I was really excited about the Unbroken movie.  I really was..

 

Just know, before November I never heard of this story or Louie Zamperini.  The book and the writer were a mystery until the Random House Open House event.

The Random House team not talked about the book at the Open House they held in November. They told phenomenal stories about both the author, Laura Hillenbrand and Louie Zamperini.

After they got finished talking about the book and Laura Hillenbrand, the author I was pretty much sold on the story and the movie!

My daughter got through the book in a few days, and that was in line with the Christmas opening so the whole family decided to go.

I have to say I got a little nervous when the Golden Globe nominations came out and Unbroken was snuffed, but on Christmas Day we went anyway.

For 122 minutes, our family and about 150 other people watch the movie.  During the first 100 minutes I was captivated and the movie pulled me right in.  

The acting was great, Jack O’Connelly played the part of Louie Zamperini, and the story was intriguing, but something happened that I didn’t expect, the ending. I won’t ruin it for you, but the ending left me REALLY disappointed and flat.  A great build up, and then a great big let down.  I wasn’t along because there wasn’t a clap in the house when the movie ended.  People just left.

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The story was awesome, but the ending left me, with WAY too many questions and not enough answers.

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My daughter who read the book said it was way too to much put in one movie, and perhaps she is right.  

I think Louie’s story is incredibly powerful and ending the movie the way it ends is a disservice to the movie watcher and to Louie’s memory.

There is just as much power in his return and his reception, as there is in understanding how he eventually became a man who made such a huge impact on the world.

Don’t get me wrong I think Angelina Jolie did a good job directing the movie, the acting was also superb, but when the movie ended it just really left me feeling like the teacher LEFT right in the middle of the class, or the story ended just when it got started.

Perhaps, it was the huge build up or all I knew about the story before I watched the film. In my humble opinion, when you bring the audience along that far, you have to do a better job of closing out the story.  You may disagree.

Personally, I would suggest you read the book, and then you decide if you want to see part of the story on screen or if you would just feel better appreciating the story Laura so eloquently tells in the book.

[Tweet “Louie’s story is too good #UnBrokenmovie”] to have part of it splintered off.

On Christmas Day, we invested time and money in a movie hoping to see the story of a man who should be honored and recognized, and to learn from his lessons, that isn’t what we got.

Verdict:

If you decide to see the movie, go knowing that you will need to read the book before or after you watch the movie, or read the book and watch the movie when it comes out on video.  

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The great news is the book is on sale right now on Amazon for ONLY $4.99, half the price of a movie ticket.  This book was on the New York Times Best Seller List and is a really great read.  

[Tweet “The book #Unbroken is excellent!, and it’s on sale right now at Amazon for $4.99”]

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If you want to learn more about the lessons of Louie’s life you I would recommend this book by Louie Zamperini, that was finished only 2 days before his death.

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If you have seen the movie please feel free to share your thoughts