlfriend
John Archer Lundgren	Texas aristocrat
Brian "Astro" Bradley	Lodis
Richard Allen Daniel	Major Mac
Markina Brown	Reporter
Dana Barrett	Reporter
JJ Watt	Football Player
Brad Mills	Travis' Friend
Genevieve Adams	Stage Manager
David Ramsey	Field Manager
Matthew Brady	Stadium Security Guy
Holly Anne Morris	Grateful/Anxious American
Alan Gilmer	Grateful/Anxious American
Andy Glen	Grateful/Anxious American
Bo Mitchell	Grateful/Anxious American
Brandin Jenkins	Grateful/Anxious American
Chesta Drake	Grateful/Anxious American
Cooper Andrews	Grateful/Anxious American
Katie Deal	Grateful/Anxious American
Tatom Pender	Grateful/Anxious American
Kellie Pickler	National Anthem Singer
Marc Inniss	Pushy Halftime Dancer
Fajer Kaisi	Interpreter
Khalid Sadiki	Iraqi Boy
Mbarek Ben Amr	Iraqi Boy
Mohammed Ettaghlaoui	Iraqi Boy
Moustapha El Airiji	Iraqi Boy
Ayoub Bnini	Iraqi Boy
Ayoub Smaili	Iraqi Boy
Ismaili Alaoui	Iraqi Daughter
Souad Chaoui	Iraqi Daughter
Antonio Badrani	Iraqi Father
Badia Obaid	Iraqi Grandmother
Abdellah Sadiki	Iraqi Sons
Abderahmane Naji	Iraqi Son
Lailli Kadiri	Iraqi Mother
Mansour Badri	Iraqi Uncle
Azim Rizk	Hand-To-Hand Insurgent
Jay Peterson	Rude Fan
Jay Kacho	Norm's Exec
Zaydun Khalaf	Shopkeeper
Jeff Danna	Composer,Composer
John Toll	Composer

Technical Credits

Jean-Christophe Castelli

Ang Lee	Director,Producer
Marc E. Platt	Producer,Producer
Rhodri Thomas	Producer
Stephen Cornwell	Producer
Jean-Christophe Castelli	Screenwriter
Brian Bell	Executive Producer
Ben Waisbren	Executive Producer,Producer
Guo Guangchang	Executive Producer,Producer
Jeffery Robinov	Executive Producer
Ian Bender	Sound Effects
Chris Giles	Sound Effects
Eugene Gearty	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

War is a complex subject to address no matter what the medium, and Ang Lee's latest endeavor, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, ambitiously attempts to explore both wartime conflict and its aftermath through the eyes of one young veteran. Based on Ben Fountain's 2012 novel of the same name, Billy Lynn follows its eponymous protagonist, a 19-year-old soldier, as he briefly returns home from the Iraq War in 2004. Billy Lynn and his unit are chosen to be honored on live television during a massive NFL game in Texas, as a result of a now-iconic photograph that captured them during a particularly harrowing firefight in which Billy lost one of his brothers in arms. The unit are given the royal treatment, including a stretch hummer limousine, promises from a Hollywood producer named Albert (Chris Tucker) that a movie will be made about them, and the opportunity to participate in a halftime show with Destiny's Child. The story is basically Billy's stream of consciousness throughout the football game: The audience experience flashbacks from the war and Billy's conversations with his family, both of which ultimately propel him on a journey of self-discovery. Not only did Ang Lee shoot the film at a heightened camera speed of 120 frames per second (the average movie is shot at 24 FPS), he also implements several changes in perspective. The decision to shift occasionally to a first-person P.O.V. was surely meant, along with the higher frame rate, to add authenticity to the story. However, it feels at times like viewers are being force-fed an emotional response through the use of these techniques. The film is also hugely ambitious, attempting to cram in a large number of story lines and sociopolitical resonance. Between the copious "real-time" events at the football game, the wartime flashbacks, and the memories of conversations between Billy and his sister (Kristen Stewart), the audience are left with a well-assembled, but woefully skeletal narrative. The subplot involving Albert and Norm (Steve Martin), the two Hollywood suits who want to make a movie about Billy's unit, feels confusing as is and probably needed to be fleshed out more. The main strength of the movie are the actors: Joe Alwyn offers an emotionally compelling performance as the titular Billy Lynn, and Garrett Hedlund shines as his commanding officer Dime. Vin Diesel and Kristen Stewart provide just the right amount of nuance and support in their roles, and Martin does what he can with the hyperbolic character of Norm. Though the film doesn't quite hit its mark, it subtly and tactfully investigates post-traumatic stress disorder and manages to neither glorify war nor vilify the military. The only reason Lynn's unit are being publicly showered with affection and attention is because powerful people in Hollywood are hoping to profit from their story under the guise of reclaiming it for the American people, which represents a fascinating, yet painfully honest portrait of the United States' reception to and treatment of its veterans -- something that is rarely addressed in most mainstream films.