I remember years ago when the Budweiser ad campaign changed their commercials from "Real American Heroes," to "Real Men Of Genius," in the days following the attack on the WTC.  It was a tasteful recognition that the way we thought about the term "Heroes" had changed forever.

Monday night I took my 13 year-old son to see the movie American Sniper.  From the moment the trailer came out, he was chirping at me that he wanted to see it.  I was concerned though about, shall we say, the weight of the movie.  Kids are used to seeing blood on film these days, but it wasn't just a matter of violence

I reached out to my Facebook community and was given a comfort level that it wouldn't be to the extent of being dangerous or inappropriate for him.  Like me, he thinks about things deeply.  I had seen the footage of the scene with the woman and the young boy in the cross hairs of the sniper rifle and I was concerned about it.  The scene and the movie were difficult, but it was amazing, and by all accounts incredibly realistic.  Hollywood often takes ample artistic license, but in this movie it doesn't seem to be the case.

It was not fast-paced, but it was riveting and Ty never seemed distracted for even a minute.  I have taught him since he was on the operating table on 9-11 when the planes hit the towers about how our soldiers are heroes.  There are many lessons I have tried to teach him over the years, but none more important.  Bradley Cooper probably doesn't deserve an Oscar simply because of the range factor, but his performance is incredible and will without a doubt solidify him in an unforgettable piece of American film history.  He is truly invisible as he becomes Chris Kyle.

Without spoiling the ending of a story that pretty much everyone already knows, the director did a fantastic job of not exploiting gore and violence excessively throughout the film.  When the plot is finally brought to fruition at the end of the movie in words rather than a depiction of what actually happened, despite every person in the theater knowing what was going to happen, a theater-wide gasp was still released and you could hear many start sniffling instantly, myside being one instantly brought to tears.

Even more than being a great movie, it is a great story that is handled perfectly by the producers and director Clint Eastwood.  It is a film that is honest, fair, wholesome and truly American.

I will avoid all poliitics on the matter, but suffice to say that the incredible record breaking numbers the film is generating speaks volumes about how our country feels about it's greatest heroes, critics not withstanding (their names aren't worthy of mention).