Jan. 28--Less than a week after Howard Dean described "American Sniper" audiences as "angry," actor Gary Sinise is politely but firmly pushing back.
Dean, who is the former governor of Vermont, was a guest on Friday's episode of "Real Time with Bill Maher" on HBO. When the topic turned to "American Sniper" and the divisive response it has provoked while racking up big box office, Dean made this observation: "There's a lot of anger in this country, and the people who go see this movie are people who are very angry."
On Tuesday Sinise published a carefully thought-out rebuttal to his WhoSay account.
"You certainly have a right to make stupid blanket statements, suggesting that all people who see this film are angry, but how is that helpful sir?" Sinise writes. "Do you also suggest that everyone at Warner Brothers is angry because they released the film? That Clint Eastwood, Jason Hall, Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and the rest of the cast and crew are angry because they made the film?"
The film's merit has been fiercely debated since its release (see "Is 'American Sniper' a litmus test for patriotism?" from Tribune film critic Michael Phillips), with arguments on either side veering into name-calling.
Sinise, who grew up in the Chicago area and is one of the founders of Steppenwolf Theater, often a more measured response.
The movie, he wrote, "tells a story of the stress that multiple deployments have on one military family, a family representative of thousands of military families. It helps to communicate the toll that the war on terror has taken on our defenders. Defenders and families who need our support. I will admit that perhaps somewhere among the masses of people who are going to see the film there may be a few that might have some anger or have been angry at some point in their lives, but, with all due respect, what the hell are you talking about?"
More than 10 years ago Sinise created the Lt. Dan Band, named after the military vet he played in "Forest Gump." The cover band frequently performs at military bases.
On TV, Sinise played Det. Mac Taylor on "CSI: NY" for nine years, wrapping that show in 2013. He is currently set to star in the "Criminal Minds" spinoff, which is filming next month. According to Deadline, the show will follow "FBI agents helping American citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad. Sinise will play their boss, Jack Garrett, a 20-year veteran of the Bureau, who is currently in charge of the FBI's top team for handling cases involving Americans abroad."
Sinise is also rumored to be among many names bandied about for the Warner Bros. blockbuster "Suicide Squad," which is set to open in the summer of 2016.
nmetz@tribpub.com
@NinaMetzNews
