Per the National Center for PTSD, eleven to twelve (out of a hundred) veterans will suffer from PTSD. Roughly 250,000 men and women return home from war each year – meaning approximately 30,000 of these men and women will experience some level of PTSD. This is a staggering number – and as depicted inThank You For Your Service, a number the US Government is ill equipped to properly treat and heal.
Based on a true story and a David Finkel novel of the same name,Thank You for Your Servicefollows three Iraq War veterans as they readjust to civilian life, pushing back the traumas of war albeit rather unsuccessfully.Miles Tellerstars as Adam Schumann, a decorated war hero who still feels responsible for the death of a fellow soldier, the guilt threatening to tear his marriage, his family and even his own life apart.Thank You for Your Servicethough isn’t just about how Adam and his fellow soldiers cope with trauma, but the systems in place (Veteran Affairs, Trauma Counseling) to treat these men – and how difficult it is for them to get help even when they know they need it.
In the following interview with the real lifeAdam Schumannand writer/directorJason Hall, the duo discuss how to improve PTSD treatment for suffering veterans, adjusting the film’s script to reflect reality and the careful balance between fact & fiction for the film. For the full interview, watch above.
Jason Hall & Adam Schumann:
