SC-S31/W3-Movie Magic |Movies about Inner strength (That Homeless Man is an American Hero)

Hi friends!
It is another week to submit my movie entry. Since the focus for this week centres on courage and resilience vis-à-vis propellers of growth, I will be choosing a movie that best fits into this category. [That Homeless Man is an American Hero]. I came across this movie online after seeing its advertisements, and then decided to watch it in full through Moviebox. It is a short action drama full of high points.

The movie hinges on its main actor "Ethan Barrett" who happens to be a soldier [a common decorated vet which was his first description of himself when asked]. But he was not just as common as he purported. He has a best friend named Pierce who he lost in combat. Pierce Ashes was seen to be carried by Ethan Barrett to his family for a befitting burial as his best friend requested. He told his friend to take his body home.

He had retired after the death of his best friend. But something happened on his way home while taking his best friend's ashes to the family at Maple City. He was accosted by the local police who mistook him for an illegal migrant or some homeless fellow. This didn’t end well as this was the beginning of the numerous troubles that unfolded. Before this, Ethan Barrett had saved Victoria Lawson from a car hijacker using his military training.

	Invitation for medal of honor...

However, there was this FBI chief, who came to invite Ethan Barrett for a national hero award, and who also kept in contact with him for his necessary protection. He came to his rescue when it mattered most, when he was humiliated and harassed by the local police. He is Ethan’s subordinate but assumed that position after Ethan’s retirement. Though there are other characters, these four (4) were more vital and instrumental to this movie drama. Let's get to know the courage and resilience in each of these aforementioned characters.

Ethan Barrett was a typical example of courage and resilience. He was humiliated and tortured by the local police when he was illegally arrested. In all of this humiliation, he didn't want to compromise his best friend's wishes for all the drama before him. He had his medal of honour which should have aided his freedom but decided to make out things peacefully. Even when he could have resorted to violence when he felt betrayed by the system, he opted for an option to call his lawyer Victoria Lawson for intervention.

My second strong character here is Victoria Lawson who's a seasoned lawyer,.once helped by Ethan Barrett when she was under a car hijacker syndicate. Her courageous attribute was evident when she came into a hostile police station to defend Ethan Barrett. She had been harmed given the police brutality already seen in the scene. Her resilience was honed by standing up to these corrupt police officers who intimidated her and smashed her cell phone.

Victoria Helped out from a car hijack

The third character in the display is James Jones [the Sheriff). His resilience to put up with Ethan Barrett harshly is negatively seen and is termed a kind of dark resilience that stems from injustice and corruption. His continued push to undermine Ethan Barrett was an abuse of office and authority and hence a dark resilience or courage.

My last and fourth character is the FBI chief who was Ethan’s subordinate. In all of the scenes he interfaced, he represented loyalty and appreciation without any abuse of institutional authority. Always stepping in when the system is about to abuse its national heroes is a demonstration of courage.

What or whose inner struggle stood out the most for you in the movie?

I believe it's Ethan Barrett’s...

He was faced and trapped between Trauma & Duty. This was a young man who had just lost his best friend and was caught in a battle that almost consumed him as he pushed to bring back his best friend's ashes home. A jar of ashes he carried while battling the corrupt sheriff.

He also struggled as he was trapped between Humility & Identity. This is a man who has the Presidential Medal of Honour and by presenting this, would end any abuse and humiliation. But he decided not to reveal his identity and see how much being a common civilian man could take him. He was defending the jar of ashes while being beaten like a commoner, showing the inner strength to maintain what he desired against all odds.

	Humiliation by the sheriff

Which moment showed real strength and why?

From this movie, the moment that showed real strength was when the sheriff desecrated Pierce’s ashes from the jar. As expected, Ethan didn't snap with such action immediately. He applied restraint against violence. Ordinarily, Ethan should have killed everyone in the room. being a trained soldier, he restrained himself because he had a goal to bring Pierce home safely.

He was purposeful and intentional with his promise. He didn't allow pride to overwhelm his purpose by attacking them directly but rather called his lawyer Victoria Lawson and the FBI chief. He knew when to fight and still have the Pierces’ promise kept without any compromise. This was achieved when the FBI chief arrived, Ethan avenged immediately before the stern suspension and dismissal of those officers.

How did the character change by the end?

Ethan initially does not want to be seen as highly placed in the military. In fact,ct he wanted to remain invisible to the extent he rejected the presidential send-off event based on his grieving and unstable mental health. He just wanted to be that common man, who then disappeared from the corridors of power, with his peace of mind intact.

But this did not work out as he had taught instead this was a gate to allow corruption win over his very eyes. After his identity was revealed, he decided to be who he is without having to deny the facts. It was obvious that he could also defend the country within the system and not necessarily on the battlefieldIn fact he became a public hero who tends to fix the broken system marred by corruption.

Thank you for reading...

I invite @m-princess @elsa-queen @annydee01

Image Credit: All images are screenshots from Moviebox Viewing App*