The Men Who Stare at Goats (film)
Encyclopedia
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a 2009 comedy
war
film
directed by Grant Heslov
and written by Peter Straughan
and released in theaters on November 6, 2009. It is based on the book of the same title
by author Jon Ronson
, an account of the investigation by Ronson and John Sergeant into attempts by US military forces to use psychic powers.
), whose wife leaves him for the newspaper's editor. Seeking an escape, Bob flies to Kuwait
to report on the Iraq War and to prove to his wife and himself that he is a man. However, he stumbles onto the story of a lifetime when he meets a retired Special Forces operator, Lyn Cassady (George Clooney
), who reveals that he was part of an American army unit training psychic
spies
(or "Jedi
Warriors") to develop a range of parapsychological
skills including invisibility
, remote viewing
, and phasing. The back story is told mainly through flashback
s.
In 1972, U.S. Army officer Bill Django (Jeff Bridges
), after accidentally falling out of a UH-1 Iroquois
"Huey" helicopter in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam
, found his men to be unable or unwilling to fire on a female Viet Cong soldier before she shot him in the chest. He then underwent a fact-finding mission prompted by a vision where the Viet Cong soldier says, "their gentleness is their strength." The bulk of Django's mission immersed him into the New Age movement so that, when he returned to Fort Bragg
in 1980, he had long braided hair and a tattoo of a third eye
surmounted on a pyramid on his chest.
Facilitated by the open-minded General Hopgood (Stephen Lang), Django led the training of a New Earth Army, with Lyn Cassady and Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey
) as his top students. The two quickly developed a lifelong rivalry because of their opposing views of how to implement the New Earth Army philosophy; Lyn wanted to emphasize the positive side of the teachings, whereas Larry was more interested in the "dark side
".
Prompted by a doodle in Bob's notebook (of an eye on a pyramid), Lyn takes him into Iraq. They are kidnapped by criminals who want to sell them to the insurgents, but escape with fellow hostage Mahmud Daash (Waleed Zuaiter
) and are rescued by a private security detail led by Todd Nixon (Robert Patrick
). When the detail is caught in a firefight, the three of them flee. Bob and Lyn then continue on Lyn's vague mission involving a vision he had of Bill Django.
After taking the wrong fork in the road, their car hits an IED
. Bob and Lyn wander in the desert where Lyn reveals that he had stopped a goat's heart to test the limit of his mental abilities, an action he feels has cursed him. As part of this curse, it is revealed that Hooper conducted an unauthorized LSD
experiment in which a soldier killed himself, forcing Django out of the Army.
Eventually, Bob and Lyn are rescued and rehabilitated at a camp run by PSIC, a private research firm engaged in psychological and psychic experiments on a herd of goats and some captured locals. To Lyn's dismay, Larry Hooper runs the firm and employs Django, now a depressed
alcoholic
. Bob spends time with Django and learns the ways of the New Earth Army. They spike the water and food of the base with LSD and free both the goats and captured locals. Following this, Lyn and Django fly off in a helicopter, never to be heard from again, disappearing into the sky "like all shamans".
Bob returns to work as a reporter and writes an article about his entire experience with Lyn. However, he is frustrated in that the only portion of the story to be aired on the news is how the captives were forced to listen to 20 hours of the Barney & Friends
theme song. This dilutes his story to the level of a joke, and Bob vows to continue trying to get the bigger story out. In the film's final scene, Bob exercises his own psychic abilities and, following intense concentration, runs through a solid wall in his office.
reports that 53% of 183 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average
of 5.7 out of 10. The site's general consensus is that "Though The Men Who Stare at Goats is a mostly entertaining, farcical glimpse of men at war, some may find its satire and dark humor less than edgy." Among Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics", which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 41%, based on a sample of 31 reviews.
Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from film critics, has a rating score of 54 based on 33 reviews. George Clooney's performance was received very positively with the following comments from the Irish Times: "Clooney shines in this remarkable story, based on actual events...Clooney is now pretty much the sole bearer of the 'classic movie star' tag, and once again, he injects a performance with a Coen brothers
level of quirky. His twitches, his more ponderous moments; you buy this character because it's Clooney, and he's exceptional here."
and Blu-ray in Region 1 on March 23, 2010, and was released in Region 2 on April 19, 2010. The extras include "Goats Declassified: The Real Men of the First Earth Battalion".
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Grant Heslov
Grant Heslov
Grant Heslov is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter and director.-Early life:Heslov was born in Los Angeles, into a Jewish family and was raised in the Palos Verdes area of Los Angeles. He attended Palos Verdes High School, the University of Southern California along with friend Tate...
and written by Peter Straughan
Peter Straughan
Peter Straughan is a playwright and author, based in the north-east of England.Peter Straughan was the writer-in-residence at Newcastle's Live Theatre Company. Whilst there, Live staged his plays Bones and Noir...
and released in theaters on November 6, 2009. It is based on the book of the same title
The Men Who Stare at Goats
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a book by Jon Ronson about the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by staring at them...
by author Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson is a Welsh journalist, documentary filmmaker, radio presenter and nonfiction author, whose works include The Men Who Stare At Goats. His journalism and columns have appeared in British publications including The Guardian newspaper, City Life and Time Out magazine...
, an account of the investigation by Ronson and John Sergeant into attempts by US military forces to use psychic powers.
Plot
The film follows Ann Arbor Daily Telegram reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregorEwan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
), whose wife leaves him for the newspaper's editor. Seeking an escape, Bob flies to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
to report on the Iraq War and to prove to his wife and himself that he is a man. However, he stumbles onto the story of a lifetime when he meets a retired Special Forces operator, Lyn Cassady (George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
), who reveals that he was part of an American army unit training psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
spies
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
(or "Jedi
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
Warriors") to develop a range of parapsychological
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
skills including invisibility
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
, remote viewing
Remote viewing
Remote viewing is the practice of seeking impressions about a distant or unseen target using paranormal means, in particular, extra-sensory perception or "sensing with mind"...
, and phasing. The back story is told mainly through flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
s.
In 1972, U.S. Army officer Bill Django (Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
), after accidentally falling out of a UH-1 Iroquois
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
"Huey" helicopter in the Binh Duong province of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, found his men to be unable or unwilling to fire on a female Viet Cong soldier before she shot him in the chest. He then underwent a fact-finding mission prompted by a vision where the Viet Cong soldier says, "their gentleness is their strength." The bulk of Django's mission immersed him into the New Age movement so that, when he returned to Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
in 1980, he had long braided hair and a tattoo of a third eye
Third eye
The third eye is a mystical and esoteric concept referring in part to the ajna chakra in certain spiritual traditions. It is also spoken of as the gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness...
surmounted on a pyramid on his chest.
Facilitated by the open-minded General Hopgood (Stephen Lang), Django led the training of a New Earth Army, with Lyn Cassady and Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
) as his top students. The two quickly developed a lifelong rivalry because of their opposing views of how to implement the New Earth Army philosophy; Lyn wanted to emphasize the positive side of the teachings, whereas Larry was more interested in the "dark side
Dark side (Star Wars)
The dark side of the Force is a prominent moral, philosophical, and psychic concept in the Star Wars universe. It is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and appears in all subsequent Star Wars fiction...
".
Prompted by a doodle in Bob's notebook (of an eye on a pyramid), Lyn takes him into Iraq. They are kidnapped by criminals who want to sell them to the insurgents, but escape with fellow hostage Mahmud Daash (Waleed Zuaiter
Waleed Zuaiter
Waleed Zuaiter is an American actor and producer who has performed in on-stage productions in Washington, DC, Berkeley, California, and New York City, as well as several film and television productions. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.Zuaiter, a Palestinian American, was born in...
) and are rescued by a private security detail led by Todd Nixon (Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
). When the detail is caught in a firefight, the three of them flee. Bob and Lyn then continue on Lyn's vague mission involving a vision he had of Bill Django.
After taking the wrong fork in the road, their car hits an IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
. Bob and Lyn wander in the desert where Lyn reveals that he had stopped a goat's heart to test the limit of his mental abilities, an action he feels has cursed him. As part of this curse, it is revealed that Hooper conducted an unauthorized LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
experiment in which a soldier killed himself, forcing Django out of the Army.
Eventually, Bob and Lyn are rescued and rehabilitated at a camp run by PSIC, a private research firm engaged in psychological and psychic experiments on a herd of goats and some captured locals. To Lyn's dismay, Larry Hooper runs the firm and employs Django, now a depressed
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Bob spends time with Django and learns the ways of the New Earth Army. They spike the water and food of the base with LSD and free both the goats and captured locals. Following this, Lyn and Django fly off in a helicopter, never to be heard from again, disappearing into the sky "like all shamans".
Bob returns to work as a reporter and writes an article about his entire experience with Lyn. However, he is frustrated in that the only portion of the story to be aired on the news is how the captives were forced to listen to 20 hours of the Barney & Friends
Barney & Friends
Barney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
theme song. This dilutes his story to the level of a joke, and Bob vows to continue trying to get the bigger story out. In the film's final scene, Bob exercises his own psychic abilities and, following intense concentration, runs through a solid wall in his office.
Cast
- George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
as Lyn Cassady, is a combination of several real-life psychic spies. Elements of his character are primarily based on Glenn Wheaton. Additionally he has background details that match that of Guy SavelliGuy SavelliGuy Savelli is a martial artist and teacher. He teaches the spiritual and mental aspects of martial arts. He has a classified relationship with the U.S. Military, and has been featured in the book the Men Who Stare at Goats...
, the man who claims to have killed a goat by staring it down and now runs a dance studio just as Lyn does in the movie. Also some of Lyn's actions in the movie echo Peter Brusso's interactions with Jon Ronson, particularly the Predator scene, and the "attack me" scene. - Ewan McGregorEwan McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
as Bob Wilton, apparently inspired by Jon Ronson, the investigative journalist who uncovers the bizarre truth. - Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
as Bill Django, based on Jim ChannonJim ChannonJim Channon, a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, now retired, is a futurologist and military theorist. Channon is primarily recognised for creating the First Earth Battalion Operations Manual.-The manual:...
who spent two years in the 1970s investigating new age movements, and subsequently wrote an operations manual for a First Earth BattalionFirst Earth BattalionThe First Earth Battalion was the name proposed by Lieutenant Colonel Jim Channon, a U.S. soldier who had served in Vietnam, for his idea of a new military to be organized along New Age lines.-Principles:...
. - Kevin SpaceyKevin SpaceyKevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
as Larry Hooper. An apparent original creation for the movie, Larry represents the dark side of the New Earth Army and wishes to use the non-lethal technologies in harmful ways and the main antagonist of the film. - Robert PatrickRobert PatrickRobert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
as Todd Nixon, an original character heading up a unit of a private security firm work in the post-invasion Iraq. - Stephen LangStephen Lang (actor)Stephen Lang is an American actor and playwright. He started in theatre on Broadway but is well known for his film portrayals of Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals and George Pickett in Gettysburg , as well as for his 2009 roles as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar and as Texan lawman Charles...
as General Hopgood, who is based on Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Albert Stubblebine IIIAlbert StubblebineAlbert "Bert" N. Stubblebine III is a retired Major General in the United States Army. He was the commanding general of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command from 1981 to 1984, when he retired from the Army...
, and firmly believes people can walk through walls. - Stephen RootStephen RootStephen Root is an American actor. He is best known for his comedic work on the TV sitcom NewsRadio, in the film Office Space and as the voice of Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland in the animated series King of the Hill...
as Gus Lacey, who introduces Bob to the concepts of the New Earth Army; also somewhat based on Guy Savelli. - Rebecca MaderRebecca MaderRebecca Leigh Mader is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Morgan Gordon on All My Children and Charlotte Lewis on Lost.-Career:...
as Debora Wilton, Bob's estranged wife; an original character. - Glenn MorshowerGlenn MorshowerGlenn Grove Morshower is an American actor best known for playing Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on the Fox action thriller drama series 24...
as Major Jim Holtz, a more by-the-book soldier. - Waleed ZuaiterWaleed ZuaiterWaleed Zuaiter is an American actor and producer who has performed in on-stage productions in Washington, DC, Berkeley, California, and New York City, as well as several film and television productions. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.Zuaiter, a Palestinian American, was born in...
as Mahmud Dash, an Iraqi who gets captured with Cassady and Wilton.
Differences from the book
The film is inspired by British journalist Jon Ronson's book, which was accompanied by 2004 Channel 4 three-part documentary Crazy Rulers of the World. In turn, Ronson had dedicated his book to journalist and filmmaker John Sergeant, who worked intensely through 2003 and 2004 on the original documentary. However, Sergeant has complained he has not received any credit for his part in formulating what was the inspiration for the movie. Sergeant's version of events is corroborated by a number of sources: the book The Men Who Stare at Goats itself is dedicated to Sergeant, and the afterword states: "John's research and guidance can be found on every page". Further, Colonel John Alexander - one of the leaders of the story - has written to Sergeant: "If you want support for your position, tell reporters (or lawyers) to contact me. You were definitely the key person in developing the whole Goats project."Reception
The film received mixed reviews from film critics. Review website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 53% of 183 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
of 5.7 out of 10. The site's general consensus is that "Though The Men Who Stare at Goats is a mostly entertaining, farcical glimpse of men at war, some may find its satire and dark humor less than edgy." Among Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics", which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 41%, based on a sample of 31 reviews.
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from film critics, has a rating score of 54 based on 33 reviews. George Clooney's performance was received very positively with the following comments from the Irish Times: "Clooney shines in this remarkable story, based on actual events...Clooney is now pretty much the sole bearer of the 'classic movie star' tag, and once again, he injects a performance with a Coen brothers
Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
level of quirky. His twitches, his more ponderous moments; you buy this character because it's Clooney, and he's exceptional here."
DVD release
The Men Who Stare At Goats was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray in Region 1 on March 23, 2010, and was released in Region 2 on April 19, 2010. The extras include "Goats Declassified: The Real Men of the First Earth Battalion".