Cher had 5,000 DVDs of "The Ground Truth: After the Killings" made, but unless American soldiers are on her mailing list, they're not getting to see it. Army, Navy and Marine Corps base officers have refused to show the documentary, about difficulties Iraq War vets have after they return home, according to director Patricia Foulkrod.
"It's hard for them to reconnect to their families," Foulkrod told us. "They've been in a very dramatic situation. The adjustment is so difficult. They come back and are offered only minimum wage. We spent so much money on the war, the government didn't really set aside the proper money to take care of these guys when they get back."
During one phone pitch to a Colorado base, a commanding officer told a Focus Features distribution exec that the content of the film was "inappropriate" and would be "detrimental" to the servicemen and their families.
Actresses Olivia Wilde ("The O.C.") and Susan Sarandon are also trying to get the word out. "I understand why the Armed Forces would be afraid to show this film because it shows the huge gap in recognizing and providing help for returning soldiers' psychological and physical needs," Sarandon told us.
An Army spokeswoman replied: "First of all, I actually only know one place they went to, and that was West Point. Â… This is more of an activist piece than a documentary," she said. "If you look at 'The Ground Truth,' it has a definite point of view. We don't say, 'Don't go see it,' but we don't see why we should promote it.
"We don't get too many requests on documentaries," she said. "It's usually more things with entertainment value, people saying we'd like to do something nice for the troops - like the movie 'Sahara.'" |